What Does It Even Mean To Abide In Christ? Pt. I
Thoughts & reflections on abiding + finding the piece I'd been missing.
For me, abiding in Jesus has been a topic which I understood on a basic level, but like a lot of theological concepts in the Bible, I could never fully wrap my head around. What is abiding?
By definition, abiding is staying, dwelling.
How does this apply to me and Jesus?
A Divine To-Do List?
The pastor at my church encourages the whole congregation to abide in Christ by writing out scripture each day, thereby staying in the Word… Jesus is the Word… Ok, makes sense.
Along with the practice of writing out Scripture, I have knowledge of how to practically abide in Christ — read & memorize scripture, prayer, worshipping Him, etc. But I hadn’t realized I was missing the heart-transforming puzzle piece that would take that knowledge from my head to my heart.
That is, until I started the Abide study by The Daily Grace Co. (One of my favorite Christian companies & ministries is on Substack!! so cool). And without this piece, abiding sort of feels like one long (sometimes boring, often hard) to-do list. I love a good to-do list.
I can be very task-oriented and I like knowing the plan. What’s the plan? Tell me what I need to do, I’ll do it. As a baby Christian I brought this mentality to my faith. I would read the Bible and make mental or sometimes physical lists of do’s and don’ts. I guess like the structure (but not too much structure).
Along the way I learned not to look at the Bible as one big, divine to-do list, because it is SO much more than that. It’s about a person — Jesus Christ. It’s about heart transformation by following Him, not just behavior modification on our own. But every now and then, I catch myself making to-do lists again. God is still working on me with this.
It’s not about me
Anyway, when it came to abiding, I tended to think if I’m not doing XYZ, then I’m not abiding. With this perspective abiding simply depends on me, but that’s not what abiding is supposed to be. John 15:4-5 says:
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.
Jesus says TWICE “abide in me and I in you/him.” The abiding goes both ways — the believer abides in Jesus and Jesus abides in the believer. BUT, this is one of those scenarios where because X (Jesus abides in the believer) is true, Y (the believer abides in Jesus) is also true. Both are true at all times and one cannot be true without the other being true.
This is possible only because of a believer’s union to Christ. His work on the cross to take on our sin as His own, to take our place, His resurrection and ascension, His giving of the Holy Spirit to all who believe, made this mutual abiding possible.1
Because a believer is united to Christ, it’s impossible not to abide in Him! This is amazing! So, why does it still feel sometimes like I’m not abiding? Like I’m not growing? Because John 15:5 says that whoever abides in Jesus WILL bear much fruit,2 I know I should be spiritually growing, but I don’t always feel like I am.
Active participation
I said it isn’t about me, but here I am talking about myself again. Yes, abiding is only possible because of Jesus, but it does involve me.
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. John 15:2-3
John 15:2-3 mentions two means of spiritual growth: the Father‘s pruning in our lives and hearts, as well as our belief and obedience in Jesus‘s teachings. “Spiritual growth is a participatory act between God and the believer.”3 So, even though it’s a fact I’m already always abiding in Jesus simply because He abides in me, abiding still requires my active participation.
It is both through the work of God and my active participation that spiritual growth (fruit) happens. The quantity and growth rate of our spiritual fruit depends somewhat on the extent, diligence, and frequency of our participation. This means practicing spiritual disciplines such as prayer, intake & memorization of scripture, worship, fellowship with other believers, etc. It means consistently and intentionally showing up, and submitting to God, letting Him do His work in me.
Comfort in truth
This is a new perspective for me regarding abiding because, as I said earlier, I tended to think that if I wasn’t being an active participant, then I wasn’t abiding. That is a scary thought. It brings comfort and a sense of peace to know that I am always abiding in Jesus no matter what because He abides in me no matter what. It’s also comforting to know that a branch abiding in the True Vine will produce fruit inevitably. It’s impossible not to start looking more like Jesus when we’re united to Him. What a good and gracious God!
I’d love to know how you’re abiding in Christ in this season (either literally this summer, or whatever season of life you’re in!).
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Abide study by the daily grace Co., pg 8
the fruit is spiritual growth, growing into Christlikeness
Abide study, pg 24