Why should I Abide in Christ?

by Sarah
from Virtuous Daughters, July 2015~Volume 14, Number 4

As I have been pondering the topic of abiding in Christ, I flipped to John 15, where our Lord addressed this aspect of the believer's spiritual life. Verse four says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” The picture Jesus paints here is clear: we must abide in Him because we are nothing without Him!

I don't know about you, but I have heard this so many times. I know in my mind that I need Jesus minute by minute and am capable of nothing without Him. However, part of me wants to believe I can do at least “some thing” without help. I think this must be a common temptation especially for youth—we're healthy and strong and feel like we are capable of so much!

However, verse two says, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” The Lord purges us of our spiritual pride, self-sufficiency, and unfruitfulness—so that in experiencing our own weakness, we may in actuality bear more fruit for His glory.

The Lord has been so faithfully working in my life to purge me of “unfruitful branches.” And I am catching greater glimpses of just how deeply I need Him. I cannot walk the Christian walk without Him. I really do need His strength every minute. I'm learning why it is absolutely necessary that I abide in the Vine: I am utterly incapable of bearing righteous fruit without Him. He is removing my pride and giving me a humble dependence on Him. I am learning to say with the Psalmist, “LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.” (Psalm 131)

We can hear a thousand times that we must “abide in Jesus”—but until we realize that we really are 100% helpless without Him, then it will not sink deep in our hearts as a reality. We won't see our need to abide in Him.

And to show us our need, the Lord purges us through trials...He removes branches from our lives. Your trial today may be rather small—or maybe it's a life-changing tribulation. Whatever its size, Jesus has shaped and designed this particular trial to purge the dross in your life and make you a little more like Himself (2 Cor. 3:18). In the pain, you are forced to cry out to Him for grace and to lean on Him for strength. He brings you to your knees...to a place of abiding in Him for strength.

Sisters, as the Lord removes the “withered branches” of our life, let us not murmur against Him. He does this because we are His children and He desires us to bear more fruit. Our duty is to submit, and abide in Him. While the trials I face today are not at all pleasant, how comforting it is to know that God is able to make something—which is now ugly—beautiful in His time, and in the process, remove sin from my heart. Since my Father has chosen this particular fire for me to pass through, I must humbly and joyfully bow to His will.

The Bible is a deep comfort for the believer, especially during trials; implanting God's living Word in our heart helps us abide in Him throughout the day. I have been memorizing and pondering this verse lately: “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” Our faith is much more precious to the Lord than gold, and because of this, He chooses to purge it of dross by fire (1 Peter 4:12-13).

Ways to abide in Christ also include reading His Word, praying, and thinking of Him. God's eye is constantly on us. Let us remember, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings” (Proverbs 5:21). Our ways are before Him all the time, and He sees our every move and thought. God knows more about us than we do! Living in the proper fear of the Lord, aware of Him Who ponders our ways, is a very helpful way to abide in Him. Just as God has His eye ever toward me, I can live with mine toward Him: “Mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute” (Psalms 141:8). This is well-pleasing to Him, “for the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him” (II Chronicles 16:9).

So why must I abide in Jesus?—because I am nothing apart from Him. Will you learn, with me, to quietly sit under His teaching and to humbly lean on Him for strength? He is the Vine—your source of life and victory. Abide in Him hour by hour, keeping your eye on Him Whose eye is ever on you.