I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again today as it bears worth repeating: 

 If you are honest enough to admit that you just don’t always ‘want’...to abide in or with Jesus, then it is a pretty good indicator that you are holding on to something in your heart that you are not willing to give up. 

 And therein lies the reason why this Christian faith has not really ‘worked’ for you the way you thought, or were led to believe, it would. 

 When people came to Jesus inquiring...asking...seeking...the way to inherit this ‘eternal life’ He came preaching, are you aware of what His response to them was? He pointed them to the law. “What’s written in the law? What is your reading of it?” (Luke 10:25-26). When the young rich ruler came asking about eternal life and what good thing must he do to obtain it, Jesus told him to “keep the commandments”. (Matt. 19:17). To which the young man then asked: “Which ones?” (18) 

 That really is kind of a silly question if you think about it...’which ones’? What was he expecting Jesus to say, ‘just the even numbered ones’, or maybe...”You pick, but 7 out of 10 is passing”? 

 I’m fully aware that any kind of talk regarding the ‘law’ just causes all kinds of red flags and sirens to go off in us given all that we’ve been taught...or should I say ‘mistaught’. Everyone begins pulling out their ‘swords’ and tossing words around like ‘faith’ and ‘legalism’ and we don’t even understand what we are saying when we do that. 

 But may I remind you of a few things Paul wrote to us for our admonition. And for all he had to say about ‘by grace are we saved, through faith’, were you aware that he also wrote these following statements as well: 

 “For it is not the hearers of the law who are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.” (Rom. 2:13)

 “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.” (1 Cor. 7:19)

 “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” (Rom. 7:12) 

 “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law, or confirm and uphold the law.” (Rom. 3:31) 

 I bet you don’t hear those quoted often. 

 So just what is the ‘law’ and what all does it entail? Well, let’s go back and hear how that lawyer responded in Luke 10 when he came to quiz Jesus on how one might ’inherit eternal life’. That’s when Jesus redirected the question back to him asking him how he interpreted the law, which I suppose is a legitimate question to ask a lawyer. ;- ) 

 He answered: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind...and you neighbor as yourself.” (27). He was quoting that passage than any half-taught Jewish person would be familiar with from the Torah: “Hear, O Israel: ‘The Lord our God is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart...soul...strength...” (Deut.6:4-5). 

 It was, and continues to be, the ‘great commandment’. Jesus Himself affirmed this saying that on those two commandments hang all...the Law and the Prophets. (Matt. 22:35-40) And we know Jesus did NOT come to abolish or do away with...the law, either. (Matt. 5:17) 

 So what was Jesus’s response to the lawyer’s take on the law? He said: “You have answered correctly; DO THIS ...and you will live.” (Luke 10:28) 

 ‘Love God with ALL your heart...and you will be saved’, is what He essentially was telling him. Keep the law and it will go well for you. Funny...how in today’s modern church world, we offer up so many other recipes and formulas for folks to get ‘saved’. It’s like we are all building our own towers into heaven, speaking a different language, sort of like what went down at the tower of Babel back in Genesis 11. And we wonder why there is so much division and so many different churches out there. No wonder those on the ‘outside’ are so confused. 

 One group says ‘say this prayer’; another one says’ get immersed in water while we say these words, as the group down the street says we can just sprinkle you and you will be just fine. I even heard some insist if the one doing the baptizing in water is not actually IN the water with you as you go under, then the baptism is void and null. And of course many are taught that if you have not ‘spoken in other tongues’, then you are ‘not quite saved yet’. 

 Meanwhile....Jesus keeps it simple. Just love God with ALL your heart. And He will test it too. 

 Which brings us back to the importance of abiding in Jesus. Why would any sincere, born-again, believing...child of God... NOT...want to abide in Him continually? It goes back to the heart not being totally surrendered to Him. And we need to be reminded, if not told for the very first time....IF Jesus is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all. At least the Jesus that Paul preached in the NT. He also warned that many could and would be deceived and end up following ‘another Jesus’. (2 Cor. 11:2-4). So how would you know? 

 Well, let’s examine more scripture. To abide in Christ is to abide in His presence. And to be in His presence is life changing. It is also where one discovers the ‘fullness of joy’ that comes with being in His presence, not to mention freedom and liberty as well. (Acts 2:28; Ps. 16:11; 2 Cor. 3:17). And did I mention that ‘perfect peace that passes all understanding’ comes along with abiding in Him as well? (Isa. 26:3;Phil. 4:7) 

 I don’t want to sound like some ‘know-it-all’ here or as if I have it all ‘figured out’, but it’s pretty safe to say that if you are lacking perfect peace...and fullness of joy...and are still bound to certain sins, captive to various lusts of the flesh’, then you probably are not abiding in Jesus the way you could be. In other words, you are still a captive...and you don’t have to be. (John 8:34; 1 John 3:6) 

 Moses certainly understood the value and importance of abiding in God’s presence. Look at the exchange he had with God back on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 34. God told Moses: “I know you by name and you have also found grace in My sight...and My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” (12-14). To which Moses replied: “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” (15) 

 There is an interesting phenomena that takes place when anyone comes in to the presence of God...or at least, the God of the Bible and Jesus, who is the express image of the invisible God. (Col. 1:15) 

 Do you remember Peter’s first encounter with Jesus and ‘he saw’...? He fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8). When you find yourself in the presence of a holy God...you immediately become aware of your own sinful condition. Isaiah had something to say about this as well. (Isa. 6:5). 

 And yet...and yet there is a surreal awareness that if you are broken and humbled by this encounter, you also become aware of an unfathomable presence of mercy and love as well. No doubt, the ‘sinful woman’ we read about in Luke 7:36-50 bears this out as she felt safe...to come and weep tears, washing the feet of Jesus with them and then drying them with her hair. She was not there to make excuses for, nor to deny her sins. She came seeking healing and forgiveness and freedom. And guess what? She received all that, and more. She found salvation and that peace. (50) 

 That rich, young ruler, who also came and kneeled at Jesus’ feet in Mark 10:17, ended up walking away with nothing. Do you know why? When he came in to the presence of Jesus, his heart was exposed and even though he was offered the opportunity to surrender all...to Jesus, he turned and walked away. We are also told that he was sorrowful. (22). You might say he ‘walked the aisle’ that day, but it would not appear he got ‘saved’. 

 Friends...this is why Christianity has seemingly failed so many people today. For a host of reasons, we have come up short in ‘surrendering all’ to Him. Which means...we either give Him our whole heart and He becomes Lord of all, or He will not be Lord...at all. The outcome of that is we go back and continue to serve that ‘other master’ who held us captive. (Acts 26:18) And it need not be this way. But be forewarned...there are ‘other Jesuses’ out there...who are happy to take you in...have no problem with you continuing to remain carnal and sinful and then invite you to ‘run in and jump up into the lap of ‘Daddy God’ and think all is well with your soul. James had some strong words to say about that kind of belief and thinking. (3:10; 4:4,6-10) 

 It also goes without saying...’this gospel’ does not go over very well with the masses. In fact, Jesus said this path He came to lead us on was not well traveled, and rather narrow. (Matt. 7:13-14). And when He really began to teach what it meant to be a disciple of His, we are told that ‘many’ of those who were followers...grew offended and grumbled and said this was too hard. And they turned and walked with Him no more. (John 6:66)