Abiding in Christ

I have spent most of my Christian existence trying to find out what my calling is.  It seems I have always been asking the same question of God …”what is my ministry?”...  It really wasn’t until quite recently that I stopped striving after what my call is and began resting in the Lord.  As I have allowed the Lord to live in me and I in Him,  I have allowed the truth of abiding in Christ to take hold of me.  Now I realize my first and true calling of God is to abide in Him.

John 15: 1-13 (KJV)

^I I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

³ Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am reminded of the story once told about an airplane.
As an object lesson,

you can read about the airplane, esteem it, have reverence for it, you can even sing songs about it and put your arms around it and tell others what it is capable of.  But being located outside of the airplane you can never escape the law of gravity no matter how hard you try.  The only way to escape the law of gravity is to be located IN the airplane as it ascends into the sky. Then you receive the benefit of escaping the law of gravity and experiencing a higher law, the law of thermodynamics.  It is a matter of location, being IN the airplane.  So it is with being IN Christ.  You cannot escape the law of sin and death until you are IN Christ.  It is the only way to ascend into the higher law that God has prepared for us.  This is where Love reigns and there is Joy unspeakable.

⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

⁶ If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

⁷ If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

⁸ Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

⁹ As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

Here is a simple truth, not only is it a matter of us abiding in Him, it is a matter of Him abiding in us.  Jesus tells us to continue in His love.  Here is the reality - We do not possess that kind of love, nor do we have the ability to continue in His love.   But, here comes the incredible part.  The God of love desires to indwell us and love us and others through our obedience to Him.  I can now rest and allow God to do His work in and through me and allow the love of Christ to flow through me so that others can be touched by His love, he only asks that I obey.

¹⁰ If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

¹¹ These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

¹² This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

¹³ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

¹⁴ Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

John 15 is a lot to take in all at once.   It is a comparative study of how the man of God is compared to a branch connected to the life giving support of the vine.  For many years I have struggled to understand the true meaning of John 15.  I have only scratched the surface of all of it's truths.  In pastimes I thought it was symbolic or somewhat metaphoric in it’s application.  But actually it's not!  Abiding is about position, our position IN Christ. Or in other words "our location IN Christ."

In selling real estate it is said that buying is always about location.  For us as Christians it is essentially the same thing.  I have come to realize that abiding  is resting or waiting on Jesus.  That is what Jesus was describing in John 15, and that is what my calling is about.  It is about my location IN Christ. 

Now God uses me to intercede, and offer counsel for some and to pray for others that either cross my mind or cross my path, it is no longer a burden – but a blessing.   I have seen so many answered prayers, and so many opportunities have opened up for me to share this message. 

If you are reading this and considering becoming a Christian or even if you are needing to go deeper in Christ, pray that the God of love would fill you with Himself and would love in and through you.  If you need joy, pray that the God of joy would enter into you.  If you need peace, ask for the God of peace –the Prince of Peace- to fill you.

The song below was written 139 years ago, it is a simple song of consecration that is still as powerful today as it was back in 1874 when it was written by Frances Ridley Havergal. Click on the “Song link” below to hear the song or read the lyric below.  Make it your prayer.

God's richest blessings are yours!  They are there for the taking!  Just ask Him.

He is so faithful!

↓ Click Here to listen to the song

Take my life

By: Frances Ridley Havergal – (1874)

New arrangement by: Chris Tomlin , Louie Giglio

Take my life and let it be

consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days,

let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move

at the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing

always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold

not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

every power as You choose.

::Refrain::

Here am I, all of me.

Take my life, it’s all for Thee.

Take my will and make it Thine

it shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart it is Thine own

it shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord I pour

at Your feet its treasure store

Take myself and I will be

ever, only, all for Thee.

Take myself and I will be

ever, only, all for Thee.

::Refrain::

Here am I, all of me.

Take my life, it’s all for Thee.

X3

(Take my life, Lord take my life. Take all of me)
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The music above is copyrighted by the respective artists, and is demonstrated here for educational purposes only.
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