CONTINUE IN CHRIST - PART 1

MONDAY 17 JUNE 2024

I want to introduce a new topic, namely, "Continue in Christ." Jesus Christ was God's human image and His exact visible manifestation on earth. So to continue in Christ is exactly the same thing as walking with God. Our union and inextricable oneness with Christ are unique in nature.

It is by the grace of God that we have received Christ as Saviour and Lord, as well as the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, as born again Christians. To continue in Christ is to keep experiencing the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, and His superior life which that love brought on earth. To continue in Christ is to position ourselves to be moulded into His own likeness. To continue in Christ is to yield completely to the governing influence of the Spirit of life. More below!

Reference: 1 John 2:28-29 English Standard Version (ESV)

"And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at his coming. If you know that He is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him."

If we are to continue or abide in Christ, we need to keep ourselves separated from worldly influences and be faithful to God. If we are to continue in Christ, we must do so by conscious realisation of His abiding presence in our lives and desire to grow in His grace and truth.

The first versified statement in our referenced Scripture reads, "And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at His coming" (Verse 28). In other words, there is an eternal reason for us to remain in Christ by unbroken and accordant continuity. And the reason is: He will surely appear someday, and on that day, it would be immensely satisfying and eternally rewarding to be unashamed to meet Him because we've built solid confidence based on our constant fellowship with Him. Of course it's going to be shameful to shrink back from meeting Him in the air because a ChrIstian brother or sister did not continue well in Him. Think about it seriously!

Beloved, our union with Christ, which constitutes our intimate relationship with God, is persistent friendly, meaning that it is our responsibility to keep ourselves in the love of God, and in the fellowship of His dear Son, Jesus Christ, wherever we are in this present world, regardless of whatever may lie around us. So I am trying to introduce you to the realm of constant communication of the newness of life, which is the main focus of the glorious Gospel. We have received a new life in Christ, which must be sustained or activated by divine fellowship that furnishes us with godly desires, living hope and divine capacities and experiences. However, we cannot do this by self-dependent effort, but by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit actively resident in us.

Question: How then, can I continue in Christ? Answer: I must always open my mind and heart to the unfolding of the Word and then, yield my spirit to the Spirit's operative impact, so as to access the great power of the Spirit on a daily basis through continual prayer and by the enabling grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, which will do in me and for me, all that God has purposed for His chosen ones before the foundation of the world, unhindered, as well as, plant my feet firmly in the paths of righteousness.

My dear and honourable friends! I urge you to continue in Christ by engaging in the fellowship of the Spirit. Listen to Him oftentimes, accept His leading principle and put it to proof in your life. And the love of God which is in Christ Jesus will rapidly increase in your life as we all await His return. Stay tuned for part 2. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - John 15:4; Ephesians 3:16-17; 1 John 2:24-25; 2 Timothy 3:14.

Exuberant Declaration:

I acknowledge that I'm actively and fully alive in Christ, and through the continual fellowship of the Spirit, I daily experience the love of Christ that ministers grace to me and prepares me for the hope of that blessed day, which is the day of His return. Hallelujah!