The Classical Greek writers used the word meno
meaning, "to stay,” “stand fast,” “remain” or
“abide.” It has the idea to remain at home, or stay
where you are and not wander off.
The word translated "abide" is one of the Apostle
John's favorite words. He uses it 34 times in the
Gospel, and 19 times in his letters. The word
meno means to dwell at ones' own house, to stay
as a guest in someone’s home, to abide or to sustain
unbroken fellowship with someone. To have a friend
who abides is to always be present to help you in
time of need.
The apostle John uses it to say God "abides" (meno)
in Christ. He dwells in Him and therefore has a
constant influence upon him. The divine presence is
continually operative in Him. Jesus said, "I am in
the Father and the Father is in Me . . .The Father,
who remains (meno) in Me, does His own work"
(John 14:10). In John 10:38 Jesus said, "the Father
is in Me, and I in the Father."
How does Jesus accomplish what He does? His
answer was, "the Father abiding in Me does His
work." Jesus is the one person who was completely at
the disposal of the Father. He told His disciples,
"Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father
in Me. . ." (v. 11). Jesus made Himself available to
the Father.
The evidence of "I am in the Father, and the
Father is in Me" was His perfect character. Jesus
was different and you could see the difference in
His behavior. He spoke what the Father told Him to
say (14:10; cf. 7:16; 12:49-50; 14:24). Jesus not
only said what the Father told Him to say, but
everything He did was the Father's working in and
through Him. "The Father abiding in Me does
His works" (v.10). "The Father living in Me . . . is
doing His work" and the evidence is what you see.
In John 14:20, Jesus took the idea of
relationship one-step further when He spoke of the
Holy Spirit and the believer. "I will not leave you
as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while
the world will behold Me no more; but you will
behold Me; because I live, you shall live also. In
that day you shall know that I am in My father, and
you in Me, and I in you" (John 14:18-20).
When Jesus said that believers "abide" in God, it
pictures a relationship bound to Him by the Holy
Spirit whom they received when they believed on
Christ. The idea is to remain in vital union with
God or in Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit
in the believer’s life.
In the First Epistle of John, the apostle says
this vital union of remaining in Christ will make a
difference in our behavior. The one who says he
abides (remains or resides) in God ought himself to
walk just as Jesus walked. Meno indicates a
close, intimate and permanent relationship between
the believer and God (1 John 2:6, 24, 27; 3:6).
Furthermore, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who
believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do
also; and greater works than these he will do;
because I go to the Father" (14:12). "Whatever you
ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father
may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in
My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep
My commandments" (vv. 13-15).
Jesus is not speaking of fantastic spectacular
miracles, but the preaching of the Gospel. The
"greater works" is the taking the good news of Jesus
Christ and His saving work to the ends of the earth
and seeing a great harvest of souls. The preaching
on the Day of Pentecost is an excellent example of
these “greater works.” When we serve Him according
to His will He will answer our prayers, and we can
see Him do great and mighty things in and through
us.
He wants us to make ourselves available to Him
even as He made Himself available to His Father. We
are to ask what Jesus would ask the Father. We have
the Holy Spirit abiding in us to guide us. The
limitations on the prayer promise is the intimate
union and harmony with Christ that nothing will be
asked out of accordance to His will.
The apostle John says in this vital union with
Christ, Christ or God abides (meno) in the
believer (John 6:56; 15:4). It is an intimate,
personal relationship with Him, for Jesus says He
lives in us. "He who eats My flesh and drinks My
blood abides (meno) in Me and I in him"
(6:56). We appropriate that abiding relationship by
faith. Jesus said, "I live in them." He occupies a
place in us as His dwelling place. It is a permanent
relationship with my soul and exerts its power and
authority over my life. The abiding presence of
Christ in the believer is His permanent residence in
Him and His supplying that is necessary to produce
fruit in his life. Again, this is the work of the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit and the spirit of
Christ refer to the same person.
John 15:4, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides
in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in
Me." The Vine is our positional source. "Keep on
abiding in Me." Jesus is emphasizing the permanence
of position such as maintaining unbroken communion
and fellowship with the person in whom He dwells. He
is saying: "Remain united with Me." “Remain in
unbroken fellowship with Me.” “Remain in vital union
with Me.”
The point Jesus is making is for the believer to
maintain unbroken fellowship with Christ. The
believer has now made his spiritual residence in
Christ. His abiding place is in Christ Jesus. The
house has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
Nothing now stands between the believer and Christ.
It is a holy fellowship. There is no better analogy
than the vine and its branches. The believer draws
his spiritual life and energy from the indwelling
One.
We abide in Christ and He in us when we enter
into a personal relationship by putting our trust in
Him as our Savior. Have you appropriated Him into
your personal life? (6:54-58) Are you continuing to
persevere in His teachings? (8:31; 1 John 2:19, 24).
Are you obeying His commandments? (15:9-10) We
cannot produce spiritual fruit that will bring glory
to God without a continual abiding in Him. We cannot
produce God's kind of fruit without the life of God
within us. The remaining in Him produces fruit.
1. When God invites us to come and join Him in
what He is doing, it is an invitation to an intimate
personal relationship with Him. We are to Him as a
branch is to its vine. If we are to bear His kind of
fruit it must be in relationship to Him. We can do
nothing apart from drawing our strength from Him
(John 15:5).
2. When we produce quality spiritual fruit, it
depends entirely on the life of Christ being
reproduced in the believer. There are no short cuts
to fruit (Galatians 5:22-23; Hebrews 12:11). The
"fruit" Jesus is expecting are deeds of love that
demonstrate our relationship to God. Jesus does not
expect works from us to earn God's favor, but
evidences of life in the branches.
3. "Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ?" "No one," thunders the apostle Paul in
Romans 8:35-39. Our abiding in Christ does not
depend upon us, but on making ourselves available
to Him. The Holy Spirit abides in the believer
forever (John 14:16). The issue in chapter fifteen
is on our relationship to God in bearing fruit.
Salvation is not the subject.
4. If we are abiding in Christ, we will have a
rich prayer life that supplies rich fellowship with
Him (14:13-14; 15:7, 16).
5. When we walk like Christ, we will always abide
near Christ. The nearness of Christ always invites
us to come and enter into unbroken fellowship with
Him. That which makes a man "holy" is the perpetual
abiding of the Holy Spirit within him. We become
like those with whom we associate.
6. To abide in continual dependence upon Christ
is to keep yourself in the position of
child-like-trust and dependence upon Him.
7. Jesus said He could do nothing on His own;
therefore we can do nothing on our own. Everything
about abiding means we must remain united with Him
just as the Son remains united with the Father.
John 6:54-58; 15:4-10, 16; 8:31; 14:10-14, 18-20;
1 John 2:6, 19, 24; 4:12, 15; Romans 8:35-39
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
Bible word studies for sermon preparation, messages, devotions and personal Bible studies with abiding principles and practical applications.
Reports on what God is doing through Bible believing evangelical Christians in Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, India and Ecuador. Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7).
Study the master theme of the Bible with these prophecies and types in the Old Testament of the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
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