Abiding In Christ Seminar

Abiding
in Christ

By

Dr. Norman Wise

Faith -> Love-> Follow

[Gal 5:6 NASB] 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

[Col 2:6-7 NASB] 6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted [and now] being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, [and] overflowing with gratitude.

[Eph 3:17 NASB] 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; [and] that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

[1Th 1:3 NASB] 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

Love Jesus and you will keep his commands

[Jhn 14:15, 21 NASB] 15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. ... 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."

Notes

No one has perfect faith, love, or obedience yet

Little Faith = Little Love

 Moderate Faith = Moderate Love

 Substantial Faith = Substantial Love

Perfect Faith = Perfect Love

Faith in Jesus

Faith Comes by Hearing – Romans 10:17

Jesus is 100% God

Jesus is 100% human

Jesus lived a perfect life

Jesus made a perfect payment for sins

Jesus was raised from the dead

Jesus is our high priest in Heaven

Jesus will return to manifest HIS kingdom

How to fall in love with Jesus

[Luk 7:44-50 NASB] 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 "You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." 48 Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." 49 Those who were reclining [at the table] with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this [man] who even forgives sins?" 50 And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Real Faith is to find wonder, beauty, and awe
so that we trust Messiah Jesus personally as our Hero Saving King!

                                                                         Notes            

Abide in the Vine

[Jhn 15:1-14, 17 NASB] 1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every [branch] that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so 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, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing

Abide is to Remain in a living faith Relationship with Christ Jesus

• Believe and keep on believing
• Preach the gospel to yourself
• Come boldly before the throne of Grace to get from the Living High Priest Jesus help in time of need
• Develop a friendship with Jesus by sharing your daily life with him
• Renew YOUR vows of commitment to Jesus in worship

Abide in the Vine

. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them,  and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and [so] prove to be My disciples. 9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and [that] your joy may be made full..

How do we make sense of this?

• We abide, believe and keep on believing in Messiah Jesus.  The just shall live by faith in Messiah Jesus.   This is to trust in HIS love for us.
• As we abide in HIM by moment by moment faith then we bear the fruit of HIS life in us which is gives us HIS love (The fruit of the Spirit)
• HIS LOVE in us leads us to obey HIS commands
• This result of our living relationship with HIM keeps always in a love relationship with HIM.
• This was the same relationship HE as a man had with the Father

Abide in my love

12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends if you do what I command you. ... 17 "This I command you, that you love one another

The Summary

[Gal 2:20 NASB] 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

The two realities found in the gospel

[Rom 6:5-7, 10-11 NASB] 5 For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [in the likeness] of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with [Him,] in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. ... 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6

• Jesus died for our sins
• Jesus was buried
• Jesus was raised from the dead
• Jesus now lives forever in glory
• Norm, the Son of Adam died with Jesus on the cross
• Norm, the Son of Adam was buried with Jesus
• Norm, the Son of Christ was raised when Christ with Christ
• Norm,  the Son of Christ was living with Christ and now can be an instrument of God on earth as the body of Christ

Practically How Does This Work

We Listen to Christ Speak

• Objectively the Written Word
• Subjectively Hearing the Shepherd’s Voice in the Word – (John 10:4)

We Speak To Jesus

• Objectively we speak to Jesus in
  • Adoration
  • Confession
  • Thanksgiving
  • Supplication
• Subjectively we listen to hear Jesus’ voice in the Spirit

Meeting Jesus in the Fellowship of the Body of believers

• Objectively going to worship and ministry meetings planned by the community of believers.
• Subjectively spending time with believers in all the various aspects of life

Suggested Reading

Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines by David Mathis  (Author), John Piper (Foreword)

Questions           

July 25th at 5:30 PM
Ending Bitterness