Get Over Yourself
Abide in Me…John 15:4
In times like these we question if we actually abide in Christ. With so much chaos, it is difficult to even think. The cares of this world press upon us; choking the life of Christ out of us. We fear we are on the verge of leaving Jesus.
Then someone says, if anyone does not abide in Me (Christ), he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned, John 15:6b. And we instantly condemn ourselves to hell. Life that seemed bearable in the worst of circumstances just got unbearable. Darkness creeps in.
Well, let the Light in. John 14:6: And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. The Holy Spirit abides in you. You abide in Christ. Jesus and the Father are one. You are in the Father with Jesus and His Holy Spirit. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness, John 12:46.
Lighten up!
Don’t let circumstances and critics’ condemnation cause you to forget what you know. In John 12, Jesus is speaking to those who were not believing in Him because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God, Verse 43. He is warning them of the consequences of unbelief: judgment. But He didn’t come into the world to judge the world, but to save, Verse 47. He came to give everlasting life, Verse 50.
Jesus gave you everlasting life when you believed. Once everlasting life is given it cannot be returned or rejected or revoked; or it would not be everlasting. Notice all of these things were taught by Jesus BEFORE John 15. Consider this before you become perplexed over the many uses of the word “if.” God back to verses 1 thru 4. Now contrast that with verses 5 thru 8. There are two different groups spoken of here. Those in Christ and those not in Christ. Those in Christ are clean; those not in Christ cannot bear fruit.
You are in Christ. You are abiding in Him. Don’t let circumstances cloud your conscience with confusion.
