Letting the Word of God Abide in You
/God desires for His children to grow and to develop spiritually. To understand more fully the importance of having the Word of God abide in you, it is important to know what the word “abide” means. Abide means to habitually live in. and biblically speaking, to mature spiritually. Our aim and goal as believers, is to grow and develop spiritually. To paraphrase what Jesus said in John 5:19, I do nothing of myself, but what I see the Father doing, I do. Jesus allowed the Father to be in full control. We do the same when we allow the Word of God to be in full control. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). I like how the Amplified version brings more clarity to this scripture, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.”
Man’s word is usually dead before the printer has finished his work. Few words of man live after a generation. God’s Word is different. It is impregnated with the very Life of God—it is Eternal. See Psalms 90:2; 1 Peter 1:25; Palms 119:89 for furthered study.
God’s only means of reaching the spiritual part of mankind is through His Word. The Word of God feeds the inner man—the spirit, and it accomplishes its’ purpose by changing us into His image and likeness. It imparts faith to the inner man (the spirit), and it builds love into it. The Word is a vital thing. 1Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB) “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you receive the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”
Christ-like behavior is in direct proportion to the measure that the Word prevails in you. I think that the best way to measure spiritual development and maturity. is by comparing it to the Word of God. There are several ways to measure spiritual development and maturity. Here are eight of them. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring more to your mind and add to the list. He wants to help you.
1. You overcome the wicked one. 1 John 2:14
2. The love of God is perfected. 1 John 2:5
3. Ought to walk as Jesus walked. 1 John 2:6
4. Abiding in the Word produces fruit. John 15:4
5. When the Word abides in you, you will not love the world neither the things of the world. 1 John 2:15-16
6. When the Word abides within you, you do the will of God. John 5:19
7. The Word perfects you. The word “perfect” refers to growing up spiritually-maturing in the Word of God. 1 John 2:5. As you grow spiritually, you no longer fear (1 Timothy 1:7). If there is fear, in any area of your life, it can be overcome by developing your faith in that area that is being dominated by fear.
8. When the Word of God abides within you, you love your brother (1 John 4:20). Your love is not just towards God, but towards your neighbor, your brothers and sisters in the Lord, and your enemies. This type of love is perfected by confessing the Word and by hearing the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
When Jesus spoke these words in John 8:31, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" He was telling the Jews who had believed him that they were to remain in His Word, don’t leave it. This doesn't mean that you can't lay your Bible down and take care of the business of life. Abiding in the word of Jesus means remaining in that FORCE FIELD of the word. It means not leaving it.
• Abide means not ceasing to be persuaded by its truth, and never elevating any other truth above it.
• Abide means not ceasing to be attracted by its beauty and value, and never seeing anything as more beautiful or more valuable or more attractive than the word and the Lord it reveals.
• Abide means not ceasing to rest in its grace and power — never turning away from its peace as though greater peace could be found anywhere else.
• Abide means never ceasing to eat and drink from the word as the bread of heaven and living water, as if life could be sustained anywhere else.
• And abide means never ceasing to walk in the light of the word, as though any other light could show the secrets of life.
The mark of Christians is that we taste and we stay.
“To whom shall we go? You, O Lord, have the words of life” (John 6:68).
