Thursday, August 29, 2013

Abide by Jessie Holmes

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, 
he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” 
– John 15:4-5

What does/should my relationship with Jesus look like? Jesus is not some far off distant being sitting on a throne looking at us. Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on the cross, who rose again from the dead, and the vine with which we must be connected. We need Him. We can’t do anything without Him. We are empty, lost, confused, and useless without Jesus. Therefore, our relationship with Him should be defined by one word: Abide.

Do you get what Jesus is saying? Jesus is proclaiming that He desires an intimate and personal relationship with us. He wants us to abide in Him! This is more than a quick quiet time or prayer every once and a while. Jesus is describing a relationship where we are dwelling in Him. Why? Because we need Him. We can’t do anything without Him. He is our all in all and in Him we live.

This type of relationship is what we should not only desire, but grow towards. It’s a process. Our time with Jesus should be a time we long for. We are called to abide IN Him. So, dwell in Him. This may look different for you than it does for me, but the results will be the same. Let your personal relationship with the Father always be on the forefront of your mind. Let His word and love be the things that strengthen, motivate, and rule your heart. When we are truly abiding in Christ, the results of that relationship will be knowledge of the Truth, fruit, love, freedom from sin, and conformity to His image.

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