Q44. Abiding

[Pastor Ralph]

Q44. (John 15:4-5) What does it mean “to abide”? What does abiding have to do with “mutual indwelling”? With a “personal relationship”? What does Jesus mean when he says, “Apart from me you can do nothing”? What is the value of things done without Christ? What is the final end of things done without Christ?

[Robomom3]

Q44. (John 15:4-5)

What does it mean “to abide”?

I like to think of this as a good oil and vinegar dressing.  Vinegar, by itself is very bitter and not many would want to put this on a salad by itself.  But, when vinegar is mixed with oil, it no longer tastes bitter, it has a pleasing taste that goes well on a salad or bread or many other things.  When this mixture is constantly used and shaken, it remains well mixed and cannot be easily separated.  But, when this mixture sits stagnant, even for a short time, the oil will separate from the vinegar and the vinegar will once again be bitter. We are bitter vinegar without the Oil of Christ working in us and through us.  When our relationship with Him becomes stagnant, our fruit becomes bitter and undesirable.  But, when we continually mix and stir and cultivate our relationship with Christ, when we merge our lives into His and let His sweet Oil change the substance of our heart, our Fruit becomes His Fruit instead of being our imitation of what we think His Fruit should look like.  The Fruit naturally flows from us.  We respond graciously to others and serve others as a first response, not a forced response.  His Fruit feels natural, because it is.  When we are abiding with Him, it is His Love that begins to flow through us.  I know exactly who I am without Him... I know the bitter fruit that my flesh produces... and I know the sweet Fruit of the Spirit that flows through me when I choose to abide in Him, obeying His Voice and following His lead.

What does abiding have to do with:

“mutual indwelling”? We are told that when we choose to abide in Christ, He will, in return, abide in us.  We become one with Him just as He and His Father are One.  The concept blows my mind.  We have been invited into the same intimate relationship with God and His Son as they have always had with each other.  What an amazing privilege it is to be a child of God!

a “personal relationship”? You cannot abide with someone you do not know intimately.  Jesus did not only come to save us... He came to restore our relationship with the Holy Trinity.  It is ALL about relationship.  One of the saddest things I encounter in teaching others is those who are filled with head knowledge about our Lord and King but have no idea what His Voice sounds like.  My heart breaks because, these are the hardest to reach.  They are convinced their knowledge makes them enlightened and it is those who do not have their skill for knowledge who are lacking.  It is a sad deception of the enemy that will keep many from ever entering the Kingdom of God.  "Depart for I know you not" is not something I ever want to hear from my Lord and King.

What does Jesus mean when he says, “Apart from me you can do nothing”?

Anything Good that comes from my life only comes as a result of me stepping completely aside and allowing God's Spirit to do His Work through me.  My greatest fear is to stand before my King with an empty crown because everything I did for "Him", I actually did for myself.  I don't want earthly rewards for MY efforts... I want Heavenly rewards for my humble submission and admission that I am nothing without Him.  Because those Heavenly rewards will be all I have to give my Savior when I meet Him Face to face.  Holding an empty crown will be devasting to my soul. How could I stand before the One Who gave His Life for me with an empty crown that shows I gave none of my life for Him.

What is the value of things done without Christ?

There is NO ETERNAL VALUE in ANYTHING we do outside of Christ.  This took me 50 years to begin to understand.  Oh, how I wish I would have truly understood this concept when I was in my 20s and 30s and even my 40s.  So much wasted time and effort spent on protecting and building my own reputation. Forgive me Lord for wasting years of my life on myself.  Thank You for Your Faithfulness and Love and Patience with me... You never gave up on me... Thank You for opening my eyes to this concept of "Abiding"... I still have a long way to go but, at least I recognize the goal I'm heading towards.   

What is the final end of things done without Christ?

Best case scenario is we enter Heaven as one escaping from fire, with nothing but the shame of an empty fruitless crown... worst case scenario is we hear, "depart from me, I know you not." I want nothing to do with either of these scenarios.  We must understand that God's plan is for Christ and Christ alone to continue His ministry through each one of us.  It is never about us... it is ALWAYS about Him.  Others will only see the Glory of God and be drawn to His Kingdom if it is JESUS Who is touching their lives THROUGH us.

