Abiding in Christ

When you have entered a new place, or new relationship, you begin a time of abiding. God told Noah to enter the ark, then to leave the ark. But between the two, the Bible says Noah and his family “remained” or “stayed” in the ark. (Geneses 7:23 & 8:16).

After leaving, the entering is almost instantaneous. But after entering, there is a period of remaining, staying, or abiding, before leaving.

Jesus talked about abiding that brings the very presence of God into our lives. Through prayer in His Name, according to His Spirit, believers are able to ask rightly, and to see their prayers answered.

It is the abiding between the crises that gives us the strength to endure each crisis. Abiding in God is more important than experiencing a single victory during a time of crisis.

Jesus understood the abiding knowledge of God when He said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”…John 15:7

Jesus never said, “If you experience Me…” experiencing in Christ continually is greater. Many people cannot accept this and remain as spiritual “babes,” needing the “milk” of the Word, but not taking the “meat” (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).  They may continually sin, run to the church altar to pray and repent, then go out to sin again. For better to learn how to abide in Christ, letting the Spirit of God lead us to abide in Christ, letting the Spirit of God lead us through each day, away from evil, and into His perfect will for our lives, our “Promised Land” of abundant life.

If we learn to abide in Christ, we learn to live from “glory to glory” instead of from “crisis to crisis”. That’s the Christ like life.