How to Be Jesus' Disciple: Abide!

Many people think that to be a disciple of Jesus, one must strive against sin and struggle to be obedient. Let us consider what Jesus tell us to do:

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." (John 8: 31)

First, pay attention to whom Jesus is speaking: "those who believed on him."

Believe on Jesus, that He is the one sent by God the Father to die for our sins (John 6: 29), to be our mercy seat, and that is the one work that we are called to (1 John 2: 2).

Yet belief must be informed by more than mere knowledge that there is one God:

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." (James 2: 19)

Here, James does not disparage the primacy of faith per se, but that our faith must be informed by the truth, and Truth is a person -- Jesus Christ (John 14: 6)

John emphasizes where our knowledge and faith must be:

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (1 John 4: 16)

What is this love that God has for us?:

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

Let us therefore abide in the love of God, centered fully in His Son, who died for us and lives in us:

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15: 4-5)