All tagged abide
My morning reading today led me to contemplate the way I worship and how I treat that worship in conjunction with waiting, and work. I was reminded that it is important, and true, that there is but one God and I am equally convinced that our faith should lead us to a singularity of worship and life as well.
People like to hear that whatever they ask for in prayer they will receive; but having stipulations placed on those desires? Well, not so much. So when Jesus tells us that if we abide in Him He will give us what we ask for many who pray tend to gloss over what abiding in Him actually means. This concept of abiding is one that is often misunderstood, you see, we are not meant to be spoiled little children who will ask for extravagant things and throw fits when we don’t get them, or who test our parents by asking them for things that go against everything they stand for, or that they know will ultimately be harmful. Many believers believe they can behave this way and do this as if their desires outweigh all of God’s wisdom, and even His will. Today let’s look at abiding in Jesus, and the importance of the will of God. Our opening scripture verse is from John 15, and one that people quote quite often as if trying to corner Jesus in legality.
This morning we explore a life of personal holiness and the prayer which leads us to it. If we pray continually, and seek God's presence, then the natural and inevitable result will be our consecration and eventual holiness.
How intimate are we with Jesus? Is our relationship close enough, and deep enough, that we don’t keep secrets, and that we can do the grossest of natural things in front of Him without embarrassment? Can we sit under a tree for hours and tell Him our wildest dreams or confide in Him our darkest thoughts? I encourage each of us to not have a lukewarm relationship with Jesus, and to become more than simple acquaintances in our faith by allowing Him to abide in us, as we abide in Him.
Who is Jesus in relation to God? Is He a servant, a slave, a son, a prophet, a high priest, a tool, or all of these things? If you are having trouble answering this question then perhaps you can more easily answer the same question regarding yourself and your relationship to Jesus... No? Jesus is before all else the Son of God. We read the account of Mary and the birth of Jesus, but then at His baptism God Himself speaks and calls Him Son in proclamation to all in attendance...
Do we love Jesus Christ enough to obey His commandments, and live as He taught us during His life? Have we disciplined ourselves such that we can not only walk with Him up to the mount to hear His amazing sermon there, but out into the wilderness to be tempted, onto the waters of faith with Peter, and along the Via Dolorosa with His cross, and nails? It is by our love for Him that God comes to love us, abide in us, and makes His home with us as we celebrate, and endure all these moments with Jesus.
As Christians we believe in the truth of scripture, and when we read that Jesus abides in us and we in Him, we know this to be true. So let’s ask ourselves a question... if we have faith as believers in Jesus, and believe that He abides in us, then shouldn’t we also believe that God does as well? Jesus tells us this rather directly.