Abiding

Abiding

To abide means to stay, continue, or dwell. To abide in Christ is to rest in his love (John 15:9). It’s living with the complete dependence that a branch has for a vine and realizing that apart from him we can do nothing (John 15:4-5).

Your eternal rest does not begin the day they put your body in a coffin; it begins the day you decide to trust that Jesus has done it all. Because Jesus makes you holy, righteous, and acceptable to God, you have nothing to prove. Because Jesus has done the work, you can rest in him.

The opposite of abiding is trusting in yourself, relying on your own efforts, and trying to make things happen. It’s striving in your own strength instead of looking to the Lord as your source and supply.

Who abides in Jesus? Everyone who confesses Jesus as the Son of God abides in him (1 John 4:15). Every believer is in union with Christ and nothing can change that. But if you are unsure of your position in Christ, you will be anxious and unsettled. You’ll be tempted to pursue dead works in a futile attempt to improve your situation.

How do we find rest? How do we abide in Christ? We abide by keeping our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus and trusting his indwelling Spirit to guide us. We choose to rest instead of worry knowing that our heavenly Father cares for us and is well able to bring his purposes to pass in our lives.

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1 comment

  1. Paul, your grace-filled insights into the truth have blessed me beyond words. My life has been forever impacted by God’s great love and grace.

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