Abiding

ABIDING in CHRIST

The most important factor in our walk with Jesus Christ is to abide in him. The more we abide in Christ, the more we will have peace, victory over sin, and be In His Steps. What does it mean to abide in Christ? Let's first look at the definition for the word abide.

ABIDE:
to wait for
to endure without yielding
to bear patiently
to accept without objection
to remain stable or fixed in a state
to continue in a place
Synonyms: Stay, continue, bear

ABIDING: enduring, continuing

To abide has to do with the concept of 'being' instead of 'doing'. Doing in relation to the Christian walk is: reading your Bible, going to church, praying, witnessing, doing good works, fleeing sin, etc. These are all good things to do as a Christian. These are things we should be doing. If we are not doing these things our walk with God and others will suffer. However,  if we are doing these things just because we are suppose to, or we are doing them in our own strength, we will not have victory or peace and miss out in having an intimate relationship with Christ. If we are not careful, we can become works oriented instead of Christ oriented.

To Abide in Christ is to be in the 'being' mode. We still are doing the things that God has called us to, but we are doing it in His strength. Abiding in Christ is about having an intimate relationship with Him. The relationship is more important than the things we do or don't do. The more we are abiding in Him, the more we will be faithul. We will hear His voice clearer, not be works oriented, and have more peace in our life. To abide is to experience His presence.

Let's explore the definition of abide:

To wait for-We as Christians need to spend much more time waiting on God. By this we mean spending time with God, seeking His will, not jumping ahead of Him.

To endure without yielding-To be determined to experience God's presence.

To bear patiently-To abide in Christ when we don't feel like it. To be patient waiting for God to reveal His will and Himself.

To continue in a place-We need to spend more time, staying in His presence.

If we are abiding in Christ, we can be assured that we will walk IN HIS STEPS.

Abiding in Christ is a process. We don't get there over night. So don't get discouraged if it seems hard to just 'rest in Him'. Enjoy the mountains, the ocean, the blue skies (even the thunder and lightning), the green pastures (even the hot desert). As you enjoy God's creation, you will sense His presence. Abiding will come. Stop and 'smell the roses'.

You cannot abide in Christ if you have never asked Him to be your Lord and Savior-How To Accept Christ

There is a song by Watermark that is excellent about experiencing God's presence. It is called "Take Me There"

Take Me There by Watermark
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For some of you, reading a good book may help you to Abide in Christ. We have started a list of books that have been helpful in our journey with God. You can find them listed under the archives of our Spiritual Nuggets.

Maybe Inspirational Stories help you to be closer to Jesus.

For those of you who may concerned that we are promoting Cheap Grace, see our study on God's Grace.

We have an excellent Daily Prayer Guide on this site. And of course, Daily Devotions can very important.
 

At ChristianBlogSites.com we provide FREE Blog Sites for Christians. Yes, you can have your own web blog for journaling which can be a great way to abide and grow in Christ.