The other approach is to simply stay in
living contact with Jesus, and to focus on
cultivating union with Him. That's much
easier than legalism and it works a whole
lot better. It's a recipe for joy and victory
because it's the God-appointed method of
living the Christian life.
As believers, we're divinely designed to
live in union with Jesus!
We've been made one spirit with Him
through the new birth (1 Corinthians 6:17).
He's living on the inside of us through the
agency of the Holy Spirit. Our inner man
has been recreated in His likeness and
we've become partakers of His divine nature
(2 Peter 1:4).
Talk about having it made! We don't need
a bunch of religious rules to follow. We have
within us the Good Shepherd who said,
"My sheep hear my voice…and they follow
me" (John 10:27). We don't have to struggle
to keep a long list of laws, we're one with
Christ Himself. We just have to choose to
walk in that oneness.
The choosing is our part of the program.
As much as Jesus loves us and desires to
be involved in our lives, He won't make our
choices for us. He won't just barge in on us
and take over. That's not His style.
Jesus isn't a dominator like the devil
is. He waits for us to give place to Him.
He operates according to the principle in
James 4:8: "Draw nigh to God, and he will
draw nigh to you."
"But I don't know how to draw nigh to
God," someone might say.
It's simple. You just turn your heart and
mind toward Him in an attitude of faith
and obedience. You just acknowledge His
lordship and His presence and begin to
fellowship with Him by faith.
Wherever you are and whatever you're
doing, Jesus is right there. Day or night, no
matter what's happening, His Holy Spirit
is in you and with you, not even a breath
away. You don't have to wait until you get
B V O V
:
5
ABIDING
VINE
IN
THE
There are two
approaches
to living the
Christian life.
One is to follow
a set of rules:
to focus on
religious do's
and don'ts and
endeavor to live
by them. That's
called legalism,
and it's hard.
It's a recipe for
frustration
and failure.
by Gloria
Copeland
1
Through the
new birth you
have been
united to Jesus.
(1 Cor. 6:17,
NKJV)
2
Maintaining living
contact with Jesus
enables you to walk
in that oneness
and produce
the fruit of it.
(John 15:4)
3
If you don't stay in
contact with Jesus, you
will shrivel up spiritually
and become a victim of
the world instead of a
victor over it.
(John 15:6)
4
What you do
with God's Word
has everything
to do with your
abiding in Jesus.
(John 15:7)
5
When you make
abiding in Jesus
your top priority,
you can tap
into heaven's
resources.
(Matt. 6:33)
POINTS
TO GET
YOU
THERE:
