Abiding in Jesus Christ

John 15:9-11 “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.” NKJ

For another season I am coaching Little League baseball and enjoying the time spent with our future generation, working on their skills and knowledge of baseball, but also developing and improving their sense of self-worth and confidence, while teaching them the virtues of self-motivation, teamwork and the valuing & caring about others. Dedication, devotion and desire are not terms we hear much these days in the process of becoming the best that we can be. But in this way, these kids discover that the standards that they were taught produce expectations, responsibility and confidence in their ability to succeed in a competitive culture where they can stand firm with faith, abiding in their life-lessons learned and a process that allows them to continue to grow and mature, naturally, as a way of life, filled with joy. Now was I talking about Little League baseball players or all of us?

We are not all gifted athletes, but Christians are all gifted children of God (1Corinthians 12). Our salvation and forgiveness was bought with a price; that redeeming death on the Cross in Calvary, in our place, by our Savior Jesus Christ, who conquered sin and death in the resurrection from the dead, and ascension into Heaven to the right hand of God. He will come again to take us to heaven and be with Him (John 14:1-6). The day that we accepted the free gift of eternal life in Jesus and believed, we were given a new heart that sees, understands and loves the truth, plus the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of truth) to guide us today into paths of righteousness in that light of truth as adopted sons and daughters in the family of God (brothers and sisters in Christ). Jesus Christ loves us and is Lord of our lives, on our joyful and purposeful walk with Him daily, in line and in step with the Spirit. We have been given the living Word of God, in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible to grow and mature as disciples (followers and students) of the Lord, connected to and abiding in the life-giving source, like the branches of a grape plant to the vine’s trunk, providing the water and nutrients from the Earth to grow and produce good fruit in abundance (John 15:1-8). To abide means to dwell, inhabit, live, reside and sojourn in a constant and enduring manner. On this side of eternity, we are to use the resources that God has provided us, to seek, learn and live by the Lord’s loving and perfect commandments, with dedication, devotion and all of our desire, to align our hearts, minds and souls with His teachings, statutes, and decrees, that we may please our Lord, live in the confidence of our citizenship in the Kingdom of God, experience the joy of Christ remaining in us and our joy may be full. Trust and live for Christ.

John 14:23-24 “Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him. Anyone who does not [really] love Me does not observe and obey My teaching. And the teaching which you hear and heed is not Mine, but [comes] from the Father Who sent Me.” AB

In Christ, Brian