John 15:4-4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”
This is a follow up to my blog post on 03/21/2021 which encouraged us to have a loving relationship with God and to do so consistently. This current blog expands on that topic by reflecting on the importance of living a consistent Christian life. We all understand that Christianity was named after the Lord Jesus Christ because the apostles and disciples modelled their life after His teachings and the people of Antioch in Syria noticed this and called them Christians- followers of The Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 11:19-30. Therefore, living a consistent Christian life here means living according to the Word of God and principles espoused by the Lord Jesu and not living according to a particular individual’s definition of Christianity which many people are currently doing to entice people after their own teaching and not after the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus warned us that in the last days many false prophets shall arise and deceive many and because wickedness shall be the order of the day, the love of many shall grow cold but he who endures to the end shall be saved. Mathew 24:9-13. Living a consistent Christian life is meaningful when you do it according to the teaching of the Lord Jesus.
In today’s Christianity, we have many people telling us what we should believe and with the explosion of social media, the internet and You Tube, many people have the opportunity to teach their own gospel and tell us how we should live our lives. Many of those teachings are departures from the word of God and have watered down the word of God to accommodate their own philosophy, gain fame, prestige, celebrity lifestyle, money, endorsements, and the accolades of men as pointed out by these scriptures:
1stTimothy 4:1-2 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot ironâ€
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
1st Timothy 6: 3-5; 3 If any man teaches otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness; from such withdraw thyself.”
However sincere and genuine preachers of the word still abound, and you can only find them if you(yourself) are genuinely seeking a loving relationship with the lord Jesus Christ and not seeking some preacher who endorses your sinful lifestyle or seeking a magic fix for your problems.
The Bible teaches in 2nd Timothy 4:3 that a time shall come when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.
However, there is nothing wrong in coming to the Lord Jesus to help you with your problems, the only problem is that you might just come to get that help and discard God, the Helper. People love the gifts but not the giver because they are afraid to commit to a Godly life in Christ Jesus and that is why many false prophets who do miracles with false powers have a large followership, manipulate and defraud people. Also when a genuine preacher departs from preaching the true gospel of our Lord Jesus, we are should stop following that preacher. Galatians 1:8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.
God loves you and wants to have a loving relationship with you and He wants to answer your prayers also; but remember that if you gain the whole world and lose your soul it profits you nothing and what will you give in exchange for your soul?. Mathew 26:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?†Therefore, our Lord Jesus encourages you to seek him first, know him, have a loving relationship with Him and His blessings will be available to you. He will equally give you the strength to continue to love and live for him.
By abiding in the word of God, studying, and prayerfully applying it consistently without being ashamed of what people will say, you will live a consistent lifestyle, bear fruit at the same time and the Lord Jesus said that He will answer your prayers according to His will.
Abide in the Lord Jesus and His Word:
John 15:7 ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.’
1: How to abide in the Lord Jesus: Abiding in the Word -Study His Word
Abiding in the Lord entails knowing Him personally as your Lord and personal savior and making everything about Him your priority. Abide in His word by studying the word of God the Bible where the Lord Jesus revealed His principles. By studying the word of God, you will know when a preacher or another Christian is departing from the word and being manipulative. 2 Timothy 2:15 states “ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.†Most of us that call our selves Christians are deceived because we do not know the word and therefore will be easily deceived by someone purporting to be a preacher of the word who is twisting the scriptures to satisfy his or her selfish agenda. Therefore, it is important that you study the Bible because it is the manual of the Christian faith and the Holy Spirit will help you understand it better. If you read the manual of a product to know how to operate or use it, how then can you not read the word of God the Bible to know how to navigate the Christian faith and ward off false prophets that want to prey on you?
Purchasing a physical Bible is preferable as against electronic instruments that contain the scriptures.
