When Jesus gave His disciples the promise of abiding in Him, His words abiding in them, and their asking anything they willed and it being done for them – He was excited and expectant at all the possibilities for us. Holy Spirit was coming. Nothing would be impossible! He was not putting restrictions and limitations on us, just the opposite. He was opening a door of unlimited experience.
By faith, we abide in Jesus. Faith, in our Father’s resurrecting Jesus, awakens in us our justification in Christ. Now, we are in Christ.
We choose to abide here – in Christ – we acknowledge His goodness, His life, His love, His grace, His everything. We see ourselves in Christ abiding – staying in this given place in Christ, this given state of acceptance in Christ, this given relationship of sonship to the Father in Christ, and this given expectancy in Christ. Here we abide. By the way, that’s what the word “abide” means in the Greek: “To stay in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy”.
Jesus’ words are our hope, His promises in which we continue. We abide in His words. We live here, in the given place, state, relation, and expectancy, as we heard them the first time. They grow up, as we build inside our heart images of these words. We see, we hear, we understand, and we turn to Christ – He heals us.
Here in Christ, His words in us, we ask whatever we will, and we receive. We are in union and communion –union in His life and communion in His words. And so, we are receiving His mercy and grace to help in our time of need and opportunity.
Take time this week to enter intentionally and experientially into Christ, seeing yourself justified, glorified, and loved. See His word living inside of you vibrantly, living, light, giving, and bringing His goodness forward. See His word growing inside of you in understanding and experience.
~ Then ask
~ Ask what you will
~ Now receive, worship and give thanks
By this our Father is glorified!
