Tag: abide

 March 11 – Be and Remain

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither you unless you abide in Me. ” – John 15:4 (NASB)

Communion with Christ is a cure for every ill. In our passage today, Jesus encourages us to live within Him. Living near to Jesus, we are covered with the wings of God, and underneath us are His everlasting arms. It is of secondary importance whether we’re famous and prosperous, or live humble lives in comparative poverty. So we’re focusing on the first three words Christ commanded his disciples here, “Abide in Me.’ The word “abide” means to remain or stick around. By “remaining” we confirm that salvation for us is an accomplished act. The evidence of salvation is our continuation in service to our Lord Jesus according to His teaching. An abiding believer is the only genuine believer. Abiding and believing actually address the same blessing of salvation. Let’s not allow anything to keep us from that blessed communion that is the unique relationship of our life hidden in Christ. Let’s always seek to retain His company, for only in His presence will we find either comfort or safety. Jesus is not for us a friend who calls us now and again, but one with whom we are in constant touch. 

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Drawn in part with revision from C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings, (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896).

May 27 – Being Overcomers


“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” … “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:1 & 4 (ESV)


The first letter written by the apostle John that we have in our Bible is a powerful letter of truth. A great amount of encouragement is given to those who have by faith, believed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. When we accept Christ’s offer of forgiveness and in faith believe that He is our Lord and Savior, we overcome the false teaching and false teachers. They are everywhere and we must be on our guard not to be tripped up by them. In another verse we share today from John’s letter is this: “I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2:14 (ESV) We know that all who believe and have the word of God abiding in them have by God’s will the strength to overcome evil. Since John addresses “little children” and “fathers” and “young men” we know that none are excluded from this promise. All faith believers overcome evil and false teaching. All are made strong in God love.

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