Study small portions of scripture verse by verse daily. As physical food keeps you alive and healthy so studying and digesting the word of God by the help of the Holy Spirit keeps you spiritually alive and healthy. Digest it and learn what the word of God is encouraging you to do in that instance-drop a sinful lifestyle, acquire a virtue, be more compassionate and less self-serving, help the poor and those in need around you and afar off, apply wisdom in dealing with people etc. Ask yourself if the sin exposed in that passage is a reflection of yourself or if it is a virtue that God wants you to incorporate in your life. If you are in doubt, prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit and He will help you to understand it because He is our Helper. John 14:26; But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Discuss with other believers who are genuinely seeking the Lord. The Lord knows those genuinely seeking him and he will help direct you to the right church, fellowship etc when you prayerfully ask Him. Remember that the Lord sent Peter to Cornelius the gentile because he was genuinely seeking the Lord. Do not join a church because everyone is going there, and you want to be cool. Go to a church that genuinely feeds you spiritually-preaches repentance from sin and endorsees a godly lifestyle. A church that does not endorse sin but at the same time has genuine compassion for sinners and wants to see them come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus by praying for the will of God to be done in their life and preaching to them. The will and desire of God is that all men will come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus for He does not delight in the death of sinful men but wants them to come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his way and live? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore, turn yourselves, and live ye.”-Ezek. 18:23,32. The Lord Jesus exemplified all the above principles during his life on earth and reading the word will help you understand the balanced Christianity the Lord Jesus taught and will help you depart from shallow Christianity which is the order of the day in our current Christian experience.
When an emergency occurs or your situation changes that might interrupt your consistent bible study with your physical Bible, still find a way to study maybe use your phone, etc and study the word because we are always with our phone and God knows such situation and will help you.
2: How to abide in The Lord Jesus: Applying the Word-Live His Word and continue in prayer
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
We all understand that the only way to achieve a healthy weight goal is to workout consistently and be on a healthy diet and the results of our effort will become evident. We also know that this is true in all areas of life and in our Christian experience also. Therefore, do not be discouraged by laxity in Christianity all around you.
Hunger and Long for a close relationship with God.
Hunger to live a Godly life no matter what society dictates, and you are doing this to bring glory to God your father and not for you to be called a good person. If it is about the opinion of men, you will be trapped in seeking to please men and will not be able to please God. This is because in most cases the will of God in particular situations might go against widely held societal standards and you must choose God’s glory and not man’s favor.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 – But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
Proverbs 29:25 – The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
Colossians 3:23 – And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Determine to live for the Lord Jesus at all times and take one step at a time and with every small opportunity apply the word of God. From baby steps you graduate to giant leaps of faith. Remember that it is not an automatic mechanical process but a gradual process with the assistance of the Holy Spirit in loving obedience to God. When you ask God to help you live for Him, He will do it because you are asking according to do His will. And take practical steps as a human being to live for Him. When you are hungry, you take steps to cook or order food to eat. In the same way take practical steps to eat your spiritual food. Matthew 4:4“But he answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.†Be doers of the word and not hearers only. (James 1:22)
For instance, ask God to help you put away sexual immorality, anger, and evil words. Once a situation arises that will tempt you to become angry and say evil words, excuse yourself and leave the place instead of bursting out in anger and showing how you cannot be intimidated. There is a place for valid anger though. Ask God for self-control against sexual immorality and do not allow yourself to be in a place that will put you in danger of such things like in a solitary place with the opposite sex, clubs, pornographic materials etc. If possible, prayerfully seek professional help also.
Keeping Malice, unforgiveness-prayerfully ask God to help you to forgive and continue to pray even if you do not feel like it and take steps towards forgiveness.
Prayerlessness, lack of studying the word-Start with baby steps even one verse a day well studied will help and pray daily whether you feel like it or not.
Develop your personal time with God and fellowship with other likeminded Christians also because the Bible encouraged us not to forsake the assembly of one another. Hebrews 10:25. You need the support, encouragement and correction of likeminded believers.
3: How to abide in The Lord Jesus: Pray and Receive answers to your prayers as you continue in His word and live for Him.
John 15:7 ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
This subtitle does not mean that God does not answer any prayers that He chooses whether from a Christian or non-Christian and does not depend on whether we are sinful or not. He has the executive privilege to answer any prayers as he chooses. Mathew 5: 44-45.
