The abiding relationship between God and the believer must be a constant meditation in the mind of the Christian. So often, the Christian can set out to conquer the world, much like Peter, in his own strength. Peter was a valiant man who did much good. He was the leader of the disciples, but when his time of testing came, he crumbled. But why?
Peter trusted in his own strength and thus was a self-confident man. Likewise, the Christian must fight against self-confidence in his endeavor to be God-confident. Self-trust runs deep, often hindering the Christian from living the crucified life that Jesus called him to.
Nevertheless, the abiding relationship between God and the Christian is often misunderstood. Some would believe that the abiding relationship is always a reality since the believer has been united with Christ and sealed with the Spirit of God. This type of belief is only partially true.
The other group tends to place too much emphasis on personal performance and thus diminishes the work of God in the abiding relationship. So where does the Christian stand? In reality, there must be a combination of the two thoughts, God’s work and man’s responsibility.
God’s work and man’s responsibility are emphasized greatly in the Scriptures. For instance, the Christian must be righteous before God. So what did God do as a result? God sent His Son Jesus to live out the law and apply His righteous life to the believer’s account. Thus, the believer is seen as righteous before God because of the righteousness of Christ. However, does the work stop there? Absolutely not.
The Christian is then commanded to walk in what has been granted to him. In other words, the Christian is told to act righteous and embrace his position. The same can be said about his abiding relationship with God. God has moved first, and the Christian is called to respond to God’s activity. The only way for the Christian to experience the abundant life that the Bible speaks of is to respond to God’s activity and walk in his position.
But first, the Christian must understand His position in his abiding relationship.
The indwelling Spirit
First, the Bible speaks of the Christian abiding in God through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence is commonly known. Scripture says, “Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of the Spirit” (KJV, 1 John 4:13). The Spirit has been given to the believer so that the believer will abide in God. John does not insert personal performance here to dictate the believer’s abiding relationship.
The believer must realize that he is currently abiding in God, and God is in him. However, this does not mean he is reaping many benefits of his abiding relationship. To benefit from his position, he must learn to embrace his abiding relationship by faith first and foremost.
Elsewhere the Bible says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). The Bible states in many passages that the Holy Spirit inhabits the believer. Here one can see that the believer is equated with the temple of the Old Testament.
The Old Testament temple is where God dwelled between the cherubim’s wings. However, God was not ultimately concerned with dwelling in a temple as some external Deity with external worship. Instead, God desired to sit upon the throne of man’s heart and reign within. Thus, the Holy Spirit was given. The Christian is not his own. He has been bought with a price. God dwells within, so the Christian must learn to glorify God and cleanse the temple.
The Spirit of the Lord
Not only does the Holy Spirit abide with the believer, but so does Jesus. Unfortunately, the abiding relationship of Christ is less known among believers, although there is not total ignorance. Either way, the abiding relationship between Christ and the believer is not talked about enough. So often, practical teaching falls flat because it has no doctrinal dynamic.
If someone reads Paul’s epistles, he will see that Paul gave many commands. However, when someone desires to grow in holiness, he is often misguided in his attempts when he focuses too much on the commands themselves. The thinking is not evil or sinful, but the ignorant believer is off track.
The believer should not disregard the commands, but he should have his foundation right before focusing too heavily on them. For instance, Romans 1-11 are almost entirely doctrine. The chapters tell of the sin of man and the work of Christ to rescue the believer from sin’s consequences. The chapters partly speak of justification, reconciliation, and union with Christ.
The believer’s position is established before Paul gets to the practical application in Romans 12 and onward. Paul’s approach was not coincidental. It was also the approach of Christ.
For instance, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman” (John 15:1). Jesus’ teaching is foundational, and it is how He begins His discourse of the Vine and the branches.
Jesus goes on to say, “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” (John 15:4). If one is not careful, he may read too much of man’s responsibility into the text, for Paul has said, “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Rom. 6:5). The believer has been planted into Christ through the Spirit of the Lord.
Thus the position of the believer’s abiding relationship has been established. However, after the foundation is laid, the believer is told, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:10). The abiding relationship flourishes through the believer’s obedience.
Nevertheless, the believer must be reminded of Paul’s words, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Paul died, and Christ took over. Paul laid hold of this reality by faith. Then and only then did Christ manifest Himself in greater measure through Paul. So must the believer become aware of Christ within, lay hold of it by faith, and trust Christ to do what only He can do.
The Spirit of the Father
Finally, the Father also dwells in the believer. This final point is often missed in the believer’s thinking. However, Jesus prayed, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us…” (John 17:20-21). The reality of the believer’s abiding union is that God is with him.
In the Old Testament, the people of God were made strong by the promises of God. God promised, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Jos. 1:5). The Israelites won many battles, but only when God was with them. When the foundation of God’s abiding presence is laid, the believer can step out in faith and live a life of victory.
Final prayer
Father, I pray that You would open my eyes to behold my abiding relationship more clearly. I see how I must walk in my abiding relationship to experience its rich benefits. Still, it is also essential for me to understand my position based on the work You have already done. Teach me what it means that Jesus is the Vine, and I am the branch. Please help me to understand the implications of being a temple of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.