Tag: abides

29.i. “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ”

 

Colossians 2:6  Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

 Isaiah 2:5    O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

 John 14:6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 Galatians 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 Ephesians 5:1-2   Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.   And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 Philippians 1:27  Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

 1 John 2:6   whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him: This is a wonderful rule for Christian living. We cannot perfect in the flesh what was begun in the Spirit; therefore just as you received Jesus, walk in Him in the same way. The simple things of the Christian life provide continual and reliable spiritual fuel for growth. We always have to be reminded of the things we have been taught. So walk in Him, rooted and built up: Paul used a curious combination of metaphors. As Christians, we walk, but we are also rooted, and we are also built up. The metaphors are somewhat mixed, but the message is clear: be established and keep growing. 

What keeps us from growing and being established?  Fleshly and worldly things will hinder our growth and erode our foundation. Are we truly satisfied with a single grape worth of fruit and a shallow foundation unable to build upon? Day after day we are continually exposed to worldly and fleshly things. They are all around us and coming at us all of the time.  It can be from those we choose to be around, what we choose to watch and read, or what we choose to think about and allow our minds to dwell on.  How are we to discern that which is true, right, holy, and beneficial from that which is meaningless, worthless, tempting, deceitful, and false?  Being committed to be in the presence of God at all times with a heart and mind deep desire to, in all things, honor and glorify Jesus Christ is the fertile soil and rock-solid foundation that gives us discernment and understanding for that which is right, true, holy, and beneficial.  Water your roots and dig deep into your foundation through daily reading and studying God’s Word.

25.h. “He is a new creation”

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

 Isaiah 45:24-25   “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.

 John 15:5    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.

 Romans 8:1   There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

 Psalms 51:10    Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

 John 3:3    Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

 Ephesians 2:10     For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The saved are not “just forgiven.” They are changed into a new creation.  However, being a new creation doesn’t mean that we are perfect. It means that we are changed and that we are being changed. He is a new creation: Who makes us a new creation? This is something God alone can do in us. This isn’t just “turning over a new leaf” or “getting your act together.” Yet the life of a new creation is not something God does for us but in us. So, we are told to put off… the old man and to put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24)   Being a new creation is a gift from God received by faith.  

The work of a new creation is even greater than God’s work of creating the world. “My brethren, it was more difficult, if such terms are ever applicable to Omnipotence, it was more difficult to create a Christian than to create a world. What was there to begin with when God made the world? There was nothing; but nothing could not stand in God’s way – it was at least passive. But, my brethren, in our hearts, while there was nothing that could help God, there was much that could and did oppose him. Our stubborn wills, our deep prejudices, our ingrained love of iniquity, all these, great God, opposed thee, and aimed at thwarting thy designs… Yes, great God, it was great to make a world, but greater to create a new creature in Jesus Christ.” (Spurgeon)

19.n. “Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

Romans 6:1  What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

 2 Corinthians 5:17   Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

 Ephesians 4:17   Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

 Ephesians 4:22-24  to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

 1 John 2:6   whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

 Colossians 1:10-12    so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;  being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;  giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

 Philippians 3:17-18    Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.  For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

 Romans 13:13-14     Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

“That we too might walk in newness of life.”  “Behold the new has come.” “He is a New Creation.” Renewed in the spirit of your minds.” “Put on the new self.” “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” “Let us walk properly as in the daytime.”  What does it mean to walk properly and in a manner worthy of the Lord?  The easiest way to think about answering this is to know what sin is and to know what is pleasing to God. How do we know what sin is?  Do we know it by instinct?  Do we instinctively know what is good and bad – right and wrong – true and false?  Unfortunately, we do not instinctively know, but through our upbringing and our culture, we determine what is socially acceptable.  If something is socially or culturally acceptable is it good, right, and true? – (Maybe)  If it is socially and culturally acceptable can it still be sin? – (absolutely)  Someone said wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it, and right is right if there is only one doing it.  

