East Baptist Church – Denison, TX

Abiding In Christ

John 15:7-11

We now see as our Lord continues His teaching in His message after the Upper Room that shows He desires to make sure we all know how to abide IN Him. Many Christians think that salvation is the total reason for accepting Christ, so our Lord wants to make sure we know the benefits of abiding in Him today and all our days on this earth even into eternity and beyond. 

I would like us to see the bright bold strokes our Lord paints in Word on a canvas that can and should be lived out in living color in our own lives, as we decide to abide in Him.  Let us look at six marvels and wonderful blessings of choosing to abide in Christ verbalized by our Lord in our Scripture. They are salvation, fruitfulness, answered prayer, abundant life, full joy, and security. 

My be-loved it is such comfort to know it is the Lord that holds me, not me that holds Him. When we get this truth life becomes a place of peace inside, no matter what the world hits us with. Let His joy fill your life as we read His promise.

John 10:28-29 (NASB) ²⁸and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 

The blessing of Fruitfulness is knowing that your life matters and that you are able to make a huge difference. My beloved, do not forget that fruit is not borne by trying but is only done by abiding. We will camp out on the subject of FRUITFULNESS for our time in the Word this Lord’s Day. ⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

Abundant life: The Word of God tells us not to worry about bearing fruit but to get close to Christ and stay close and the fruit will come as an overflow of abiding in the True Vine.

Full of JOY: As true vines we also have the great privilege and JOY of living lives that bring glory to the Father. Let us not forget that the harvest of the fruit reflects directly on the One that takes care of the plants in the garden.   “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit”, real fruit is Christlike in character. That is what Paul tells us in

Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

Many people have times of doubting their salvation and miss out on living the secure life because they drift away from the security of staying plugged into the base of the Vine. We often let things and people suck our time and draw us away from the security of fellowshipping with and in Christ. 

 The last thing that we are going to look at is number three on our list in the introduction. Answered prayer. ⁷“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”