What do you think it means to abide in Christ? I think it may mean to look to him and depend on him. Thoughts?
Abide in Christ
- Thread starter CherieR
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John 15v1-9.
Rom 8v1: "those who walk according to the Spirit."
Gal 5v16: "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
Eph 2v6: "and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
Col 3v1: " If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God."
And so forth...
Rom 8v1: "those who walk according to the Spirit."
Gal 5v16: "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
Eph 2v6: "and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
Col 3v1: " If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God."
And so forth...
Greek translation for abide is
μείνατε (meinate)
Abide- to stay, abide, remain, not to depart, not to leave, to continue to be present.
This comes out of the context of John 15:4
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
Further in context: John 15:1-11
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
More context:
5 Occurrences for this specific word used in this same context.
Matthew 10:11
Matthew 26:38
Mark 14:34
John 15:4
John 15:9
Hope this helps.
To "abide" means to remain, stay, tarry, not to depart, continue to be present. Abiding in Christ is not a special level of Christian experience that is only available to a few, elite Christians, but is the position of all true believers.
John 15:5-6
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
E
eternally-gratefull
Guest
Abide means to remain as a few said, it is how we produce fruit, so it is taking the water from the fine and using that power to produce fruit
If you do not abide, you can not produce fruit, you will only produce self righteousness
If you do not abide, you can not produce fruit, you will only produce self righteousness
If you are in Christ, wouldn't this be abiding in him? Once one is in Christ that one cannot be taken out of him.
It it a matter of recognizing oneself being in Christ?
The word abide means to be consistent, steadfast, remain...........and by doing such, one will bear the fruit that is produced by the root which is CHRIST in us as a living sacrifice.
E
eternally-gratefull
Guest
Well even the prodigal son was technically “in Christ” but you could not say he was abiding in him, he went out on his own, and through suffering came back.
Not so, the prodigal son "was lost... and dead" Luke 15v32, i. e.,he was a sinner..
How does a Believer abide in Christ? In other words how do I do the what to do that the scriptures are asking me to do?
I think that's basically what I was asking. In Psalm 91:1-2 it says: " He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. "
I am not really 100% sure what it means by "secret place" here though.
Bible's answer:
1 John 2:4-6
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Joh 15:1-10
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
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.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
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.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
1 John 2:4-6
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Joh 15:1-10
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
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.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
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.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
E
eternally-gratefull
Guest
Not so
He was still his fathers son
You can not unborn someone who is born of blood, the fathers blood still ran through his veins. Just like christ blood will forever run through gods children.
By choosing to follow. As long as you can read, hear, or feel braille then the words are simple nature.
To follow is a relationship, not perfect but should be a type of growing relationship where eventually fruit will be evident.
Abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
In which simply means to stay close to God.
The shadow or living in someone's shadow is the idea of the individual as less important as the actual source of the shadow.
The secret place is a terminology used throughout the OT usually referring to the tabernacle and God's dwelling within it as not only powerful but also not humanly possible to understand.
"In the most retired and private part of His dwelling. He would not merely admit him to His premises; not only to the vestibule of His house; not only to the open court, or to the parts of His house frequented by the rest of His family; but he would admit him to the private apartments - the place to which He Himself withdrew to be alone, and where no stranger, and not even one of the family, would venture to intrude. Nothing could more certainly denote friendship; nothing could more certainly make protection sure, than thus to be taken into the private apartment where the master of a family was accustomed himself to withdraw, that he might be alone; and nothing, therefore, can more beautifully describe the protection which God will give to His friends than the idea of thus admitting them to the secret apartments of His own dwelling-place." - Albert Barnes
The torn temple curtain was the example of the relationship open to all who may seek it. A relationship that involves the truest example of friendship, a Father's loving guidance and protection.
To follow God is to grow close to God and live into that relationship.
I could be wrong, but it looks to me like the Psalmist understood back then what the Kingdom of Heaven was, that the believer's heart is the true temple altar, and that we could go to that secret place, Holy of holies (secret room representing Heaven), where God abides and speaks from. "The Kingdom of God cometh not by observation", we approach the Holy of holies by faith and receive God's help and protection. Since the curtain was torn, we can now go to the Father, and take refuge in God, through Jesus.
I love John 15 ... such a wonderful depiction of the life of the believer.
To abide in the Vine is to remain "in" the Lord Jesus Christ ... our whole heart focused on Him, not unwavering ... not drawn away from Him by the lusts of our flesh.
Get to the point where the temptation to leave Him is overcome by our heart's (the new heart created within at the time we are born again) desire to never, ever leave Him.
John 15:4 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.
As we continue to abide in Him, the result is the and I in you ... He takes up residence in our heart and He produces fruit in our lives which we, as the branches, hold forth to the world. We hold this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (2 Cor 4:7).
We have the awesome privilege of holding forth the fruit of the Vine to people who are living in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom we shine as lights. As they are drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ, we are able to help them taste and see that the Lord is good, to the point where they also become born again, abide in the Vine and hold forth the fruit of the Vine to others.