IN HIM…
“For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring.” Acts 17:28 AMPC
No other words more perfectly express our constant dependence on God. He is our original fountain and source of life (Ps. 36:9). His written Word tells us that God is the giver of life and breath according to Genesis 2:7 NLT “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”
Everything in all creation is upheld by God’s mighty hand, including our very existence. We will never be able to live and move and have our being apart from God. Apart from Him we can do nothing. He is our Creator and we owe all qualities and capacities of life to Him. He is the One that shapes our destiny with His perfect plan and purpose for our lives here on Earth.
When we travel to different countries and visit different locations, I am always astounded by the beauty of God’s creation. The different varieties of flowers and trees that we see all around displays the creativity and detail God put into its creation. The Lord also created it in such a way that it has integrated systems in which it gets nourishment, water and how it grows and bears fruit. It comes as no surprise that God uses nature as metaphors to teach us about Himself.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me. “Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” John 15:4-7 NLT
In the above portion of Scripture, the Lord refers to
Himself as the Vine and we, the branches.
To “abide” means to stay or remain. Abiding in Christ Jesus is not a feeling or a belief, but something we do. It’s more than a feeling, it is a decision. To abide in the Lord means that we continually receive, believe and trust that Jesus is EVERYTHING we need. When a person gets saved, he or she is described as being “IN CHRIST”; held secure in a permanent relationship.
“At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you.”
John 14:20 AMPC.
Therefore, abiding in Christ is not a special level of Christian experience, rather, it is the position of all true believers.
If we truly understand the position we have in Him, then everything we need is received from Christ. Our nourishment comes from Him and we will never hunger or thirst for anything that this world offers.
So many Christians fail or struggle to put their full dependence in Christ. Instead of being attached to the True Vine, they are tied to a bank account. Others are attached to their education. Some have tried to make vines out of popularity, fame, personal skills, possessions, relationships, or fleshly desires. Some think the Church is their vine. But none of those things can sustain or bear fruit. The Vine is “Christ”. If we abide in Him, He will give us the wisdom and strategies needed to do business, be in ministry, raise our children and be a husband or wife after His own heart.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7 NKJV
When we abide in Christ, we will speak what Christ speaks. That will be the evidence of our fruit - we abide in Him and we are His disciples.
We will talk like Him, walk like Him and love like Him.
When we abide in Him, we cannot allow thorns of anger, rage, filthy language, or a lying tongue on our tree. We are connected to the Lord and we must have the same characteristics as Christ. (Col 3:8-15 NLT) Talks about changing your old ways and becoming Christ-like. It talks about how God has chosen you and me to be His holy people whom He loves. Clothe yourselves with a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, to be clothed with LOVE, which will bind us all together in perfect harmony. These are the fruits that we will display if we abide in Christ.
Ask yourself, do I live in Him, the Breath of Life and do I bear Godly fruit? Do you feel disconnected from the Holy Spirit? You may go through some obstacles, or satan might try to distract you from the purpose and plans God has for your life. I would like to encourage you to be grafted back into your position in Christ Jesus. Make Him your dwelling place. That is where you belong - “IN HIM”.
Here are 4 simple keys that will help you to abide in Him:
Abiding has a continual hour-by-hour nature to it. A constant looking to Jesus through Scriptures.
Remove all blockages such as unforgiveness, sin and any bitterness. Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”.
Walk by Faith and walk closer with Him.
Spend quality time in His Word.
Spend time with the Vine in Prayer and in Worship.
Psalms 1:2-3 TPT “His pleasure and passion is to remaining true to the Word of “I AM,” meditating day and night on the true revelation of light. He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous.”
I pray that you will abide in Him and bear fruit in every season of your life. That your daily walk in Christ Jesus and everything you do becomes effortless in Jesus Name.
Forgive quickly
Love deeply
Ps.Lil ❤