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ABIDE

Sam Stringer

Jan 27, 2025

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.
John 15:4

At the time of this writing, it is 2 degrees Fahrenheit outside and there’s about an inch of snow,
maybe two, on the ground. I am sitting here writing this devotional in shorts, a T-shirt and
sandals. Clearly, I am not outside freezing my tail off! Could you imagine, though, that I had this
house I’m in right now that is currently somewhere around 70 degrees inside, all comfortable
and nice and unlocked as it is, but I chose not to go inside of it? I’d be a polar pop in no time
flat, the heat rapidly leaving my body as I sit there writing outside in what has been the coldest
week so far of 2025 (at least here in central PA).

Parallel for you today: we can have Gospel truth, we can have access to Jesus Himself, and
choose to sit outside in the cold of a life that is aware of the truth, claims the truth, but does not
live in the truth. How helpful do you think that is? Jesus says, “Abide in Me.” That is, to have
one’s existence inside of Him. He doesn’t simply say, “Know about Me, be related to Me,
acknowledge Me from time to time.” No, Jesus says, “Abide in Me, and I in you.”

The Lord gives further reasoning to this statement in the sentence that follows: “As the branch
cannot bear fruit in itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
Meaning, a Christian life is pretty broken, unfulfilling, underwhelming and accomplishing nothing
spiritually/eternally in those times where one refuses to live in the “house” they’ve been
provided. In fact, everything goes downhill pretty fast when we don’t abide in Christ, much like
living outside in freezing temperatures with little protection from the elements. The world is
harsh outside of Jesus; it is hard, nay impossible, to live well and bear fruit that pleases God
without living within Christ and finding your strength in Him.

I challenge you today: repent of being content with simply knowing about Jesus. Repent of
simply attending church, if you do, without really living in Him. (Same challenge goes for me).
Christianity was meant to be more than the hollowed-out forms it has so commonly taken. A real
relationship with a real Lord you can’t do this life without. There is no joy to be had in having
access to Christ but refusing to abide in Him. So, rather than simply feeling shame and
conviction if that’s where you’re at, or perhaps apathy, take the time to seek to live in Christ
again today. Repentance is not simply about being sorry something was done or wasn’t done;
it’s about going forward from there in the direction you should go. Abide in Christ.

Sam Stringer

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Braver Than Lions

©2024 by Braver Than Lions

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