Abiding in Him in August
John 15:4 states, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
In this season, I am encouraging the Body of Christ to pursue God for deeper revelation, for the fresh oil, and for the new wine experience. Acquiring these spiritual desires only manifests when we abide in Him. Abiding in Him provides the opportunity to receive direction, peace, and revelation. Of note, abiding time must be intentional to spend time with God and to go further to listen to what God is saying and how to apply what we hear.
Jesus spent time with his disciples. They abided together intentionally. Jesus allowed the Father’s Word to fill Him and the disciples allowed Christ’s words to fill their minds, direct their wills, and transform their affections. Abiding involves our response to the teaching of Jesus, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you” (John 15:7). Paul echoes this idea in Colossians 3:16, where he writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,” a statement closely related to his parallel exhortation in Ephesians 5:18, “Be filled with the Spirit.” The words, “let,” “dwell,” and “be” pave the way for intentional abiding.
Abiding in Christ means allowing His Word to fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections. - Sinclair Ferguson
Abiding in the Vine
What does it mean to be abiding in the vine? Abiding in the vine means receiving, believing, and trusting in the words of Jesus. It means accepting the love of Jesus for the Father and for his people and the joy that Jesus has in the Father and us. I see the vision of a person floating on the water. Fully relaxed and reliant upon the water’s current.
For Contemplation and Discussion
How do you connect to God?
How do you commune with God?
What Gospel truths should you rehearse?
Share how you develop a moment-by-moment awareness of your need for Him in every situation.
