Abide in me

A few years ago, one of my prayer partners received the word “abide” from God, and so we spent a fair amount of time talking about it.

But first, we had different definitions of what it meant, so we had to come up with a common language to communicate. I remember that one of the thoughts I had about its meaning was “to wait.” Someone else said “to rest.”

We were surprised when we looked it up because one definition is “to tolerate.” Think, “I can’t abide that.”

It’s come up again recently. My pastor shared that an image of abiding was like jumping into the ocean where you are completely consumed. You become part of the ocean, no self remains outside of it.

The Vine

Christ said if you abide me and I and you, then you will bear much fruit. Most translations say “remain.”

Even though there is a measurable end result of bearing fruit, I do not care for definitions of abide that require you to do good works. Works result from abiding, and there’s a difference.

I’ve heard it said in yoga class that Savasana or corpse pose can be the most difficult. This is that final part of the practice where you lay prostate, and try not to fall asleep. The reason it’s hard is that you have to make yourself do nothing. You actively rest.

Even though I don’t think you should define it by doing something, you won’t accidentally abide.

I define abiding as this same intentional rest, or actively obediently remaining. The active part is that you are making yourself stay. Stay still, stay present, stay with God. The obedient part is that you rest or remain and let him inside of you.

There’s a song I enjoy by Bob Millspaugh called Redemption. It has a Johnny Cash vibe, and my favorite line is, “The vine it grafted me, and I clung to the tree.” Spotify Version

The image I see for abiding is always a grafted tree or vine. And that’s not by accident, it’s the description Christ uses in his command in John 15. But Paul also uses it in an illustration of how we’re brought into the family of God in Romans 11.

Grafting is fascinating. And most of the stone fruit trees I’ve planted were one variety grafted onto a different variety’s root system. I’ve never actually grafted something myself. But I’ve seen what’s called a fruit cocktail tree, where multiple kinds of fruit branches are grafted in.

You cut a branch at a particular angle from one tree, then cut a branch that same angle on another tree. Then you bind the branch of the first to the second. The graft must remain there until the wound seals and the juices from the tree flow into the branch.

As I mentioned in my post Praying Naked, sex can be more invasive for women. And so, I think women intrinsically comprehend the mystery. She takes something into her body which creates life and grows, but does not originate completely in her. There is a fear of losing herself as she allows it to radically change her. What was a woman now becomes a mother. Men can only observe this process.

I’m hardly the first to use the analogy of sex. And Christ said to take his blood and his broken body inside of you. So there actually is an opportunity for everyone to experience the metaphor.

You take something inside of you. Life begins. It fundamentally changes you. And then it produces fruit.

If you remain

Just as you won’t accidentally abide, I don’t believe you could accidentally lose your salvation. You can’t misplace it or have it stolen from you.

Even though I was raised there is no way to “lose” your salvation, both Christ and Paul gave intense warnings about not abiding or remaining. This is where I think the English definition “to tolerate” does not work. I don’t think God will just tolerate a diseased or non-producing branch. Paul warns that if the natural branches were broken off and removed because of unbelief, we should not be arrogant. Christ says the braches will be burned John 15 and Paul says we should not assume we will be spared Romans 11.

Actively, obediently remaining while nourishing sap flows through you.

God prunes healthy branches so they produce more fruit, and sometimes he prunes non-producing branches to stimulate growth. And sometimes he grafts new ones in.

The vine, it grafted me, and I clung to the tree.