I would like to begin with a question today for your consideration: Why would any sincere ‘believer’ and ‘professing follower’ of Jesus...not want to abide in Him...ALL of the time?

I will actually address the possible answer(s) to that, tomorrow...Lord willing. For today, I sense a need to address a few helpful (hopefully) distinctions as to what one may experience when they are indeed abiding in Jesus. I have said all along that we ‘church’ folks tend to place more emphasis on being ‘saved’ than we do on the importance of what it means to abide in Jesus. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:4-5). That is the only way genuine, lasting fruit can be produced, proving that we are His disciples indeed. (John 15:6-8,16)

But let me be clear up front, as clear as the word of God is: IF...we are abiding in Jesus, we will be walking as He walked (1 John 2:6) and we will not continue to practice sin. (1 John 3:6-9; 5:18). And instead of instinctively rejecting that truth, as you seek to dismiss it, or find some person ‘smarter’ than you who can assure you that does not really mean what it says...just come to terms with it and agree that it is there in God’s word for all the world to see...even though for the life of you, you have no idea how anyone can truly live and walk like this. That’s God’s part...to not only show you how these things can be, He’s the One who will empower you with His grace to do it.

Abiding in Jesus will be clearly marked by a peace that passes all understanding. And I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you cannot walk in this peace if you are still practicing sin. True repentance from those sins is what ushers in that peace (Acts 3:19), not to mention an abiding joy that will become your strength. Also...true repentance from that sin means you won’t keep turning back to it and doing it over and over again.

But...just because a person does find this pathway of peace (Luke 1:79) and does begin to bear the fruit that follows one who is abiding in Christ, that does not mean you are exempt from an assortment of ‘challenges’ that you will face. (Acts 14:22)

For starters, you will still be tempted to sin; that’s a given. And we know who the ‘tempter’ is, which is why we are told to ‘resist him’, and ‘give him no place’. (James 1:12-16; 4:7; Eph. 4:27). Peter strongly admonishes us to be vigilant and alert for this very reason as this ‘enemy’ goes about like a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Pet. 5:8). Sin...is what gives him access to come in to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’ us (John 10:10). And guess what? God lets him if/when we sin...to do just that! (1 Cor. 5:5; Heb. 12:11; John 5:14). And if we fail to stand and resist this enemy...don’t expect things to end well for you (Matt. 12:43-45)

I realize this can be a tad confusing to understand in the early days of learning to walk and abide in Jesus. But let me assure you, it’s one thing to be driving a car through a fierce hail storm and to ‘tense’ up at times when you are going through it. But it’s another thing altogether to roll the window down, or open the ‘moon roof’, and stick your head out in the middle of it.

Part of what is happening in those moments, that Peter tells us to ‘think not strange’ (1 Pet. 4:12-13)...is there’s usually some ‘suffering’ taking place as we put this flesh to death, or are being ‘pruned’ so that even more fruit of the Spirit can be produced in us. This process is necessary if we ever expect to ‘cease from sinning’. (1 Pet. 4:1-2; John 12:24; 15:1-2)

Surely you are aware that Jesus not only felt anger, He expressed it at times, even causing a stir in the temple when He wanted to ‘drive out’ that which did not belong in there. Paul experienced annoyance at times as well (Acts 16:18) and even had ‘contentions’ with some of the other church leaders (Acts 15:36-41). But it was this same Paul who also admonishes us to ‘be angry, but sin not’. (Eph. 4:26). This really is quite possible.

Personally speaking here now...I have come to learn the difference between experiencing many of these same ‘attacks, feelings, emotions, and temptations’ when I wasn’t abiding in Jesus, and when I finally came to learn how to abide in Him. And I can assure you, the ‘peace’ never leaves you when you ‘remain’ in Him. (Driving in that hail storm and staying secure in the car really is a good word picture to describe this.). Want to see my scars?

Let’s finish up today with a subject you have probably heard mentioned before. It has to do with Paul’s ‘thorn in the flesh’ (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Contrary to popular opinion, Paul did not continue to live and practice sin. If he did, I doubt he would have invited us to ‘follow him as he follows Christ’. (1 Cor. 11:1). Those who abide in Jesus no longer sin. (1 John 3:6,9; 5:18). But apparently, there must have been some area in his life that troubled him so.

We can debate as to what that source was, but let’s focus on what we do know. A ‘messenger of Satan was given to him to harass/buffet him...” (7). Would everyone just now say the word ‘demon spirit’, please? Do you know why God allowed or permitted, maybe even ‘sent’ this spirit to bother Paul? It was because of the ‘abundance of revelation’ that he was receiving from God...in order to preach and write nearly 2/3’s of the NT...and God did not want Paul getting ‘puffed up’ or conceited. God wanted Paul to stay humble, even though on three occasions Paul pleaded with God to cause this spirit to depart’. {8}. And what did God remind him on all three occasions? “My grace is sufficient for you...” (9)

Not that you asked, but I do have my own ‘theory’ as to what this demon spirit might have been sent to do. I would not be shocked to find out that this spirit was constantly reminding Paul of all the early Christians he had killed, or thrown in prison. I can imagine images of Stephen’s bloodied and broken body may have ‘haunted’ him at times, given he was there to witness and consent to this stoning at the end of Acts 7. Perhaps it was God’s way of keeping Paul in check when he was tempted to grow impatient with people whose ‘eyes had yet to be opened’, like his were at one time. Don’t we all need to be reminded as well, that it is only...by His grace, that we can be empowered to ‘go and sin no more’?