Originally posted 10/30/20
One of my favorite books in the Bible is John. I have been studying John 13-16 for a Bible study I am writing. This past week I have been pondering John 15:7-9 (ESV) “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”
What Does it Mean to Abide?
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you…” What does a life look like that is abiding in Jesus and his words abiding in us? According to The Dictionary abide means: to remain; continue; stay. So we are to remain in Jesus, continue to have his words in us, and stay in his love all the time. That sounds amazing to me, but then the question becomes, how do we do all those things?
Remaining in Jesus
Jesus already did all the work needed for us to remain in him every second of every day. The moment you surrender your life to him, God dwells in you. We find this truth in 1 John 4:15 (ESV), “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” The word abide in this verse is the same word used in John 15:7-9. God remains in us when we confess that Jesus is the Son of God. Furthermore, we abide in God.
Isn’t this good news? We don’t have to try and remain in Jesus because he already did the work to make that happen for us. We confess that Jesus is the Son of God and bam, he remains in us forever!
Continue to Have His Words in Us
God is always abiding in us. We know this truth. Now we want to live a life that glorifies God and shows others his love and goodness. To do that we need to continue to have his words in us. How do we do this? We do this by having a growing and intimate relationship with God.
We rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us about who God is. 1 John 2:27 (NLT) says, “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.”
The Importance of the Holy Spirit
The longer I am a Christian the more I come to believe that understanding the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives is vital. Paul exhorts us in Galatians to “walk by the Spirit” so that we won’t satisfy our flesh. We must first recognize the power and importance of the Holy Spirit before we are able to walk by the Spirit. I personally have been to many churches and talked to many Christians who seem to place little importance on having a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
People often put high value on both God the Father and God the Son, but then gloss over anything having to do with God the Holy Spirit. I used to live like that. Of course I knew that the Holy Spirit was real and a part of the Trinity of God. I didn’t understand that without walking with the Holy Spirit, I had no power. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that I am able to read and understand the Bible. The Holy Spirit teaches what is true to those who will listen.
If we want to continue to have the words of Jesus in our hearts and minds, we need to listen to the Holy Spirit when he tells us something. Quit dismissing his voice as your own thoughts. Ask him questions and trust that what you hear is the Holy Spirit’s response. I have learned to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me throughout the day, and I remember that it is through his power I am able to be bold, confident, and stand firm in who he says I am. The Holy Spirit will whisper the words of Jesus in your mind when you need them. Just be still and listen!
Stay in His Love all the Time
The last call to action we are given in this group of verses is to stay in his love all the time. How do we abide in Jesus’ love when the world around us seems to have lost their minds or we are going through a personal crisis that seems to have no good answers? When I think of abiding in the love of God, I think of feeling peace no matter what is going on around me, having courage to stand firm in the truth of what God says, and feeling content in all circumstances.
I know I can be courageous no matter what is going on when I recall the verse in 1 John 4:18. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.” God’s perfect love casts all fear far from us. When we start to feel afraid, it is never because of God. God may discipline us, but he always does so in a loving way. God’s correction will never feel shameful or scary. We abide in God’s love so that fear and shame will be put in their rightful places: the pit of Hell which is far far away from us.
Feel overwhelmed by the circumstances in your life? Abide in the love of God. Are you afraid of what might happen in the future? Abide in the love of God. Excited about all the great blessings coming your way? Don’t forget to abide in God’s love even in those times!
Take Away
Jesus tells us to abide in him, let his words abide in us, and to abide in his love because he knows it’s when we are doing those things we can ask whatever we want and it will align with the will of the Father. Continue to remember that Jesus always remains in you. He is closer to you than you can imagine. Seek the Holy Spirit for guidance and listen to his words. Whether you are experiencing good times or bad times, always remember that God is with you and loves you more than you can ever think or imagine.
John 15:7-9 (ESV) “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”
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