[hanks]

Q44. (John 15:4-5)

What does it mean "to abide"? What does abiding have to do with "mutual indwelling"? With a "personal relationship"? What does Jesus mean when He says, "Apart from Me you can do nothing"? What is the value of things done without Christ? What is the final end of things done without Christ?

It means to stay in a close relationship with our Lord Jesus. This we do by spending time in prayer, by reading and obeying His Word, by fellowshipping with His disciples. The closer we get, the more we will learn to think His thoughts, and doing His will. At the same time there is a mutual indwelling as Jesus abides in us, supplying us with spiritual strength and resources. Also, there is a personal relationship as we live in close contact with Him moment by moment. Only when we abide in Him can we bear fruit - that is do anything that is righteous or good. Without Christ all the things we do have no eternal value at all, as they won’t be done in His will, and will all be destroyed and forgotten.

[Niyonka16]

Q44. Abiding (John 15:4-5)

What does it mean “to abide”?

ANSWER: To "abide" means that we hold to or continue in. Those of us who abide  in Jesus' Word shouldn’t give up under persecution or allow our fruitfulness to be choked by the weeds of worldly pressures. Abiding extends beyond continuing in faith. It refers to being intimately connected to and receiving nourishment from the vine. Abiding entails, belief as embracing, clinging to, and continuing to receive spiritual sustenance from Jesus.

To abide in Jesus, we must prioritize our relationship with Him above all else. This means investing time in prayer, reading the Scriptures, and seeking His guidance in our daily lives. Abiding in Jesus means not only listening to His words but also putting them into practice. As you abide in Jesus, the True Vine, you are to continue to nurture your relationship with Him through prayer, Bible study, worship, and fellowship with other believers. Christians should strive to remain in Him and rely on His power and strength, knowing that apart from Him, you can do nothing.

What does abiding have to do with “mutual indwelling”?

ANSWER: Mutual indwelling is part of the Father's relationship with the Son. The Father and Son are the exemplars of what our relationship is to be with Jesus, constant living together, sharing a deepening relationship of love and (on our part) obedience.

The mutual indwelling of perichoresis means two things. First, the three persons of the Trinity are all fully in one another. And second, each person of the Trinity is in full possession of the divine essence. To be sure, the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. Perichoresis does not deny any of this. What perichoresis maintains is that you cannot have one person of the Trinity without having the other two, and you cannot have any person of the Trinity without having the fullness of God. The inter-communion of the persons is reciprocal, and their operations are inseparable.

What does abiding have to do with a “personal relationship”?

ANSWER: Abiding is more than just going no to church and hearing a sermon preached once or even several times a week. True abiding means seeking an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Just like any relationship, it takes work. The more intimate the relationship, the more work it requires. Abiding is crucial to experiencing a fruitful and abundant Christian life.

We cannot experience the fullness of God’s blessings if we do not walk with Him. If we are going to bear fruit, we must remain connected to the vine. Just as a branch is useless if it is not connected to the vine, so is a Christian who is not connected to Christ. When we are abiding in close communication with Christ, we can call upon His help in time of need (our prayers will be answered).

Many Christians today are not living victoriously. They are failing in the most important aspect of their Christian lives, abiding in Christ. We want convenient Christianity. Christians today don’t want something that is going to cost them time and effort.

What does Jesus mean when he says, “Apart from me you can do nothing”? ANSWER: Jesus, considers anything done apart from Him, even if it's done in the church, in His' name, or with the greatest of religious fervor - NOTHING. Just doing things in Jesus' name doesn't mean it is okay in God's sight. We really are paralyzed without Christ and is capable of no Christ-exalting good. God does intend for us to do much Christ-exalting good, namely bear fruit. He promises to do for us, and through us, what we can’t do for ourselves.

What is the value of things done without Christ?

ANSWER: Life without God has no purpose or hope. Life without GOD is unfulfilling and meaningless. Without God, there is no hope, no peace, and no relief from the guilt and stain of sin. In other words, Life without God is just existing.

What is the final end of things done without Christ?

ANSWER: We cannot obtain true righteousness without Christ. We cannot bear fruit or live a fruitful life. All of our efforts will be fruitless unless we are abiding in Christ. Our union with Him is essential to a fruitful life, and we must remain actively connected to Him to achieve greatness according to His will. Through Him, we have access to unlimited strength, wisdom, love, and grace. We should stay continually connected to Christ, for only in Him can we fulfill our life’s purpose that He has laid before us. So, let us abide in Christ, for He is our Source of eternal life.

