Abide

When it comes to following Jesus, I believe one of the most important topics we must talk about is a lifestyle of abiding in Him. What does it mean to abide and how do we do it? To abide in the way Jesus intends for us too, it’s critical we know the answers to these questions.

When we break down the word to it’s core, abide means a few different things. Here are a few definitions taken from the Greek translation. To abide means to be “intensive or continue in perseverance in doing something.” It means to have a “constant residence” or “frequent resort”. This next definition is my favorite. To abide means “to remain in a place instead of leaving it, to stay behind and persevere.”

The universal call Jesus offers to every man is simple; “follow me” // On one hand, it’s simple. Follow Him. Do what He says and imitate Him. On the other hand, it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do. With everything in the world pulling for your affection, Jesus calls us to abide in Him. Jesus calls us to take constant residence in Him. It’s impossible to abide in Christ without first taking up the call to follow Him.

The heart of Jesus consists of disciples (you and I) who take up their residence in Him. His desire is for men and women to remain in Him, forever. The benefits are priceless and matchless! But with every good thing from Christ, you have an enemy (Satan) who wants to distort and take you away from Him.

When you take up residence with someone, you naturally grow in knowing them. Even without trying, you’ll start to know and become familiar with the little things. This is what Christ beckons us to. While head knowledge and memorization of scripture is great (and needed), we are called to a much deeper pursuit. Jesus wants you to know His heart and what’s on His heart. He wants you to know what He loves and what He hates. Who wouldn’t want that?

Why should we abide in Him?

1. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4 // Apart from Christ, we cannot bear good fruit. Good fruit is a result of intimacy with Jesus. Good fruit is a must in our Christian walk.

2. “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;” John 8:31 // Remember what “abide” means? To continue or to persevere. We can truly call ourselves disciples when we continue in His Word. We find Him in His Word because He is the Word! (John 1:1)

3. “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:10 // The commandments of God are not suggestions, they are (no pun intended) His commands. They are not commands that bog us down but commands that set us free from sin. Find the commandments of God and keep them with all of your heart.

There are so many more! Go find them. Get lost in a passionate pursuit of following Jesus. When you begin abiding in Him, never leave that place. You’ll have other desires thrown at you left and right but stand firm with Jesus. While the world runs ahead in destruction, stay behind. Even if you are the only one, stay behind and persevere.

I don't want others to see my knowledge about Jesus. I want others to know and see that I've been with Jesus. The person who finds their love and home in Christ is a person who’ll never seek any other lover the world has to offer.

For more reading into this topic, check out John 15:1-8.