HomeWord - Oct. 22, 2008
Living in Jesus
This devotional was written by Jim Grams
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4
Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you.”
Is it possible that being a follower of Christ is summed up in that one simple command? It sounds so elementary and so easy to just obey.
Life proves it isn’t!
God’s Word teaches us that we were created for Him and His glory. The abiding presence of Christ in us is God’s method of showing the world who He is. So, our friends and neighbors and the whole world should see Jesus in us: All the time, every day!
But they don’t.
Churches are full of singing saints. Seminaries and Bible colleges are teaching all about Jesus. We say to our world…please come and join us!
But they won’t!
Remaining in Jesus while He remains in us means we follow Him:
Out the church doors into the streets.
Out of the seminaries into the shelters.
Out of our comforts and into the struggles of life.
We go, not as demonstrations against an evil world.
We go as a demonstration of the light of Christ!
We go to show His love to all people!
We go because Jesus abides in us.
We must go, not as saints with holier-than-thou attitudes, but as redeemed sinners that are wholly HIS!
J.B. Phillips translated John 15:4 this way…“You must go on growing in me and I will grow in you.” I like that… Let’s make it our goal.
Going Deeper:
- Write down some ways you can grow into the life of Jesus.
- Make sure your life is filled with a desire to reach out to others.
Further Reading:
John 15:9-17; Colossians 2:6-9
Jim Grams lives in Glen Ivy, California where he divides his time in ministry as an Associate Pastor and with HAVEN Ministries.
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