[haar]

A44.

To abide in Jesus is to believe in him and to continue to trust, and obey him always and to depend in him for our spiritual sustenance.

This requires that we allow the Holy Spirit to indwell us and guide us in our daily meditation in his word and thus be guided accordingly in our decisions. This is the recipe for success. Outside this trust and dependence in him, we cannot achieve spiritual growth.

[Zanele Tlhakanelo]

Abide means to dwell and be rooted in the Lord. In this instance, Christ becomes the centre of your life and He takes control of your life. Mary, the sister to Lazarus, chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and listened to all His teachings. When able in Him, we become obedient to His Word and allow the Holy Sprit to guide, direct,lead, advise and help us in all the actions and decisions that we must make. 

Mutual dwelling is the permanent, personal and intimate relationship that we have with Christ. This means that we subject ourselves to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We become attentive to the small still voice and do what He commands us to do. We need to believe, trust and live our lives according to His Word.

Personal relationship is the communication that we have we God. We acknowlegde Him as our God and we as His people. Having communion with God strengthen our relationship with Him because we understand that He loved the world so much that He gave us His begotten Son, our Lord and Savior. When we spend time reading the Word, praying and fasting, we are building a personal relationship that no one can take it away from us.

Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our lives. He is the great "I AM." He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Therefore He knows everything that is why He says without Him we can do nothing. We must allow God to take control of our lives because without Him, there is nothing that we can do. We must always spend time with Him in order to know what is expected of us.

There is no  value in doing things without Christ. It is like building a house on the sand and when the storm comes, it is blown away. Whatever we do, we must always enquire from the Lord because He cares and loves us so much.

Final things done without Christ leads to destruction. The Word of the Lord says "We may make our plans but God has the last word".  God does not want anyone to go to hell but if we do not hold on the Truth, then we will be condemned.

[GeraldG]

To abide means to remain, or to stay. 

Mutual indwelling is like a relationship, so if you don't abide or remain in that relationship it dies because in a Mutual relationship one can't do anything without the other. 

In a personal relationship, the two must remain together to make it. 

Without Jesus Christ in us and us in Christ we cannot do anything spiritually, for He is the vine and we are the branches, so without staying connected to the vine, the branches die.

The value of anything is loss without Christ.

The final end of things done without Christ is death. 

[Krissi]

1. What does it mean “to abide”?  What does Jesus mean when he says, “Apart from me you can do nothing”? What is the value of things done without Christ? What is the final end of things done without Christ?

I sometimes hear or read something a gazillion times, believe that I understand what it means, until suddenly, it becomes something bigger and different than I had thought -- this just happened with the phrase, "abide in me." I had thought it meant to travel with Jesus, to stick with Him throughout life's journey. Now, I see it means much more.

The translation of meno as "persevere" makes the most sense. I can see Jesus saying to us, "Persevere with me ... stick it out ... don't give up ... don't tire or get bored or move away or be distracted. Just persevere."

2. What does abiding have to do with “mutual indwelling”?  Again, we all know we've received the indwelling Holy Spirit at the time of salvation, that God promised to give us His comforter. But at the very same time He came to dwell in us, hopefully taking up more and more "real estate" as life progresses, we, too, are dwelling in Him. This is hard to describe. Pastor Ralph uses the eucharist to explain mutual indwelling. And miracles. Somehow taking communion, allowing His body and blood to enter my body, brings us closer into a mutual indwelling relationship. He allows me to live in Him at that moment, to enter into a oneness with God that I really don't understand. Miracles do this too. If I saw a obvious healing miracle -- I have never seen one -- I would be overwhelmed, surely. I would see Jesus' power in the body of another. Perhaps, vicariously, I would experience it as well. If Jesus did a miracle within or for me, like this, I would know that He had entered to fix me, an overwhelming thought.

3. With a “personal relationship”?  It's personal in the sense that it's a real relationship between God and a puny person. God is in that person -- that person is in God. Thus, the relationship.

