Practical Ways To Abide In Christ

Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 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. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned" (John 15:1-6).

Abiding in Christ means that we continually and willfully pursue a deeper fellowship with Jesus Christ. Many have wondered what are some ways we can abide in Christ. Jeffrey Johnson wrote, "....reading the Bible, listening to sermons, and meditating on the promises of God are vital parts of growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. If our minds are not consistently pulled upward, then they will be irresistibly dragged downward by the perpetual distractions of this world. Yet the remedy to a carnal mind is simple—consistent intake of the Word of God. By hiding the Word of God in our hearts, we will be able to overcome sin (Ps. 119:11). By meditating on the Scriptures and rehearsing spiritual songs in our hearts, we will gradually be less and less gripped by the things of this world. By memorizing Scripture verses, we will be able to cling to the promises of God when trials and temptations come. In short, the Bible must be constantly going into us if we want the love of Christ to be constantly flowing out of us."

All of these things seem easy yet we turn it into a burden. Christianity is not a list of do's and don'ts in order for God to love you. Everything that we do in order to abide in Christ is a direct result of the transforming work of the Holy Spirit through the gospel. We read our Bible because we can and we get to. Same thing with listening to sermons, prayer, hiding God's Word in your heart, etc. Abiding in Christ is essential for the Christian in order to produce the fruit God desires for us to show we are disciples of Christ (John 15:8). We see the work of God's labor on our lives in what is called the fruit of the Spirit which is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

Use the means God has given us in order that we may abide in Christ as we walk with Him in the here and now.