God’s Word literally goes into the darkness, finds you, opens your eyes to the truth, lights your way out of the darkness, and fills your life with light so you can see and know God. In this video, we will define the Biblical concept of “abiding” and you will see How Abiding In God’s Word Brings You into the Light and Sets You Free.”
0:00Abiding in Christ
2:41 Abiding in Jesus’ Word, His Love, and His Joy
3:45 Abiding in Jesus’ Love
4:45 Abiding in Jesus’ Joy
6:12 How Abiding in Jesus’s Word Will Set You Free
6:31 *Understanding
7:16 *Wisdom to Make Good Decisions
7:40 *Power to Set You Free (from sin, self and Satan)
Jesus used grapevines to explain the Biblical concept of “abiding in Christ.”
John 15:5 NKJV
Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
Grape Vines are pruned in the winter. In the Spring, warm temperatures activate the metabolism in the grape vine. The roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil and push them up to the branches which take what they need to grow and bear fruit.
This is a beautiful picture of our relationship with Jesus. He draws everything we need from God. Even though we are connected to the vine (to Jesus), it is our heart hunger, our desire that reaches out and receives +what we need from Christ.
Abide – to stay, to remain, to wait, to continue in a place, to live in a place
Abiding is drawing from Jesus; it is receiving and trusting Jesus to provide everything we need.
John 15:4 NIV
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
The branch naturally received what it needs from the vine. The vine is our only source of life. If we are separated from Christ, we shrivel up. We are unable to produce fruit. A branch separated from the vine slowly shrivels up and dies. A man separated from Christ does the same thing spiritually.
John 15:6 NLT
Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.
Abiding in Jesus’ Word, in Jesus’ love, and in Jesus’ Joy
John Piper points out that John 15 specifically mentions three things that we are to abide in as we abide in Christ:
1. Abide In Jesus’s Word
John 15:7 NIV
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
2. Abide in Jesus’ Love
John 15:9-10
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love;…
Abiding is relational. This isn’t just discipline. It is romance.
3 Abide in Jesus’ Joy
John 15:11
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
Abiding in Christ, in His Word, and in His love causes us to experience Jesus’ joy. Abiding leads to “fullness of joy” in our lives. Psalm 16:11
**There’s so much in this Biblical concept of abiding I can’t possibly cover all of it in one video. Let me focus on:
How Abiding in Jesus’s Word Will Set You Free
1. Satan keeps men in darkness by blinding them to the truth
2 Corinthains 4:4 NIV
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2. God’s Word Brings Light of Revelation – Understanding from God
Psalm 119:130 KJV
The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.
1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
God’s Word must be revealed to us. It must be given to us or we will never understand it. As we seek truth in God’s Word, He reveals it to us.
3. God’s Word is a Light to Guide our Choices and Decisions in Life
Psalm 119:105 NKJV
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
4. The Word of God Has Power to Save Your Soul
James 1:21 AMP
So get rid of all uncleanness and all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls.
John 17:17 NIV
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
5. Daily Living God’s Word Sets You Free
We are held captive by thoughts, beliefs, and experiences from our past.
Satan’s authority over the earth was stripped from him over 2,000 year ago, but he still deceives us today.
John 8:31-32 AMP
;;; Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Abiding – Jesus’ personal promise to you is that as you abide (as you live daily in His Word, reading, memorizing, declaring, obeying, and praying His Word) you shall know the truth.... and the truth will set you free. Satan’s deceptions will be broken and revelation light will flood your life.