Getting Better Day by Day

If we as Christians expect to become better Christians and grow in our faith, we must abide in Christ.

Jesus teaches this clearly in John 15:3–8 (KJV):

“[3] Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.[4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. [6] If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  [7] If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  [8] Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

Believers are instructed to abide in Christ if we expect to grow. Our spiritual growth is directly tied to our relationship with Jesus Christ. In verse 4, Jesus commands us to “abide.” The word abide comes from the Greek word menō, meaning: to remain, to stay, to continue, to endure, and to exist permanently in a relationship and inseparably united.

Therefore, if we are going to grow in our relationship with Christ, we must remain connected to Him.  Jesus illustrates this truth by using the image of a vine and its branches. The vine is the source of life for the branches. The branches are completely dependent upon the vine and must remain connected in order to live. Without connection, the branches wither and die. In the same way, without connection to Christ there can be no spiritual life and no spiritual growth.

The evidence of our connection is fruit. When we are abiding in Christ, our lives naturally produce fruit that glorifies God. Fruit is the visible evidence that Christ is living in us.

Love:

Love is vitally important to abiding in Jesus Christ.  Jesus states in John 15:9, “[9] As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.”  So God loves Jesus, He loves us and we are to continue in his love.  Here again we’re to abide in Jesus.  Our relationship with Him is bounded by His love for us therefore we must abide in Him.  Our relationship means we know Him through our prayers, our reading of the scripture, our commitment to the word and our obedience to God’s Word and our faith in God.

Obedience:

Obedience is also important to the child of God abiding in Jesus Christ.  John 15:10 states, “[10] If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”  We must obey Jesus if we abide in Him.  His word is what governs and guides our lives.  Psalm 119:105 states, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  The Life Application Study Bible states, “the Bible can be our light to show us the way ahead so we won’t stumble as we walk. It reveals the entangling roots of false values and philosophies. We need a light to reach our desired destination.”  When our lives are in alignment with the Word of God we are thus obedient to Him and the benefits of guidance and direction are available to us.

Faith:

Faith is also important to abiding in Jesus Christ.  Faith shows or demonstrates our complete reliance or dependence upon Jesus.  We are trusting God.  Proverbs 3:5-6 states, “[5] Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”  Trusting in Him is the vehicle for Him to guide our life.s which occurs when we acknowledge that He is the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God.

Conclusion:

We as children of God must get better and improve our walk as a Christians.  Our love for God must increase, our obedience must increases and our faith must increase.   This occurs through life experiences that test our love for God, test our obedience to God and test our faith in God.  Sometimes we may fail and we may find ourselves  lacking in love, obedience or faith.  However we must recognize our error and ask for forgiveness and keep moving forward towards God.  Spiritual growth is not perfection, it’s persistence and improving our walk with God one day at a time.