Abiding In Christ

Abiding In Christ

"No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin - has either seen Him or known Him" (1 John 3:6).

The design of God in the gospel, is to make us like Himself - to conform us to His beloved Son, who is "the image of the invisible God." To this end - all the promises, privileges, and precepts of His Word are directed. At this, the work of the Holy and ever blessed Spirit aims. We must resemble Him - perfectly and completely. In Heaven, Christ-likeness is the object we should constantly keep in view - at this we should habitually aim. Being justified by grace, we should daily seek to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit; and that our bodies, souls, and spirits, should be preserved blameless, unto the coming day of God. This was John's object in writing this epistle, at this he aims directly or indirectly in every part of it. "These things write we unto you," he says, "so that you will not sin." And, "No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning." Here is,

First, a Distinguishing privilege. To be in Christ. To abide in Christ. Union to Christ, is the most glorious privilege of a child of God. It is vital and permanent. Faith brings us to the feet of Christ, love fixes on the beauty of Christ, and the Holy Spirit becomes the bond that unites us to His person.

Being united to Christ, it becomes our imperative duty, as well as our high privilege - to ABIDE in Christ. This gives power to prayer, as Jesus says, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you - you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done for you." And this is the cause of fruitfulness. "He who abides in Me, and I in Him, the same brings forth much fruit, for without Me, you can do nothing." No union - no power; no union - no fruit.

To abide in Christ, is to realize Him as PRESENT with us - and to act under His eye. An ever-present Saviour is one of our greatest comforts. We daily set our love upon Him. He is the object of our affection and delight. We thus become zealous for Him, and diligent in His cause. Realizing Him as present - we live in fellowship with Him. This fellowship is an interchange of thought, feeling, and purpose; we drink into His Spirit, become of His mind, and naturally seek His honor. We come to Him but it is to receive from Him; and out of His fullness we receive, grace upon grace.

We are to abide with Him as our HEAD - as our Husband. We are to abide with Him as our FOUNDATION, as our VINE which renews its branches daily.

To abide in Christ - is having to do with Christ every day and all day - for all we need, desire, or hope for.

Secondly, the RESULT of this privilege. "No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning." This does not mean that they are absolutely perfect, or entirely free from sin; otherwise every believer would be a sinless person. But it means that abiding in Christ, they do not sin DELIBERATELY The habit of sin is broken. Every true believer breaks off his sin, by righteousness. He who abides in Christ knows what sin is - in its nature, tendency, and deserts.

Thirdly, the proof of a CARNAL state. "No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him." And if he sins continually - deliberately, habitually, and finally - he has never known the Saviour. He has no true faith! Faith is the object of the soul; Christ is the object placed before it; and the gospel is the light by which Christ is seen.

Faith feels that the tendency of the love of Christ - is to holiness; and that it constrains all who feel it, to live not unto themselves - but unto Him who died for them and rose again.

Living faith always perceives Christ, receives Christ, leads to union with Christ, and devotes the life to the service of Christ!

This is the faith which distinguishes God's elect, to which the promise of salvation is made, and which invariably works by love.

~James Smith~