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Abiding in HimBy: Joseph H. Murray“And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28). John is telling us to abide in the anointing so that we will not be ashamed to face Jesus when He comes back to earth again. The Scripture tells us in 1 John 2:6 that, “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” Jesus, from the time He was baptized by John, was led by the Spirit all the way to the cross. It was after His forty days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil that He read, in the synagogue, the prophecy prophesied of Himself, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me.” It is this that John is telling us “ye shall abide in Him” (1 John 2:27). This same anointing that Jesus had upon Him must be upon us if we are to do the works and greater works as St. John has written to us (John 14:12). If we walk as Jesus walked, I’m sure we will be walking in the Spirit all the way, even as He walked. And, the Scripture instructs us to “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). “This is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:5–7). How, then, can we know that we are in Him and walking in the light? The Scripture answers this question in these words, “Whoso keepeth His word, [or His commandments] in him verily is the love of God perfected: Hereby know we that we are in Him” (1 John 2:5). Now another question arises in our minds. Does God expect us to have fellowship with all His children whether or not they are walking in the light? No! For, if we walk as Jesus did, we will only have fellowship as the Spirit fellowships the things of the Spirit. That’s why the Scripture commands thusly, “Now we command you brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us” (2 Thess. 3:6). Jesus gave us a good parable of how the Christian is related to the Father and the Son in these words: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman” (John 15:1). He goes on to say again, “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. If a man abideth not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 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 15:4–7). Abiding in Him, the anointing, or the Holy Ghost, brings us in unity with the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Father. The purpose of Jesus coming into the world was to bring man back in tune with God. His first job was to bring man in harmony with Himself, and in so doing paved the way back to God. Paul summed up this in these words: “and all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself” (2 Cor. 5:18–19). Philip couldn’t understand how God could be in Jesus, and he asked, “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake” (John 14:8–11). Jesus prayed that men be made one with Him and the Father in these words: “That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me” (John 17:21). There is no sin in the Holy God of Israel, and it is said of His Son Jesus Christ by the Apostle Peter, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; When He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously: who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Pet. 2:21–25). Seeing, then, that there is no sin in either God, His Son Jesus Christ, or in the Spirit that we are now abiding, all sin is committed outside of the Godhead, for John tells us, “And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him” (1 John 3:5–6). No one has ever committed sin abiding in Him. No wonder Paul wrote these words: “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:9–10). This spiritual presence, of God and His Son, that we have in us does not change the true fact that God is on His throne and Jesus at His right hand. He (Jesus) will soon come to earth to take away those who are without sin. Remember our text, “And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28). Jesus tells us in His sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). When He (Jesus) comes, if our hearts are not pure, we are going to be ashamed and will not be raised to see, even our Lord, as He is now, in His glorified body, but will have to await the second resurrection and see Him in His scarred and pierced body that He has reserved to show those who pierced Him. No one who dies with sin in their lives will ever see the Lord in His glorified self but the righteous shall see Him as He is and be like Him. The wicked will not see God for when Jesus turns the church, His Bride, over to the Father, the wicked will not be present. |
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