You Already Dwell in Him (So Stop Trying)

Abiding in Christ Jesus is essential for every believer:

"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)

Bearing fruit is important for the believer, for that is what we are called to do:

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." (Romans 7: 4)

Where does the authority come from, for us to bear fruit? In the name of Jesus our Savior, we receive this call and commission:

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (John 15: 16)

Yet this fruit is already within us through Christ Jesus:

"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

"That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

"Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1: 9-11)

So, He wants us to bear fruit, but He is the one bearing it within us. Our "job", therefore, is to abide. But how do I abide in Him?

Let's refer back to the one work which Jesus impressed on His followers:

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6: 29)

If you are a believer, you are already abiding:

"Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit." (1 John 4: 13)

How do we know that we have His spirit? By our confession:

"Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Corinthians 12: 3)

John confirms the central role of our confession of faith and trust in Christ:

"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

"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: 15-16)

So, what are we then supposed to do, exactly? Christ bears the fruit, Christ lives in us to bear the fruit, He is our life (John 14: 6). We do not have to try and abide in Him, since by faith we already do.

In fact, when we try to abide in Him through our own efforts, we frustrate His grace in our lives:

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2: 21)

Later in the same epistle, Paul explains how we can inadvertently frustrate God's grace in our lives:

"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5: 4)

We are called to believe on Him, to meditate on His Word, and walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5: 16). The believer is called to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3: 18) We focus on Him, we walk in His love (Ephesians 5: 8), and He leads us to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2: 13)