“I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I also am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3:12
More than one person admits that it is a sacred duty and a blessed privilege to abide in Christ, but keeps shrinking back from the question: Is it possible to live a life of unbroken fellowship with the Savior? They think: Famous Christians, who have been given exceptional opportunities to develop this grace, may achieve it. But for the large majority of disciples, whose life, by God’s own appointment, is so fully occupied with the affairs of this life, it can hardly be expected. The more they hear of this life, the deeper their sense of its glory and blessedness becomes, and there is nothing they would not sacrifice to experience it. But they are too weak, too unfaithful—they could never attain to it.
: Have you been thinking this way—that abiding in Christ is only for “super Christians” or people who have more time than you do? Where did that idea come from?
Dear souls! How little they know that abiding in Christ is designed precisely for the weak, and is so beautifully suited to their feebleness. It is not the doing of some great thing, and does not demand that we first lead a very holy and devoted life. No, it is simply weakness entrusting itself to a Mighty One to be kept—the unfaithful one casting themselves on One who is altogether trustworthy and true. Abiding in Him is not a work that we have to do as the condition for enjoying His salvation, but a consenting to let Him do all for us, and in us, and through us. It is a work He does for us—the fruit and the power of His redeeming love. Our part is simply to yield, to trust, and to wait for what He has promised to perform.
: Read that paragraph again slowly. Abiding is not YOU doing a great work—it’s you letting JESUS do the work. Does that change how impossible it seems? What would “simply yielding” look like for you today?
It is this quiet expectation and confidence, resting on the word of Christ, that in Him there is an abiding place prepared, which is so sadly lacking among Christians. They hardly take the time or the trouble to realize that when He says “Abide IN ME,” He offers Himself—the Keeper of Israel that never sleeps or slumbers—with all His power and love, as the living home of the soul, where the mighty influences of His grace will be stronger to keep you than all your feebleness is to lead you astray.
The idea they have of grace is this: that their conversion and pardon are God’s work, but that now, in gratitude to God, it is their work to live as Christians and follow Jesus. There is always the thought of work that has to be done, and even though they pray for help, the work is still theirs. They continually fail and become hopeless, and the discouragement only increases their helplessness.
No, wandering one! Just as it was Jesus who drew you when He spoke “Come,” so it is Jesus who keeps you when He says “Abide.” The grace to come and the grace to abide are both from Him alone. That word Come, heard, meditated on, and accepted, was the cord of love that drew you near. That word Abide is even so the band with which He holds you fast and binds you to Himself. Let the soul but take time to listen to the voice of Jesus. “In me,” He says, “is your place—in my almighty arms. It is I who love you so, who speak ‘Abide in me’; surely you can trust me.” The voice of Jesus entering and dwelling in the soul cannot help but call forth the response: “Yes, Savior, in You I can, I will abide.”
: Most Christians think, “God saved me, now I need to work hard to live for Him.” But what if the truth is: “God saved me, and now He will keep me as I trust Him”? How would that completely change your daily Christian life?
Abide in me. These words are no law of Moses, demanding from the sinful what they cannot perform. They are the command of love, which is always only a promise in a different shape. Think of this until all feelings of burden and fear and despair pass away, and the first thought that comes as you hear of abiding in Jesus is one of bright and joyous hope: it is for me, I know I shall enjoy it. You are not under the law, with its unbending Do, but under grace, with its blessed Believe what Christ will do for you.
And if the question is asked, “But surely there is something for us to do?” the answer is, “Our doing and working are but the fruit of Christ’s work in us.” It is when the soul becomes utterly passive, looking and resting on what Christ is going to do, that its energies are stirred to their highest activity, and that we work most effectively because we know that He works in us. It is as we see in that word IN ME, the mighty energies of love reaching out after us to have us and to hold us, that all the strength of our will is awakened to abide in Him.
: This sounds backwards, doesn’t it? “Become utterly passive” and yet “work most effectively.” But think about it: when you stop straining in your own strength and rest in His strength, doesn’t He actually accomplish more through you? When have you experienced this?
