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
The word “abide” comes from the Greek menó, which according to Strong’s Concordance means stay, abide, or remain. Others liken the word to “dwell” or “rest.” Abiding, or remaining, in Christ means believing, trusting, or welcoming Christ. It is fully attaching ourselves to Him and drawing our necessary life force from Him.
To abide in Christ is a cleaving to Him, in love. It is holding fast to Him in trusting obedience. It is believing the truth of His Word with an unshakable assurance. It is a steadfast confidence that His word is true and His promises are sure. If we are to abide in Him, we will adhere to Him in every way and in every area of life.
The first step to abiding in Christ is receiving and believing Him. Jesus tells us He is “the way and the truth and the life” and says no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). But receiving Him isn’t just a mindset. Abide is a verb. We must choose to accept, believe, and live our lives in Him and for Him.
The next step is abiding in Christ’s love. When we dwell in the love of Jesus, we understand that we are all part of Him. We love God more than anything, and we love our neighbour as ourselves. We don’t put ourselves before others or other things before the Lord. Love comes first, as Jesus says—love for God, then love for others.
The third step is abiding in Christ by abiding in His word. Jesus tells us if we remain in Him, then His words remain in us. This means spending intentional, focused time in the word of God, whether by reading the Bible, spending time in prayer worshipping Him, or meditating upon His word and His ways. If we do this, and God’s word remains in us, then Jesus says there will be fruit. Indeed, He says, you can “ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John15:7)
