Obey and Abide

Good morning : ) I pray as we continue to read and soak in John 15, that the “how” of abiding will become more and more clear. It’s not by striving to abide, but by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. I’m learning that praying, resting and abiding, are pretty synonymous in the spiritual realm. We (the prayer team) continue to pray through your requests, and are so glad when you update us. We are grateful to see how He is fulfilling His promise of peace that guards our hearts and minds, as we by faith, with thanksgiving, submit our requests to Him. At the end of this post is prayer for us. 

Today’s reading is entitled Obey and Abide, and comes from John 15:10

If Ye Keep My Commandments, Ye Shall Abide In My Love—John 15.10

In our former meditation reference was made to the entrance into a life of rest and strength which has often come through a true insight into the personal love of Christ, and the assurance that that love indeed meant that He would keep the soul. In connection with that transition, and the faith that sees and accepts it, the word surrender or consecration is frequently used. The soul sees that it cannot claim the keeping of this wonderful love unless it yields itself to a life of entire obedience. It sees too that the faith that can trust Christ for keeping from sinning must prove its sincerity by venturing at once to trust Him for strength to obey. In that faith it dares to give up and cut off everything that has hitherto hindered it, and to promise and expect to live a life that is well pleasing to God.

This is the thought we have here now in our Savior’s teaching. After having in the words, “Abide in my love,” spoken of a life in His love as a necessity, because it is at once a possibility and an obligation, He states what its one condition is: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.” This is surely not meant to close the door to the abode of His love which he had just opened up. Not in the most distant way does it suggest the thought which some are too ready to entertain, that as we cannot keep His commandments, we cannot abide in His love. No; the precept is a promise: “Abide in my love,” could not be a precept if it were not a promise. And so the instruction as to the way through this open door points to no unattainable ideal; the love that invites to her blessed abode reaches out the hand, and enables us to keep the commandments. Let us not fear, in the strength of our ascended Lord, to take the vow of obedience, and give ourselves to the keeping of His commandments.

Through His will, loved and done, lies the path to His love.

Only let us understand well what it means. It refers to our performance of all that we know to be God’s will. There may be things doubtful, of which we are not sure. A sin of ignorance has still the nature of sin in it. There may be involuntary sins, which rise up in the flesh, which we cannot control or overcome. With regard to these God will deal in due time in the way of searching and humbling, and if we be simple and faithful, give us larger deliverance than we dare expect. But all this may be found in a truly obedient soul. Obedience has reference to the positive keeping of the commandments of our Lord, and the performance of His will in everything in which we know it. This is a possible degree of grace, and it is the acceptance in Christ’s strength of such obedience as the purpose of our heart, of which our Savior speaks here. Faith in Christ as our Vine, in His enabling and sanctifying power, fits us for this obedience of faith, and secures a life of abiding in His love.

If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love—It is the heavenly Vine unfolding the mystery of the life He gives. It is to those abiding in Him to whom He opens up the secret of the full abiding in His love. It is the wholehearted surrender in everything to do His will, that gives access to a life in the abiding enjoyment of His love.

Obey and abide. Gracious Lord, teach me this lesson, that it is only through knowing Thy will one can know Thy heart, and only through doing that will one can abide in Thy love. Lord, teach me that as worthless as is the doing in my own strength, so essential and absolutely indispensable is the doing of faith in Thy strength, if I would abide in Thy love.

Lord I am thankful Your command is a promise: If you obey or keep My commands, you will abide in My love. Lord we must trust You for the strength to obey, even in the very small, if we are to trust You to keep us from the sin that so easily entangles. Abba teach us to reject the lie that “it’s no big deal if I do…. “ or “it’s not that big a deal if I…” Anything that keeps us from experiencing the abundant life You have promised, must go. But we cannot make it go in our own strength. We are entirely dependent upon You to fulfill Your very command to us! O teach us again that to surrender our will to Yours is far easier in the long run and produces the very thing we seek: Rest in You. Joy in You. Peace in You. Abiding in You. Again teach us to cease striving and know You are God. Again may Your Spirit speak louder than our “old hag”, our sin nature, who wants what she wants when she wants it. May Your promise of abiding in Your love, through abiding in You, be proved true in each of us today. May You show each of us the time You have set aside for us to just be with You, to learn the sound of Your Voice as You speak through Your word, Your Spirit, our hearts abiding. You are faithful and true. We belong to You if we have put our faith in Your finished work on the Cross. We desire more than just salvation and assurance of heaven. We desire You, to know You, to walk intimately with You and know Your voice and heart. O give us the courage to walk in obedience, even in the very small, and give to us what You promise: abiding joy, abiding love. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.