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(I corrected several path problems on August 29, August 30, and September 1, including these selections: Which  Version?, Christmas, Images, Body of Christ Discovered, Hymn Midis, KJV Bible, and Spiritual Warfare.  Sorry for any problems; please let know if you find others. - Gary)

Beneath His Wings

It's Not Who You Are, But Who You Know

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

This is one of the oldest sayings in the book of life, and still just as true as always. It's not that you can't get a job or get ahead without knowing someone on the inside, but it sure helps a lot of times. I freely admit, to anyone that cares to listen, that I got my job with DOL in large part because one of the top people in the Atlanta Regional Office was the sister of one of my good friends at a church I attended in North Carolina. It didn't matter so much that I had impeccable academic credentials, or some previous job experience that related; the main thing was that I came recommended by someone who knew me as a person.

The people we know best, generally, are the ones we spend the most time with, and, often, those we live with. The word "abide" in the verse above means to "stay" or "dwell". How do we live, or dwell, in Christ? The Bible says we are members of the body of Christ (see, for example, 1 Corinthians 12:12ff), so if we are Christ's, we live or "dwell" in his body. John 15 also gives us the beautiful allegory of being branches in the vine; the branch can't exist if it's removed from the vine. If we are Christians, we are "in Christ".

How do Christ's words abide in us? By becoming a part of us, which happens only through Bible study and meditation, and through the instruction of the Holy Spirit. Christ is himself the "Word", so when we "feed" on the Word through study and meditation, we are feeding on Christ, and his word becomes a part of who we are. When this happens, the Holy Spirit can use the Word to guide and direct our lives, and to defeat attacks of Satan as Christ did in the wilderness temptation.

We get to know Christ through his Word, and also through having fellowship with him in prayer. Think about it; the people you know best are ones you spend time talking to; the same is true of Christ; we get to know him by talking to him (and having him talk to us as well). Then, and only then, can we expect to have answers to the requests we make to God. What God wants from us most of all is not our service, or our gifts, but us. The important thing to know about eternity is not what we'll do, but who we'll be with. That's the most important part of being a Christian in this life, too; if we seek first to know Christ, and spend time with him, the rest of what it means to be a Christian will follow.

A lot of Christians think that they have to do things to please God, so he won't be angry with them. Maybe that's because a lot of us had earthly parents like that, but our heavenly Father loves us for our own sakes, not because of what we do. We do things for God first of all because we love him, not because we're afraid he'll punish us. That's not to say we shouldn't serve God, or that He won't chastise us when we disobey Him. The reason we should do good works, though, is because they come naturally out of our relationship with Christ.

There's a lovely term in the New Testament that refers to God as our "Abba" Father (see, for example, Romans 8:15). "Abba" means Daddy, and calls forth the image of a child crawling up into his or her father's lap to snuggle. That's the kind of tender love God has toward us; spend some time with Him, every day. Get to know your best friend.

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