This connection between Christ’s work and our work is beautifully expressed in the words of Paul: “I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I also am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” It was because he knew that the mighty and faithful One had grabbed hold of him with the glorious purpose of making him one with Himself, that he did his utmost to grab hold of the glorious prize. The faith, the experience, the full assurance, “Christ has apprehended me,” gave him the courage and the strength to press on and apprehend that for which he was apprehended. Each new insight into the great purpose for which Christ had apprehended and was holding him, stirred him afresh to aim at nothing less.
Paul’s expression and its application to the Christian life can be best understood if we think of a father helping his child climb up the side of a steep cliff. The father stands above and has taken the son by the hand to help him climb. He points him to the spot where he will help him plant his feet as he leaps upward. The leap would be too high and dangerous for the child alone, but the father’s hand is his confidence, and he leaps to get hold of the point for which his father has taken hold of him. It is the father’s strength that secures him and lifts him up, and so urges him to use his utmost strength.
: Picture that illustration—the father above, holding your hand, pointing to where you need to step, his strength securing you. Now replace “father” with “Jesus.” Does that image help you understand how abiding works? What “leap” is Jesus asking you to make today, knowing His hand has already grabbed you?
Such is the relationship between Christ and you, O weak and trembling believer! First, keep your eyes on the goal for which He has apprehended you. It is nothing less than a life of abiding, unbroken fellowship with Himself to which He is seeking to lift you up. All that you have already received—pardon and peace, the Spirit and His grace—are but preliminary to this. And all that you see promised to you in the future—holiness and fruitfulness and glory everlasting—are but its natural result. Union with Himself, and so with the Father, is His highest goal. Fix your eye on this, and gaze until it stands out before you, clear and unmistakable: Christ aims to have me abiding in Him.
: Everything you’ve received so far—forgiveness, peace, the Holy Spirit—these are just the BEGINNING, not the end goal. The goal is constant, unbroken fellowship with Jesus. Does that excite you or overwhelm you? Why?
And then let the second thought enter your heart: Unto this I am apprehended of Christ. His almighty power has laid hold on me, and offers now to lift me up to where He would have me. Fix your eyes on Christ. Gaze on the love that shines in those eyes, and that asks whether you cannot trust Him, who sought and found and brought you near, now to keep you. Gaze on that arm of power, and say whether you have reason to be assured that He is indeed able to keep you abiding in Him.
And as you think of the spot to which He points—the blessed goal for which He apprehended you—and keep your gaze fixed on Himself, holding you and waiting to lift you up, O say, could you not this very day take the upward step, and rise to enter upon this blessed life of abiding in Christ? Yes, begin at once, and say, “O my Jesus, if You command me, and if You promise to lift and keep me there, I will venture. Trembling, but trusting, I will say: Jesus, I do abide in You.”
: Stop right here. Jesus is holding you. He’s pointing to the life of abiding. He’s waiting to lift you up to it. Will you take that step TODAY—trembling but trusting—and say “Jesus, I do abide in You”? What’s holding you back?
My beloved fellow-believer, go, and take time alone with Jesus, and say this to Him. I dare not speak to you about abiding in Him for the mere sake of creating a pleasant religious feeling. God’s truth must be acted on at once. O yield yourself this very day to the blessed Savior in the surrender of the one thing He asks of you: give up yourself to abide in Him. He Himself will work it in you. You can trust Him to keep you trusting and abiding.
: This is not just a nice devotional thought to make you feel warm and fuzzy—this is the truth of God that demands ACTION. What specific action will you take today to surrender to abiding in Christ? When will you take it?
And if ever doubts again arise, or the bitter experience of failure tempts you to despair, remember where Paul found his strength: “I am apprehended of Jesus Christ.” In that assurance, you have a fountain of strength. From that, you can look up to the goal on which He has set His heart, and set yours there too. From that, you gather confidence that the good work He has begun, He will also complete. And in that confidence, you will gather courage, day by day, afresh to say, “‘I follow on, that I may also apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.’ It is because Jesus has taken hold of me, and because Jesus keeps me, that I dare to say: Savior, I abide in You.”
: When (not if) you fail or doubt creeps in, where will you look? To your own weakness and failure, or to the fact that Jesus has grabbed hold of you and will not let go? Which of these two truths do you meditate on more—your weakness or His strength? Starting today, how can you shift your focus?