4. What does Jesus mean when he says, “Apart from me you can do nothing”? What is the value of things done without Christ? What is the final end of things done without Christ? I can do many things apart from Christ, but nothing I do will be for Him. Nothing I do will matter. To be able to contribute to the body of Christ or the world at large means that the things that I do have to be God-saturated, not me-saturated. Not only do my motives have to be right, but more importantly, I must tap into the strength and power to do these deeds EVEN THOUGH I COULD HAVE DONE THEM MYSELF.  I think this is the important insight, at least for me, that I can do things without Christ, and they can look pretty good from the outside, but there's something missing that I cannot see which is more than my motive for doing them. WHat's missing is substantial ... it has substance. It is God Himself. To do something with/for God is to do something totally in the centre of His will. Every detail is what He wanted. Ever motion is determined by Him. God is IN the things we do.

In the end, when I die, I'll leave behind three kids, a bunch of books and some lousy art. No one will care, eventually. Like wind-brushed, weathered gravestone, my name will be rubbed away from history. My children may reproduce to make more kids and more and more -- the Abraham model with so many children they are like the sand of the sea -- but this would only be populating the world with my genes, no more.

The faith I may be able to pass on someday, if they ever accept Christ, will be eternal. Their lives will be with Him in heaven. We'll be reunited. Forever.

In the end, then, our wee legacies are forgotten. We're not important. Not significant. We'll be like buildings named after the first donor and then renamed decades later after a subsequent donor. But our faith, if we pass it on obediently, if we take the Great Commission seriously and tell people about Christ's death on the cross, WILL LIVE ON. Yes, faith lives. It keeps going. It moves around the world, from the faith-filled to the faith-filled. Long after we're gone, someone we impacted will be telling others about their faith, which was our faith, which was the faith of the person who told us about Jesus ... ad infinitum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lisa Wolf]

Q44. (John 15:4-5) What does it mean “to abide”? What does abiding have to do with “mutual indwelling”? With a “personal relationship”? What does Jesus mean when he says, “Apart from me you can do nothing”? What is the value of things done without Christ? What is the final end of things done without Christ?

Abide means stay with.  The description of 'abide' that Christ gives us in John 15 is certainly “mutual indwelling”; we can tell this especially when He says, “Apart from me you can do nothing”.  Jesus told us He only did what the Father told Him to do, and we should follow that example.  John 14:28, "so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me." Thus, abiding in terms of a personal relationship means staying together, walking together, working together.  Things done without Christ have no value and will be burned in the end.  Only eternal work lasts.

[Debra Grant]

Q44. (John 15:4-5) What does it mean “to abide”? What does abiding have to do with “mutual indwelling”? With a “personal relationship”? What does Jesus mean when he says, “Apart from me you can do nothing”? What is the value of things done without Christ? What is the final end of things done without Christ?

1. Continue to obey Jesus' teaching and receive his wisdom.

2. It is constant living together, sharing deepening relationship of love and obedience. 

3. Two are to stay and remain together. 

4. He means that spiritually if you do not have him, you can do nothing pertaining to a true relationship with him. We can do nothing of our own, we need him.

5. It is nothing because without him we will fail.

6. Death and destruction.

 

[t-c]

Q44. (John 15:4-5) What does it mean "to abide"? What does abiding have to do with "mutual indwelling"? With a "personal relationship"? What does Jesus mean when he says, "Apart from me you can do nothing"? What is the value of things done without Christ? What is the final end of things done without Christ?

To stay connected to; to keep Christ’s commandments.

To stay connected to, to share the same mindset, to be in step with. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus means that apart from Him I can’t do or produce anything of value for His Kingdom.

They have no value and are worthless.

They get burned up. 1Corinthians 13:11-15

[Katy]

On 10/31/2023 at 2:33 PM, t-c said:

Q44. (John 15:4-5) What does it mean "to abide"? What does abiding have to do with "mutual indwelling"? With a "personal relationship"? What does Jesus mean when he says, "Apart from me you can do nothing"? What is the value of things done without Christ? What is the final end of things done without Christ?

To stay connected to; to keep Christ’s commandments.

To stay connected to, to share the same mindset, to be in step with. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus means that apart from Him I can’t do or produce anything of value for His Kingdom.

They have no value and are worthless.

They get burned up. 1Corinthians 13:11-1

[Katy]

Q44. To abide means to be in a close relationship with Jesus. It is a relationship of closeness moment by moment. Jesus is abiding in me and I in Jesus is mutual in dwelling.To be abiding we must have a personal intimate relationship with Jesus. Without Jesus we are incapable of doing anything worthwhile. We cannot grow Spiritually, or become like Jesus unless we are following Him closely. Anything done apart from Christ has no value in eternity, we need to do things for Christ as only these things bring glory to him and will last. 

