Abide with Me


Abide with Me
"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." John 15:4
Union with Christ is one of the greatest privileges of the believer; and to be one with Christ is the privilege of every believer. Nor ought anyone who professes religion to be satisfied without knowing, and daily realizing — that he is one with Christ. Our comfort, our stability, and ourusefulness, very much depend on this.
The union between Christ and His people is represented by Himself by the figure of a vine and its branches; teaching us that our union with Him is as real, as close, and as necessary — as the union of the branch with its parent stem. O what a glorious privilege to be one with Christ! Thus . . .
receiving all our supplies from Christ,
partaking of the nature of Christ,
bearing fruit like Christ,
being absolutely dependent on Christ for all our spiritual life, vigor, and strength. Being one with Christ, our Beloved Lord gives us this gracious and necessary direction, "Abide in Me."
Let us make this the great object of our lives, and keep it constantly before our minds. And in order that we may be enabled and encouraged to abide in Jesus — let us consider . . .
what it supposes,
what it requires, and
what it secures.

Holy Spirit, as the glorifier of Jesus — be our teacher:
unfold the truth to our understandings,
apply it to our hearts, and
write it in large characters upon our memories.

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