How can a person know, I mean truly....know...if they are actually abiding in Jesus?

It really is a legitimate question for one to ask themselves. So...how do you know if you are? You say you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and was raised from the dead? Great. Demons believe that and they tremble. (James 2:19)

Oh, but you recall that day that you truly ‘called on the name of the Lord’ and ‘asked Him into your heart’? That sounds like a memorable experience if you remember the time and place of that day. But that does not mean you are abiding in Him. Jesus said that “not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven...but those who do the will of the Father...” (Matt. 7:21)

You got baptized in water, you say? That is a good thing to do, for sure. Why, you might have even gone ‘full throttle’ (Pentecostal) and were also baptized in the Holy Spirit and ‘spoke in tongues’ like they were on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). But that does not mean you are abiding in Him. (1 Cor. 13:1). You can actually ‘speak in the tongues of men and angels’, but if you are not bearing the fruit of God’s kind of love, then you are nothing more than ‘sounding brass and clanging cymbals’. His words, not mine.

So you ‘joined the church’, work in various help ministries and even teach a Sunday school class; not to mention tithe and support missionaries with your finances. Nobody is faulting you for that. But it should be clearly understood...that does not equate with ‘abiding’ in Jesus. Why “many...will come in that day saying...But Lord, we did all these things...in Your name...and He will declare to them that He never...knew them.” (Matt. 7:22-23).

“I. Never. Knew. You.”

Does Jesus ever clarify who the ones are that He actually ‘knows’? Well, He does, as a matter of fact. You might go underline John 10:27. That’s where He was talking about His ‘sheep’, and everyone likes to point out that verse (28) as they reassure themselves that ‘nothing can snatch them from the Father’s hand’. But He’s talking about His sheep there and says rather plainly: “My sheep hear My voice...and I know them....and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)

“They. Follow. Me.”

That’s what a disciple does...they ...follow. “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do the things I ask?”...Jesus asked them in one place. (Luke 6:46)

For all the times you may have quoted, fondly, the 23rd Psalm, has it ever dawned on you that this wonderful Shepherd does indeed want to lead us to ‘green pastures and still waters’...but.... we have to follow Him given He ‘leads us in the paths of righteousness’? (23:3)

“Oh, well nobody can really do that all the time because of our sinful nature.”

May I ask...’who told you that?” (Gen. 3:11)

God asked that question of Adam and Eve because clearly, they had been deceived by the serpent there in Genesis 3. Paul would later write expressing concern for the church brethren that if they were not careful, they too...could be deceived just as Eve was. (2 Cor. 11:3)

And before you are too quick to pop up and claim with bold confidence that You, of all people, could never be deceived like that...Did Jesus not warn of widespread deception in the last days and that even the ‘very elect’ could be deceived if it were possible? (Matt. 24:4-5,11,23-24)

Do you realize just how the deceiver actually slips in and...deceives? It usually begins with a question...to cast a little doubt...on what God says. You should be familiar with Genesis 2:17 and 3:1 by now. “Has God really said...?”

When Paul was advising Timothy about being on watch for deceivers and those advocating unsound doctrines and teachings, he pointed out how they have an unhealthy craving for ‘controversial questions and disputes about words’. (1 Tim. 6:3-5 NASB). You know...those silly questions that really don’t have clear answers so as to ‘throw people off’. You’d be surprised how often we hear those, if not ask them ourselves.

I used to think I was being funny...when I’d ask students if they thought Adam and Eve had belly-buttons. There was another question I use to pose....again, thinking I was being clever, and would begin by asking: “Do you believe God can do anything?” And of course, the obvious question is ‘Yes, God can absolutely do anything!” Then, I would follow up asking: ‘Can God create a rock so huge that He is unable to move it?” That’s when I’d see eyes of confusion begin swimming. Truthfully though...as clever as I thought I might have sounded ...I don’t think God was amused when I asked that question.

So here’s one of those ‘questions’ we like to toss up when we get uncomfortable when God makes a clear and bold statement that leaves little ‘wiggle room’ – “Can a person not be...a disciple...as in not really ‘abide’ in Jesus...and still be...’saved’? And sure enough, there are those who will rush...to reassure those who begin wondering that...that they are indeed, ‘saved’. I’m going to sidestep that one for today and just hope that we can all agree with this: IF... one is truly abiding in Jesus, they are in a very good place when it comes to being comforted with knowing they are indeed ‘being saved’.

Perhaps the question that needs to be asked of a person who is questioning that...is “why would you NOT...want to abide in Jesus?”

Which takes us back to the question I asked at the start here today: “How do you know if you are?”

When we read the word ‘abide’, it means to ‘continue’ or ‘remain’. I think this is a good point to underscore – When Jesus claims to be the ‘Door’ (John 10:9) I don’t think He had a ‘revolving’ door in mind when He used that illustration.

So when a person truly comes to Jesus with all their heart...having ‘counted the cost’ and are willing to lay down their old lives, take up their cross and follow Jesus...enduring till the end’, the idea here is they don’t do this on a part-time basis or when they feel like it or when it is convenient. (Luke 14:25-33; 9:23; Matt. 24:13)

When you are abiding in Jesus...you sign on for “full time”. And why...do we keep circling back to place so much emphasis on this idea of ‘abiding in Jesus’? Well, for good reason.

You cannot bear fruit unless you abide in Him. (John 15:4).

And fruit matters. (Matt. 3:10; 7:19; Luke 13:3-6)

Without abiding in Jesus, you ‘can do nothing’. (John 15:5)

IF...anyone does not abide in Him, he is ‘cast out as a branch and is withered and eventually gathered up and thrown in to the fire like dried up , fruitless limbs’. (John 15:6)

So how can one know if they are abiding in Him? Jesus answers that for us: “They bear much fruit.” (John 15:5)

“By this, My Father is glorified that you bear Much fruit...proving you are My disciples.” {John 15:8}

Oh, one of the distinguishing factors about this ‘much fruit’ that is born- it’s not seasonal fruit. It actually ‘remains’. (John 15:16)

One of the reasons Jesus shares these truths with us is so that His joy will remain in us and that our joy might remain full. (John 15:11; Ps. 16:11)

Need another specific ‘marker’ or ‘indicator’ as to whether you are abiding in Him? How’s this one: “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. This is My commandment- that you love one another... AS I HAVE LOVED YOU!” (John 15:10,12)

That probably explains why John would later write that ‘whoever claims to abide in Him ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked.” (1 John 2:6). Then, shortly after adding this caveat: “Whoever abides in Him does not sin.” (1 John 3:6)

I know...that quickly escalates to becoming problematic for so many people. So let me ask this question of you in closing: Instead of getting defensive and offended by such talk and then wanting to obsess on more ‘controversial questions’...why not just allow God’s word to speak for itself...and then as you assess your own heart and walk and conclude that just maybe...in spite of all the things you have done, believed, been taught and thought...that just maybe...you have not been truly abiding in Him. Nothing wrong with allowing the ‘mirror of God’s word’ to speak for itself. Then agree with it and Him. Once you do that...then maybe God will open your eyes further and take you deeper and reveal to you...just how...one can truly do this.

I mean...what have you got to lose?