So, I have been thinking this week a lot about abiding in God and what that means for us to literally in our day to day lives abide in Him.  Many times in the Christian walk, we hear of the cross and salvation and our redemption and that we are saved by grace, etc., and then that is it.  Period. Nothing more to talk about.  But, if we look at the grand scheme of things in terms of the Bible, there is so much more to the story than just salvation.

First, let me throw out a disclaimer:  I am in no way trying to downgrade the impact the cross and salvation has on our lives!  It is THE most important part of our story, the beginning of our redemption and one of the most amazing love stories humanity has and will ever know!  BUT, we are fooling ourselves if we think that God ever intended it to stop at the cross and salvation.  If you read in 1st John 1, there is a reoccurring theme in the chapter and really in the whole book – fellowship; fellowship with one another and more importantly fellowship with our Creator.

“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have FELLOWSHIP with us, and truly our FELLOWSHIP is with the Father and with His Son Jesus,” 1 John 1:3.

Fellowship is defined as “friendly relationship, companionship.”  When John talks about fellowship he is talking about relationship.  Relationship.  Relationship with God is the product of our salvation and the reason we were ever created in the first place!  We, you, I, all of us were created and purposed to have relationship with the Father and His Son and His Spirit.  What does it mean to abide in God?  It means to have relationship with Him!  The most amazing thing about God is that He did not save us so that He could hold it against us as a means to force us to do His own will.  On the contrary, He saved us so that we could be in relationship with Him again, unraveling the very curse that severed the two in the beginning.  You see, Satan didn’t tempt Adam and Eve to sin for no reason.  He did it for the purpose of cutting our bond, our relationship with God.

“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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing,” John 15:1-5.

What have we missed in our walk with Christ?  Have we become consumed with trying to live to a certain standard, making sure we act and dress the part of what we have come to know to be deemed “christian”?  Or are we simply abiding in the Him 24/7, walking and fellowshipping with our Creator just as if we were back in Eden?  We bear good fruit when we are found in Christ, more than we will ever do living on rules and regulations.  I am not saying there is no high calling or standards with abiding in Christ.   Indeed, abiding in Christ will cause us to violently run after a holy God being transformed and refined through His holy fire!  But there is a difference between legalism and holiness!

Ask God what it means to truly abide in Him.  Not just for five minutes in the morning or whenever you can pencil Him in but what it means to constantly walk in relationship with Him.  I promise you it will change your life!  John tells us in 1 John 1, “these things we write to you that your JOY MAY BE FULL!”  

Relationship is defined as this: “connection between persons by BLOOD.”  Pretty cool.  🙂

“I was made to bring You praise

To worship at Your feet

Abide in me, and I in You

Is all I want, All that I need is You.”

-Untitled Work, Matt Birkenfeld