Abiding in Faith

Abiding in Faith...... Abide: to endure without yielding, to accept without objection, to remain stable or fixed in a state, to continue in a place. The word "abide" basically means "to remain." A true Christian does abide. But, he doesn’t always abide. We depend on Him for grace and power to obey. We look obediently to His Word for instruction on how to live. We offer Him our deepest adoration and praise and we submit ourselves to His authority over our lives. Abiding in Christ evidences genuine salvation. The Bible provides a clear understanding of genuine saving faith-true faith produces good fruit. In His parable of the soils and the seed, the Lord Jesus taught that, while unbelievers are unfruitful, those who are saved would bear fruit. Fruit-bearing plants thrive in the good soil that pictures a redeemed heart. Jesus said, "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matthew 13:23). All believers are fruitful, even though not equally fruitful. Faith comes to the believer as a gift from God. It is not something that individuals are capable of mustering up on their own as in human effor. Were faith a work of man's own doing, man would be in a position to take partial credit for his redemption. We don't trust our government the same way as we trust Jesus. FAITH "is the gift of God…that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith comes as a result of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit-He quickens our hearts to believe. Apart from the new birth, there can be no true faith. Proverbs 15:31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise. John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 1 John 2:14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. 1 John 2:24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 1 John 3:17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 1 John 3:24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 1 John 4:12-14 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.