[Irmela]

Q44. (John 15:4-5)

What does it mean "to abide"?   To stay in a relation, to remain, to hold to, to tarry, to dwell, to live with, to lodge, to be intimately connected to, even receiving nourishment from.

What does abiding have to do with "mutual indwelling"?   It means agreeing to stay with or be with another and the other being with you.  Not dwelling alone but agreeably staying or remaining with or living with another one,  becoming a part of another,  the sharing  of a relationship.    

What does abiding have to do with a "personal relationship"?   We no longer live, as though alone, but share what we do or say with Christ, as if it is Christ that does or say it.  In this way it is personal.  I with or in Him and He in me.

What does Jesus mean when He says, "Apart from Me you can do nothing"?  I am utterly dependent on Him.  

What is the value of things done without Christ?   It has no lasting eternal value.

What is the final end of things done without Christ?  It will be burnt up, when tested with fire.  

[Nicolaas A.P. Mostert]

Q44. (John 15:4-5)

What does it mean "to abide"?

It means "stay," often in the special sense of "to live, dwell, lodge.

What does abiding have to do with "mutual indwelling"?

This mutual indwelling is part of the Father's relationship with the Son. The Father and Son are the exemplars of what our relationship is to be with Jesus constant living together, sharing a deepening relationship of love and (on our part) obedience. This is abiding.

With a "personal relationship"?

The Father and Son are the exemplars of what our relationship is to be with Jesus constant living together, sharing a deepening relationship of love and (on our part) obedience.

What does Jesus mean when he says, "Apart from me you can do nothing"?

A Person is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

You will only do things in natural strength.

What is the value of things done without Christ?

None.

What is the final end of things done without Christ?

We can do nothing without CHRIST. You do things in own strength. You can take your rest in CHRIST. 

[George L]

Q44. (John 15:4-5) What does it mean "to abide"? Take up permanent residence with. Become truly an adopted child of God who’s first born is Jesus, the Christ

What does abiding have to do with "mutual indwelling"? As an adopted child we need learn the ways of our new family.

With a "personal relationship"? Jesus, our first born brother is the prototype being of a very special ministry. The salvation of lost souls. We must absorbe his ways by relationship. Becoming one with His values, judgements in situations, ministry style.

What does Jesus mean when he says, "Apart from me you can do nothing"? We need understand that the word is absolutely true. Joh 2:25  And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. We need the Word’s understanding via the Holy Spirit or we can accomplish no good thing.

What is the value of things done without Christ? None at all for the kingdom of God.

What is the final end of things done without Christ? Being fruitless and worthy of being tossed into the fire pile.

[Sister Evelyn]

Q.44 (John 15:45) To abide in Christ is allowing His Word to fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections. To obey Christ and everything he taught. We abide coming to before God in prayer, Spending time with the Father by reading the Holy Scriptures. Trusting and depending on the Lord every day for everything. We must remember that it is His grace that sustains you and He is the one who causes your spiritual growth as you come to Him in trust and yield to Him.

Abiding have to do with mutual indwelling is love of God. 

A personal relationship with the Lord means at the end we may here "Well done,good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master.

Apart from me you can do nothing. No branch can bear fruit by itself...And every single one of our accomplishments is by the grace of God. We are nothing without Him.

Value of things done without Christ? There is no value. It is meaningless.

The final end of things done without Chris?  Is damnation!

[Zibuyile]

Q.44 Jesus said if you abide in Me , and  My word abide in you , you will ask everything  and it shall  be  done

We need to dwell in Him and let  His word  saturate us and we will not lack anything 

Mutual indwelling  , allowing  Christ to work in and within us

Without Jesus in our lives we are nothing , we are incomplete without Him ,His word will not  abide within us  without  Him 

There is no value of things done without Christ

[Old Jerry]

To abide means that we think of what Jesus would do in this kind of situation. We are always wanting to be pleasing to Jesus. We need to keep our heads in the bible. But when Jesus says “Apart from me you can do nothing” He is telling us that we will not be able to evangelize without him and bring Him some more fruit.