30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 14 25-33 The cost of discipleship 14 Abiding in Him
📖 Luke 14:25-33
05Jan2020 - *Abiding in Him* - _Luke 14:25-33_ - Bible reading: _John 15:4-6_
_John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed._
We need a constant reminder that we cannot be Christ’ disciples by our own strength. We will fail miserably if we try to do so. Discipleship is a walk in the Holy Spirit.
We understood the first requirement to be a disciple of Christ, when Jesus said that we have to hate our loved ones. We then looked at the second requirement, which is to hate our life. The third requirement to be a disciple of Jesus is to deny the self. The fourth is to take up our cross daily. The fifth is to follow Him.
We will now look at the sixth requirement to be a disciple of Jesus, which is to *abide in Him* or in His word.
Abiding in Jesus or in His word, is about intimacy with God, where obedience in bundled in. We cannot have an intimate relationship with Jesus, without obeying His word.
_John 6:66-69 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. (67) Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" (68) But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (69) Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."_
Simon Peter has explained this relationship with Jesus, so beautifully. Where else can we go to, other than to Jesus? The usual response for us in life is to go from stimulus to response. Life is full of various types of stimuli. What we do is to rush from stimulus to response and this habit keeps repeating. What we need to do in life is to rush to Jesus and allow His word to be a part of us. In Him and in His word, we will find life in all its fullness.
Repeatedly the Lord is calling us to abide in Him. _John 15:4-6 *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*. (5) "I am the vine, you are the branches. *He who abides in Me, and I in him*, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (6) If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned._
We must decide to stay rooted and grounded in Jesus. _Colossians 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister._
*Thought to ponder*
```What else is there in life, other than to abide in Jesus?```