If we base our rights, wrongs, and truths on what is culturally acceptable then we can easily fall prey to doing what is sin in God’s eyes.  There is only one place we gain insight into what is good, right, and true.  That is in God’s word.  He is steadfast.  His Word is true. His promises are true.  He is truth. There is no falsehood in Him. If we want to know what is true, right, good, and honorable then we need to not only spend time in His Word but also spend time with Him in prayer.  Jesus said that out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks.  If we are only feeding our heart with a token stab at daily devotions then His Word will not abide in us but rather pass through us as if we were empty vessels.  There must be a heart-deep desire connected to our seeking of what is true, good, and right.  There must be a hunger and thirst.  If there is stagnate “life” flowing through your veins and if there is a neglect of God’s Word in your day, and if there is a foggy haze to your understanding of what is good, right, and true in God’s eyes, then repent and turn away from this right now.  You are a new creation that has been born with the newness of life through Jesus Christ.   Jesus did not die for you so that you could keep on sinning but rather so that you would choose to intentionally live to honor and glorify Him alone. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress

Psalms 112:6  For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.  He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

 Psalms 62:2    He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

 Psalms 62:6    He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

 Psalms 125:1   Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

 2 Peter 1:5-11    For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.  Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 Proverbs 10:7     The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

It is one thing to say God is my rock, my fortress, and I will not be shaken but, it takes great care to keep from being side tracked.  Sometimes we pray without trust in God and His plan, His purpose.  Our walk with Him will yield more peace, joy, hope, love, and rest if we would but fully trust in Him alone.  Christ prayed this way, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”  For certain this life will throw us many trials and troubles.  Money, family, relationships, employment, etc…. will at sometime hit us hard.  It is in these times we find true peace and rest when it is in His hands.

Trust in the Everlasting arms of God

“I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalms 90:1   Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Exodus 33:14     And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.  For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”  And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”  Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”  And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

1 Timothy 6:11     But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Psalms 71:3     Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalms 91:9     Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—

Deuteronomy 33:27     The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Ezekiel 11:16     Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’

1 John 4:16     So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

There is quite a bit to think about in these scriptures. “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here”.  Knowing we are in he purpose and plan in God reveals itself in comments like this.  Placing God in position of God over our life and yielding to His purpose for His plans gives peace to our soul.  Day after day, week after to week, month after month, and year after year in His presence becomes our dwelling place refreshing our knowledge and understanding of Him. We face each day in the presence of the rock of our salvation, our refuge, our hope, our fortress…  I wonder why there are days I live in the this world and worry about things I have no control over nor can I change. This worry leads often to being defeated and without hope over the situation.  These moments seem to just pop up least expected and, then, when I should be comforted in the power, might, strength, love, purpose, plan of the creator of all there is I give over to thoughts of worry.  He is bigger than anything we face no matter how gloomy it looks.  Is He enough – No – He is much more than enough, He is greater than what I can imagine and can do infinitely more than I ask.  Give your day to Him and live in His presence and be an encouragement to those who are floundering.

Abide in Me

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,”

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,”

“whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

John 15:4  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. 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.

Luke 8:15     As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Acts 11:23     When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,

Galatians 2:20     I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Colossians 1:23     if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard,

Hebrews 10:39     But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

1 John 2:24     Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.  And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

2 John 1:9     Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God.

2 Corinthians 13:5     Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Complacency, neglect and lacking fruit in our lives is a direct result of us not abiding in Christ.  Coming to the knowledge of salvation and forgiveness of sin through Christ is the beginning of our new life.  This new life is to continually bear much good fruit.  This fruit ought to be seen by others as a testimony to what Christ has done in our life.  Jesus said for us to abide in Him and we will bear fruit.  We can not bear fruit on our own.  It may seem like we can and do but it is clear from scripture that apart from abiding in Christ this fruit is not good.  Paul says we ought to examine and test ourselves.  Examine and test against what?  The only way is to spend time in scripture.  God’s word is able to discern thoughts and intents of our heart and mind.  Apart from His word how can this happen.  Just because we don’t read and have Holy Spirit speak conviction into our heart and mind, does not mean we are not responsible or accountable.  In fact many times we are reminded that being lukewarm is a very bad bad state of living to be in.  What are the fruits of the Spirit.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” I am sure there are those who have what they consider all of these but apart from Christ we will never understand them in the proper context.  In His word we understand these and they come alive.  They are whispered into our life and we find them honoring God and not us.  We find it is through His steadfast love we and leading we experience these in a whole new way.  We find our life has purpose beyond that which we can see and touch.  We see this fruit have an impact not only in our lives but in the lives of others as the Holy Spirit leads us.  I am convinced that abiding requires staying in His word and a heart deep desire to humbly serve, honer, follow, and obey.

In many ways

“No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”

John 1:32  And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.  I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’  And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

Romans 1:4     and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Hebrews 1:1   Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

1 John 4:9     In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

2 John 1:9     Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Scripture shows us that man, throughout history, has heard from God but chooses to reject or neglect His calling.  Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,  We are living in a time with opportunity to proclaim Jesus Christ, forgiveness of sin, and hope in eternal life with Him.  Share Christ, speak of Him, tell of your hope, and live humbly serving, following and obeying Him.