1 Corinthians 13:13 - And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 

John 6:56 - He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 

John 8:31 - Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (fruit produces after its kind)  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 

John 15

• 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. 
• "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 
• If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. (see levels of obedience – further below)
• If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire (delight in), and it shall be done for you. 
• "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 
• If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
• "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 

1 John 2:17 - And the world is passing away along with its desires (forbidden longings), but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:24 - Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 

1 John 2:27,28 - But the anointing (of the Holy Spirit) which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.  And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed (have boldness) before Him at His coming. 

1 John 3:17,24 - But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  - (24) Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 

1 John 4:12,13,16 - No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.  By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 

Philippians 1:23,24 - But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes. 

Psalms 91:1 - He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 

Union & Communion

The reality of salvation, emerging out of darkness into light, is the very essence of coming into union with Christ.  Communion is the ongoing relationship of “putting on” Christ and walking in fellowship with Him as a lifestyle.  Union w/o communion is not sustainable.

Love – Obedience – Abiding – Fruit

Working backwards from this order, bearing fruit, has the following characteristics:

• Sharing what you have in Christ Jesus with others who are humble, willing to hear & receive and are “people of peace.”
• Engaging in discipleship. An apple tree produces apples, a pear tree produces pears.  A disciple of Jesus produces…….. 
• Being a branch in Christ and bearing fruit involves a lifestyle of growth and progress in the knowledge of Him, in renewal and in transformation.
• Gratitude, joy and a steady calm are present in those who bear fruit.

Abiding comes next:

• The steady calm present in the last point of bearing fruit is key here as well. Branches don’t strain to bear fruit.
• A lifestyle of “communion” (fellowship) with Him is present, strong, easily discerned by others. The aroma of Christ (2 Cor 2:15)
• There is a dense & sustaining inner joy. (Col 1:11, Phil 3:7,8)
• An obvious dependence upon God in all areas of our daily lives.       (2 Cor 3:5 - Prov 3:5,6 – Rom 14:17 – Col 3:1,2)
• The alive & active word of God (Heb 4:12) is mightily at work in our lives. We are peacefully yielded to the pruning work of the Father to cut away what is dead so that we may flourish. 

Where obedience is lacking, abiding cannot be:

• Believing and embracing the name, the character and the work of Jesus for our redemption is part of answering His call.
• Turning away from a desire to please ourselves as a way of living, where we have elevated ourselves and what we want is the 1^st step in the unfolding of repentance. Turning to and embracing Him, His character and ways and walking that out in the moments of our lives is the ongoing lifestyle of repentance which is obedience to Him.

Levels of Obedience

• While a “fear of the Lord” is biblical and healthy, it may also be thought of as the lowest level of obedience. Attempting to navigate life in Christ at this level means you are mostly believing as a result of what may happen if you don’t believe.

In John 15, Jesus says the following:

• No longer do I call you slaves
• I have called you friends
• You are my friends if you do what I command you
• These things I command you, that you love one another
• If you keep my commands, you will abide in my love

Relationship between a slave & master is still a connection BUT how much GREATER is the connection between friends?!  1 John 4:18 says there is no fear in love but perfect love (a love that is complete from “growth”) casts out fear. 

• Sometimes we may obey out of selfish ambition. We “do” because of what we will “get”. 

This leads us to the highest and best form of obedience:  The greatest of these is Love (1 Cor 13:13):

• When things are going well in our lives then it is highly likely that we will not be motivated in obedience to God through fear or selfish ambition.
• As the rest of 1 John 4:18 says, ….the one who fears is not “perfected” in love.  It is only from true love for God that we will be motivated to obedience regardless of circumstance.  (Philippians 4:12,13)

Thinking upon and embracing the importance of knowing God is a catalyst to communication with Him.  This happens through prayer and reading His word.

Making time for “knowing” and “understanding” God and one another in our lives leads to growth in all the areas associated with abiding. 

Maybe it’s helpful to think of understanding in the following ways:

• Examine, Investigate
• Perceive, be aware, to discern, to look between
• View in a certain way
• Comprehend, to grasp
• Take into the mind, to be conscious