However, the Lord Jesus teaches us that for Christians, answered prayer is a continuous privilege predicated on the condition of the 1st part of the above verse and God with His executive privilege chooses how and when to answer our prayers because He knows best. Sometimes the answer can come immediately spontaneously, can be delayed, or answered in a different manner. And might not be answered at all because we might not be able to handle the gift at the time; or it is not God’s will for us or because we are asking with wrong motives. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4:3 (NASB). 1 John 5:14 -15 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
God knows best and His will in particular situations we are asking for, is best because His thoughts for us are always thoughts of good and not of evil to lead us to the expected end. His will is revealed in His word, by the Holy Spirit helping our understanding and God working in complicated situations to bring His will to pass. When you develop a loving relationship with God through prayer and the word, it will help you to submit to God and accept these different dimensions of answers to prayers because you understand that He has your best interest at heart and whatever He allows will be for your own good and to the glory of His Holy name. It might perplex you initially but later in the global context of things, you will thank God for answers to your prayers according to His will. The submission of the Lord Jesus is an especially important example for us to follow. Luke 22:42: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (NIV)
Prayer, therefore, is a powerful tool in communicating with the Almighty God. Develop a consistent prayer life. Fasting and prayer is a good combination that helps your spiritual growth. Mark 9:29 “And he said unto them, this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.†Because we are giving off food or something that we love to focus on God, fasting puts our heart in the right spiritual framework to receive what God has for us.
Pray without ceasing because you can pray audibly in an undisturbed place and silently in the most crowded circumstance and in every situation, you can lift your heart to God in prayer. But having a time and place dedicated to prayer is extremely helpful. The Lord Jesus consistently took out time to pray and we can learn from Him to do so as well. “And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed.†(Mark 1:35)
When we are starting out initially, we might be wondering how to start, what to pray about and you might feel that you are not good enough, but you are coming in the name of the Lord Jesus not in your own righteousness. Start and take it one day at a time, but consistently doing it is the key. Have a day and a place set out- Use your own mouth to praise and worship God with songs you already know and worship genuinely whether you feel it or not. It is not a performance or emotionalism. You can feel emotional that is still okay, but that is not a sign that you are praying, and God is hearing you. Use Christian worship songs also but, because you are on the internet avoid being tempted to abandon the prayer you came to do and end up watching a film whether it is a Christian film or not. The principle is that you came to commune with God and develop a relationship with Him. Pray for yourself, family, other people, your church, nation and God can also place specific things in your heart to pray about which you never thought about.
Consistent prayer is extremely important because it brings us closer to God as we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus and assistance of the Holy Spirit. Because prayer is communicating with God, it helps us develop a loving relationship with him. Through Prayer and study of God’s word, God gives us Godly perspective on different issues which helps change our original perspective and helps us conform to it assisted by the Holy Spirit who transforms our heart. Transformation of our hearts by the Holy Spirit helps us conform to God’s will and sometimes God changes the circumstances we are praying about themselves in answer to our prayers.
Through prayer, you receive strength to avoid temptation and add Godly virtues to your life which pleases God.
4: How to abide in The Lord Jesus: Abide in the word, in prayer, live for Him and Bear Fruit.
John 15:4-4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Branches of trees bear fruit and from the fruit on branches, you know what the tree is. Do you notice that the tree itself does not bear fruit but provides the medium necessary for the branch to bear fruit? So, bearing fruit is an evidence of our abiding in Christ and consistently living for the Lord. A branch which does not bear fruit is cutoff from the tree and that which bears fruit is pruned to bear more fruit. John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
As we continue to abide in the Lord Jesus, we start bearing fruits of the Holy Spirit and as we stir up the gifts of God in us, we bear fruits also that remain to the glory of God.
Fruits of the Spirit:
The fruit of the spirit is an evidence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us as believers in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:13 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spiritâ€
The Bible says that when we abide in Christ, we will bear fruits of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:16-25 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. â€
Gifts of the Spirit AKA Spiritual Gifts:
God gives each of us different gifts that we operate in to help the body of Christ fulfil its mission on earth. Ephesians 4:11-12 ; 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
1 Corinthians 12:1-15:
1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,†and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,†except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Paul encouraged Timothy not to neglect the gift of God in him.1st Timothy 1:6-7 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Prayerfully stir up the gift that the Holy Spirit in you has given to you. It can be by laying on of hands of the pastor of your local church or your spiritual leader. However, do not allow anyone to be laying hands on you recklessly. You can stir up the gift of God in you through prayer and all we have studied above and use the gifts to play your part in building up the body of Christ in your local church and wherever God will want to use you. It is particularly important to preach the word of God to unbelievers and this is the great commission the Lord Jesus gave to all Christians. Matthew 28:16-20 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.â€
Remember that we are called to be witnesses of the lord Jesus. Acts of the Apostle 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.†Be His witness by preaching the gospel of salvation of our Lord Jesus, bearing fruits of the Spirit, and operating in the gifts of the spirit and all these we do so that the name of our father in heaven will be glorified.
