1 John 2
I like the word, “abide.” I know that some translations of the Bible
prefer the word, “remain,” and there is nothing wrong with that translation,
but “abide” has a different feel to it than “remain.” To “abide” has a texture of living, dwelling,
and being present, whereas remaining can simply mean to stop moving.
The Apostle John reminds us that, “the
anointing you received from [Christ] abides in you, and you have no need that
anyone should teach you. But as His
anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is not lie – just as
it has taught you, abide in Him. And
now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have
confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming.”
In Christ we have a teacher who never
leaves us. He sent the Holy Spirit to
remind us of all the things that He taught, even as He, the Spirit, calls and
gathers us into the Body of Christ through faith. His teaching is to abide in Jesus – to let
His eternal presence, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection be
foundational to our life, hope, and daily living.
To abide in Jesus is to set aside our
pride, our skills and efforts, and any hope we place in ourselves and to say, “I
am tempted to live in myself – all the earthly good that I do, and all my
attempts to impress God – but I will abide right here in Christ, for He has
done far more for me in His death and resurrection than I can ever do for
myself. His merit is great and all
encompassing, and my merit before God is merely imagined and worthy of only
judgment. No, I will not walk away from
this for all the gold, glory, or fame in the world, I will abide only in Jesus.”
The anointing of the Spirit that we
received in Baptism roots us in Jesus, and just as a tree is rooted and does
not wander from its source of water and nutrients, we abide in Jesus for our life,
our forgiveness, our strength, and every good thing. It is in Him that we receive the power to
live a life that displays good fruit, not rooted in the manure of our efforts,
but in the rich fertile soil of Christ’s salvation.
Lord, let me abide in You. My heart is prone to wander and I lose my
focus on you. Keep me watered in my
Baptism and rooted in the eternal salvation Jesus has won for me that I may
bear fruit in You. Amen.
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