Monday, April 20, 2009

Abide In Me

John 15:7 KJV
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

John Gill says
Abiding in Christ is here explained by his words or doctrines abiding in his disciples; ... This abides when it comes in power, and becomes the engrafted word; and may be said to do so, when such, in whose hearts it has a place, and has taken deep root,
Continue to have a relish and savour of it,
A true and hearty affection for it,
Esteeming it above their necessary food;
When they hold fast the profession of it,
Stand fast in it,
Steadfastly abide by it, and
Constantly attend on it;


He goes on to say concerning answers
.... this must be understood not of temporal things, as riches, honours, profits, pleasures, or whatever even the carnal mind of a believer himself may sometimes desire; but of things spiritual, and with such limitations and restrictions as these; whatever is according to the will of God, for the Spirit of God himself asks for no other for the saints; whatever is for the glory of God, and for their own spiritual profit and edification; and whatever is agreeably to the words and doctrines of Christ, which abide in them.

I wonder if we can be said to abide in the Lord at all if we test this passage on whether we receive earthly and temporal things. We take what is truly spiritual and then we apply it to the material and become disappointed when our equation doesn't work!

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