Are You Abiding In Him?
“Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” 1 John 2:24 NKJV
Abiding is a word that John frequently uses in both his gospel and here in 1 John. He often speaks of God abiding or dwelling in us. It is a comforting thought to know that Jesus abides or dwells within us. However, this verse ends with the suggestion that we can abide or dwell in the Lord. We know that He abides or dwells in us, but how can we dwell in Him? We don’t often think of us abiding in Him. In fact, we might not even be sure how that could be.
Our next thought is that this must just be a form of imagery because we cannot fathom dwelling in Him. But this is more than an image! You can abide in Him. As a born again believer in Jesus He abides in you. at your conversion you were made a new creation and your spirit which had been dead was made alive again and His very Spirit now dwells permanently in your spirit. Jesus dwells in us always but that does not mean that we always abide or dwell with Him. This is a matter of choice for us. Verse 24 speaks of what you heard from the beginning abiding in you. That is referring to the gospel message, the beginning of “knowing” Jesus.
If I want to abide in Jesus, I do that as I chose to be with Him, spending time with Him by being in His Word and being with Him in prayer. Jesus is always abiding in me, that never changes. But that does not mean I am always with Him. I have to make that choice daily. Abiding in Him is not just an image either. It is a firm reality in the spiritual world. You are actually with Jesus in the spiritual realm even though you cannot perceive it with your natural senses. Look at what it says in Ephesians 2:6.
“And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” Amplified Bible
In the spiritual realm, which we cannot see, you are as a believer seated with Him right now in the heavenly sphere because you are IN Christ Jesus (because you are dwelling in Him). This is your privilege. Choose to be with Him, to dwell and abide in Him. This is where you have the right to be as one of His own. You have joint seating with Him in all of His victories.
He always abides and dwells within us. Choose today and every day to abide in Him and take your seat with Him today in the victory of the spiritual realm with Jesus.
J Todd Hostetler