All in Abiding in Jesus
Are we living a Christlike life? Do we want to be pleasing to God, or even more than that, do we want to be like God... perfect? To some this might sound like heresy, but we should always want to do as He does, and be as He is, because isn’t that what Jesus is, and doesn’t He tell us that He abides in us, and we in Him? So if Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature, and being like Him is our great desire, then being like God should be our greatest desire. Knowing Jesus we then know God.
What can we do, and how fruitful is our faith apart from Jesus Christ? With what words do we praise the Father without His teaching, and how effective are we without His intercession, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our prayer closet? We are nothing without our Lord. Even though we think we can come to God of our own volition, is that really so?
When we say that Jesus abides in us and we in Him what does that really mean to us? Does it mean that we have a house guest that we treat cordially, or does it mean that we are actually sharing a home and life with Jesus... doing our laundry together... preparing and eating our meals together... praying together? How convenient it is for some to treat Him as a guest in their home, when in fact Christ wants joint ownership in that home, and to live fully in it with us, sharing Himself just as He expects us to share ourselves.
Do we abide in Jesus Christ? This is an incredibly powerful question, and our answer to it determines much. This is the condition that is placed on one of the most sought after promises in the Bible... answered prayer, and it is also linked to other promises such as the love of God, and joy. So how do you approach Jesus? Is Christ abiding in you, or just a visitor?
How great is your dependence on Jesus Christ? Is He the source of everything in our life; spiritual and physical sustenance, a firm foundation amidst the storms, the basis of emotional and mental well being, and our guide to eternity with God? We should look to God for all things, and to Jesus, His Son and our intercessor, to bring us, and each of our prayers, before the Father. Do we do that in every aspect of our lives, or do we envision ourselves as being like a self-sufficient plant that is growing beside Him?