WORD LIFE BIBLE STUDY LESSONS

LIVERPOOL, UK.

Email: info@biblestudytutor.org

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ABIDING IN CHRIST
TEXT: 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”. (KJV)

“Ifyou live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in

you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall
be done for you” (AMPLIFIED)

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INTRODUCTION: Walking with God involves more than just coming to the
knowledge of Jesus and receiving Him as your Lord and Saviour. After we have
surrendered our lives, we need to continue in His word in spites of any persecution
or challenges of life that may come our way. The bible says it is those who endure to
the end that will be saved, not those who started the journey but gave up along the
way – [Mathew 10:22; 24:13]

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ABIDE?

1. to wait for
2. to endure without yielding
3. to bear patiently
4. to accept without objection
5. to remain stable or fixed in a state
6. to continue in a place

It is very important for you to understand that in order to live a godly life and be
fruitful in the Kingdom of God here on the earth, we will have to persistently
continue in our walk of faith, allowing God’s word to rule our minds and produce
fruit in our lives.
SURRENDING TO JESUS
A lot of people have come to accept Jesus today as their saviour for all kinds of
different reasons. However I like to say that it is one thing to wake one day and
surrender one’s life to Jesus it is another thing to remain a believer over a long
period of time, down the line after all the fanfare and in the face of persecution or
trials.

Sometimes it is possible to become emotional moved after listening to a sermon or

after some other person’s testimony, but it has not taken long for some to go back to
their old ways. That is not what Jesus meant when He said, “If ye abide in me, and my
words abide in you”. To “Abide”, means: “To stay put; “hang around”; “continue
steadfastly”.

There are 2 kinds of believers in the church today;

1. Seasonal believers
2. All-weather believers

Seasonal Believers
These are believers who serve God only when it is convenient for them. They only
come to God when they are in trouble or have a dire need, but once they receive
answer to their prayers they are gone. There are others who go come back to the
ways of the world the moment they are faced with a difficult or challenging situation
or are faced with some sort of persecution. Their walk with God is conditional.

John 6:59-66

“These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many

therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying;
who can hear it?

When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto
them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up
where he was before?

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak
unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe
not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and
who should betray him.
 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it
were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went
back, and walked no more with him.

Take time to read the preceding verses of scriptures to find out what Jesus preached
that made many of His disciples turn from following Him. Jesus taught them one of
the most powerful mysteries of the kingdom, but because it did not appeal to their
religious mentality or doctrines, they considered His teaching so controversial and
decided to walk away forgetting about how He meet their needs – healed many that
had sicknesses and diseases, delivered the demon-possessed and did all kinds of
miracles.

The word of God does not appeal to the religious and sensual mentality of man. That
you don’t understand what the word is saying does not mean it’s not true. God
word is forever true [John 17:17]. The word is God, and God cannot lie! [John 1:1,
Hebrews 6:18]. Romans 8:6, says, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:
for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in
the flesh cannot please God. God’s word cannot be understood by the un-renewed
mind.
The Amplified version says, “Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason
without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from
sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace
[both now and forever]. [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts
and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot.
So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of
their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.

Only believers who have renewed their minds [Romans 12:2], through studying and
meditating on the word can understand the things of the spirit. Carnal minded
Christians cannot understand or discern the spiritual things of God, therefore are
easily given in to arguments and heresies, being tossed to and fro by every wind of
doctrine [Ephesians 4:14].

All-weather Believers

These are committed and devoted believers. They follow Jesus not because of what
He can give them, but because of who He is! They are longsuffering, patient, and
endure during tough times or persecution. They will follow Jesus no matter what,
even if it means that they lose their own life – John 11:17, “Let us go that we may die
with Him”.

John 6:67-69

“Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon
Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of
eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the
Son of the living God.

The true disciples refused to abandon Jesus when all the other so-called disciples did.
They followed Jesus for who is, and not because of any other thing. Even though
they did not fully understand what He was teaching them at that time, they knew
that the words that came out of the mouth of Jesus was the word of life. They have
seen His words in action before. They slept and ate together with Him, they also
fellowshipped with Him everyday, not just when it was convenient for them or
needed something.

Why are you following Jesus?

A lot of people in the bible days, and even in these present times all have reasons for
following Jesus. Jesus rightly pointed this out in John 6:26:

“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek
me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves,
and were filled.

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which
endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you:
for him hath God the Father sealed.

So ask yourself. Why am I really following Jesus? Is it because of what I can get, or
because of who He is? If He did not meet my needs will I still follow Him? It is only
through fellowship that we can truly know God, and those know Him will stay with
Him no matter what, even if their lives depended on it.

It is the word of God that gives us the strength we need to endure and carry on, even
when others are giving up, or falling away from the faith.

Luke 8:12-13

“Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh
away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on
 the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these
have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away”.

These verses of scripture, is from the “Parable of the Sower” which Jesus taught in
Luke chapter 8. From this parable you will learn that the key to abiding in Christ is
the word of God in your heart. You have to guard your heart jealously from all the
lies of the devil and the philosophies of men.

Continually abide in Him, and let His word dwell in you richly [Col 3:16], being
rooted and grounded in His love [Eph 3:17].

Compiled by:

David Odunaiya
Bible Tutor