Abide In God

[original text in italics]

A believer can get so focused in learning the scriptures and striving to overcome, that he loses track of his first priority. The priority is to always be in communion with God. The Lord is our focus, adoration, and point of contact for everything at all times. We should always be in fellowship with the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit:

JOHN 15:4-11 (Jesus said) Abide [remain, stay] in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

We should spend more time getting to know the Father than we do other people and we should see ourselves with him at all times. We are in the heavenly places with the Father, sitting next to Jesus in his Kingdom (see section We Are Seated With Christ). We function from there in relationship with the Father and we are to converse face to face with him.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4,6-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice… do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests [petitions, demands] be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God knows what we need. So why do we need to make our requests known to him? Because we are in fellowship. It’s about relationship. We talk to other people about our life and we develop relationships with the brethren. How much more should we talk to God about our life and communicate with him as a real person. To make known to God means that we commune with him and talk about matters such as:

our Father’s Kingdom business
good works we, his sons and daughters, are faithfully involved in
the things God has given us charge over
commands we have released to advance his will and Kingdom
demands we have placed on this world to perform for us
plans we make and paths we are taking
personal growth and maturity
the edification of our brothers and sisters in Christ
all that we are involved in to bring God glory and honor

We must see ourselves in the Kingdom positioned with Christ and talking on the same plane with our Father. We do not make ourselves equal to him, as he is our God and we honor, worship, and reverence him. But he made us in his image and likeness and he wants us to talk and act like mature sons and daughters. We must see ourselves with his power and authority at our disposal. We don’t need permission to do what he has already told us to do (i.e. be fruitful, have dominion, cast out demons, etc). We walk in his authority and power and his commands have within them the leading of the Spirit. As we function from our heavenly position with God and commune with him, he speaks to us regarding life and godliness and matters like:

bearing good fruit
love and character
his knowledge, understanding, and wisdom
additional insight we need for victory
things to repent
walking in maturity
doing things right so our efforts are by him and for him
how to pray for his people

Let us stop reading and learning about God and let us start being with him and knowing him. We don’t read the Word to learn about God as if he is distant. Instead we come into his presence, fellowship with him, and know him. Therefore, as we read the Word, we hear him speak over us in Spirit and in truth.

The more our mind is renewed to God’s truths and we successfully function in these truths, the deeper our fellowship is with him. It is similar to the relationship we have with our natural children. We have different levels of fellowship with our kids as they grow up from being babies to toddlers to teenagers to adults. Even in adulthood, there should be growth and an increasing level of fellowship that comes from maturity.

Therefore, a believer experiences a deeper and fuller relationship with the father as he matures in God’s truths such as righteousness, dominion, godliness, and many others discussed on this website. If the believer lacks truth in an area, it limits his level of understanding and fellowship. Fellowship is not only about love, it’s also about knowing the Father’s ways, functioning in his Kingdom, and doing his will.

1 JOHN 2:3-6 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

As we constantly abide in God and have true fellowship with him, we bear good fruit (see above JOHN 15:4-11). Also, the more we abide in God and live our life for him, the more it shows that we truly worship him:

ROMANS 12:1-2 …present your bodies as a living sacrifice [offering], holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship [service]. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove [prove through testing] what is that good and acceptable [well-pleasing] and perfect will of God.

Much of the following sections are about overcoming the old self (old nature). As you read them, know that your success depends on being in constant communion with God and doing his will. Being in fellowship with him as you establish his Kingdom will prove to be fruitful.

Since the foundational scriptures for the following sections are in this website’s previous topics, you should have a good understanding and revelation of these prior to reading on.