The abiding place

We all love to live in a beautiful house that is clean and well arranged with elegant and comfortable furniture. Along with the protection and shelter it offers, we want our house to be a place where we can peacefully unwind and be ourselves. A place where we can be happy without any cares, regrets or worries. Wherever we are during the day, we would long to get back to our “comfy space” to chillax. Probably you are right now in your comfy space reading this. Like how our body needs a proper space, our soul too needs to be abiding in the right place. Let us find which is the right abiding place for our soul.

OPENING THE TREASURE BOOK

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. “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. If anyone does not abide in Me, 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 15:4-6

Jesus is teaching us to abide in Him. He uses an example of a vine and its branches to illustrate this. Jesus is compared to a vine and we, the people, to its branches. If a branch is detached from the vine, it cannot live on its own. The nutrients required to survive will not reach the branch as it is separated from the plant and withers away very soon. So to survive and eventually bear fruit, the branch should be attached to the plant. If not, it will definitely wither away and becomes useless. All the branches that wither are gathered and thrown into fire. Similarly, if we are separated from Jesus, we cannot survive on our own or bear any fruit for God’s kingdom. If we do not remain in Jesus, we too will wither away into the path of destruction and will be thrown in to the eternal fire. So our soul abiding in Jesus, is crucial for our eternal life.

Also, when a branch is attached to the plant, both becomes one entity. Similarly, when we remain in Jesus, we become one with Him – we abide in Him and He in us. We will bear much fruit in this case. But without Him, we cannot do anything.

How to abide in Him and He in us?

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

1 John 4:15

Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

1 John 3:24

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

1 John 2:6

To abide in Him and He in us – we need to confess that Jesus is the Son of God, keep His commands and walk in His ways. If you have not confessed yet, this is the right time to confess that Jesus is the “Son of God”. If you do, He will make you His dwelling place and you will dwell in Him. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside you and will teach you to keep His commands as we already learned in “The Holy Spirit”. As a branch that is attached to a plant, you too will be remaining in Jesus, bearing much fruit.

To abide in Jesus and He in you, confess Jesus as the Son of God, keep His commands and walk in His ways. You will bear much fruit and will not wither away or be thrown in to the eternal fire.

Abiding in Jesus will give you eternal life and will save your soul from eternal fire.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

2 John 9:31-32

“The word of God” is the ultimate truth. Jesus is teaching us that we should abide in His word. If we abide in His word, we will know the truth and this truth will set us free. In the world that we live, we read and study many subjects that gives us knowledge and understanding. It helps us to live healthy, obey law and order, eat the right food, get to know our rights, the facilities available to us, current affairs of the world etc. However, illiterate people do not know these and are exploited very much because of their ignorance. Similarly, the devil will be able to exploit us and afflict us if we are ignorant about the spiritual truths. Because the Word is filled with numerous spiritual truths, reading & studying it will help us to get to know those truths and it will set us free.

Abiding in the word brings freedom to your soul.

“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, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15 : 9-11

Jesus is teaching us to abide in His love. His love, as we know, is unconditional and everlasting. Jesus enduring the cross is the biggest example of the unconditional love of God. We abide in His love when we keep His commandments and walk in His ways. So keeping His commandments helps us to abide in Him and also in His love.

Jesus promises us that when we abide in these, His joy will remain in us and we will have the fullness of JOY. Just imagine your soul filled with an everlasting joy that is complete – without any worries or regrets or hopelessness, but just JOY. This is the comfy space we all long for – fullness of joy that is ever lasting.

Treasures uncovered

Prayer:

Father, we thank you for teaching us about the perfect abiding place for our soul. Help us to abide in Jesus, in His word and in His love by keeping His commandments and walking in His ways. Holy Spirit, thank you for living inside us and guiding us. Help us to have the fullness of joy. In Jesus name, Amen.

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