Ep 65: The Hard Truth About Abiding in Christ
Welcome to a very frank yet loving discussion about what it really means to abide in Christ. At the risk of sounding completely over the top, studying, understanding, and then applying these truths has impacted every single area of my life. My heart is to encourage and equip you to live a fruitful life. So, if you’re ready for some tough love on how to become a branch in Christ that bears much fruit, then listen in.
This is Part 5 of our series called Abide. To listen from the beginning, go back to EP61.
Jesus uses the word “abide” 10 times in our passage to describe the kind of relationship He wants to have with you.
Focus your attention on the connection between you (the branch) and the Vine.
Three things that the word “abide” implies:
1. Abiding takes time.
2. Abiding involves a quality relationship.
3. Abiding is invisible to the world.
How to abide in Christ in real life (how to enlarge the connection between you and Jesus):
1. Spiritual disciplines: prayer, fasting, Bible reading, Bible study, meditating on Scripture, solitude, worship, confession of sin, and rest.
Make time with God your top priority, every single day, for private extended prayer and Bible study time. Stop making excuses. It’s not too hard.
2. Control your thoughts. Take them captive to make them obedient to Christ.
3. Examine your motives until your reason for everything is to love God, love people, advance God’s kingdom and God’s purposes, and be obedient to Him.
4. Trust God when things don’t go as planned.
5. Love others. Abiding in Christ and loving others are inseparable.
6. Obey God.
Abide = Home
Scriptures I reference in this episode:
John 15:1-17 NASB and MSG
2 Corinthians 10:5
I John 4:16
I John 5:2-3
John 8:31
2 John 9
James 1:25
I John 3:24
John 14:23
Pruning is God’s part.
Abiding is our part.
Fruit is the result of an abiding branch that is regularly and properly pruned.
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