Abide is a strange word, even a little old-fashioned. I can’t remember the last time I heard this word in ordinary conversation. It seems we only use it when talking about abiding in Christ. This concept comes from a passage in the Book of John. I thought I knew what it meant to abide, but I was surprised when I started searching the Bible for its meaning.
What Does It Mean to Abide in God?
We’ll dive deeper into the definition later in the article, but let’s start with the idea that most of us are familiar with. There is a study note in my Word Study Reference Bible NKJV that sums it up well:
“The word abide means more than just hanging around like grapes on a vine. It carries the connotation of complete attachment. It’s related to ideas such as dwelling, staying, and settling in. It means sinking deep and growing roots. Jesus wasn’t describing a surface faith. He was talking about a sold-out commitment–a relationship where we depend completely on Him to accomplish His work through us.” (Page 1,378)
To abide is to be attached for the long haul. The cool thing is, not only are we instructed to abide with Christ (to hang on to Him). God also abides with us. That changes everything, doesn’t it?
The question is whether abiding in God is more complicated than we think. To answer that, we need to consider some of the other words the Bible uses for abiding.
What Other Words Does the Bible Use for Abiding in God?
Let’s take a closer look at the biblical definition of abide by its associated words. When I looked the word up in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, I found these words associated with abide:
- Await
- Remain
- Lodge
- Sojourn
- Dwell
- Continue
- Endure
- Encamp
- Sit or Tarry
As I read these definitions, I realized that abiding is much bigger and richer than I ever imagined. It’s both restful and active. It’s trusting and obeying. It’s holding on yet letting go. And it’s always trusting God for the long haul.
So, how do we do that? Now, we have to use a little Bible study to consider the context, and then consider the nitty-gritty practicality of how to abide in God every day.
What Bible Verses Talk about God Abiding?
We already know about abiding in Christ. But how often do we think about God abiding with us? Are there any verses that talk about God abiding? Yes! I’m using the New King James translation because when I searched for the word abide, I found 51 mentions in both the Old and New Testaments. I encourage you to do your word search; the results are fascinating! But to get us started, I want to summarize some verses about God abiding.
- God talks several times about making His name abide in a certain place (Deuteronomy 12:11, 14:23, 16:6, 16:11, 26:2).
- In Psalm 55:19, we read about the God who “abides from of old.” John 3:35-36 states the harsh reality for those who do not believe in the Son (Jesus).
- The consequence of a lack of belief is that “the wrath of God abides on him.” In John 14:16, Jesus tells His followers to pray and ask the Father to give them the Holy Spirit (called a Helper in this verse) “that He may abide with you forever.”
- John 15 is the abiding chapter I mentioned at this article's beginning. It talks about God abiding in us as we abide in Him and is the passage of Scripture that many of us think about when we hear the word abide. We’ll take a closer look at this passage below.
- In 1 John 3:24, John writes, “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
I don’t know about you, but the thought of God abiding with me is so powerful. But that’s only half the equation. What does the Bible tell us about abiding in God?
What Bible Verses Tell Us to Abide in God?
Several verses in the Bible state the benefits of abiding with God. Other verses are statements the writer makes when they choose to abide by God. Then there are the verses that specifically tell us to abide in God (or Christ, who is God). These are the ones we will look at next.
Jesus’ instructions to His followers in John 15 is the Scripture many of us think of when we think about abiding. Here, Jesus begins talking about vines and fruit. He equates Himself with the vine and His Father with the vinedresser who takes away the branches that don’t bear fruit and prunes those that do bear fruit (15:1-2). I encourage you to read this whole chapter for context, but here is the heart of the conversation. Jesus tells his audience:
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:5-10)
Another command to abide is found in 1 John 2:24. John tells His readers to “let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning.” Essentially, He’s saying they should let the Gospel they first heard abide in them. He didn’t want them to be deceived by those trying to turn them away from God’s truth. John writes, “If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.”
John continues the idea of abiding in verse 28. “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
Does Abiding in God Mean to Let Go and Let God?
Whew, that’s a lot of abiding! We read a definition of abiding. We’ve just read a bunch of verses that talk about abiding, but what does it really mean to abide in God and have Him abide in us? Does it mean that we can just “let go and let God” as the popular saying goes? The simple answer is no—and yes!
It’s clear from the first verses we read that there are action steps we must take for God to abide in us. We need to keep His commandments.
We also need to abide in Him for Him to abide in us. In just a minute, we’ll discuss how to do that.
Lastly, the message we heard in the beginning should abide in us. What does that even mean? Do you remember the first time someone told you about Jesus? Do you remember when you decided to put your faith in Him as your Lord and Savior? That gospel message should still live deep in our hearts and impact the way we live our lives. Our relationship with God should impact how we choose to spend our time and the decisions we make.
But what about that letting go and letting God part? This statement sounds good and can even feel holy or religious, but if we’re being honest with ourselves, it’s often an excuse to do nothing.
Remember, abiding is both restful and active. Waiting and letting go aren’t passive activities for the followers of Christ. As we wait and when we let go, we’re actively putting our faith in God instead of ourselves. Even when we’re waiting for God to work and rest in Him, we must obey, abide, and believe. What else? We can focus on our relationship with God by spending time with Him. We can be kind to our neighbors, provide food or clothing for those in need, get more involved in ministries at church, encourage weary hearts, and use our gifts to bless others. You get the idea!
All this action is part of the tension of being a follower of Christ. You see, we don’t do just to do. We don’t do it to earn favor or to look good. We work and minister out of gratitude and through the power of Jesus Christ. When we chose to follow Him, we were united with Him. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
The person we once were, apart from Christ, is dead. We’re now living a brand-new life by faith in Jesus. It’s a life empowered by the same God who created the earth we live on and who rose Jesus from the dead. We have a whole new identity in Christ, and it’s incredible! If you want to learn more about who you are in Christ, I encourage you to read the short books of Ephesians and Colossians.
As we saw in John 15:5-10, once we were all branches that withered without Christ, but those who abide in Christ are now fruit-bearers. Life flows through us not in our strength but as branches firmly attached to the vine. Jesus lives and works through us. He is the life source. We let go of who we were and let God transform us into His likeness. How? By keeping His commandments and abiding in His love.
How Do We Abide in God Today?
This is the ultimate question, isn’t it? I can hear you asking, “But how, Josie?” As we’ve seen in this article, it begins with placing our faith in God and continuing to believe in Him. 2 John 1:9 says, “Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son” (NLT). Believing in God is great, but a life of faith is so much more than that. Abiding is all about relationship and the God of the Universe wants a relationship with us!
Like any relationship, we develop our relationship with God by spending time with Him. We get to know Him better by reading (and obeying) His Words, talking to Him throughout our days, looking for ways that He is working in our world and joining in, and asking Him to help us see things and people in our world as He sees them. As we get to know God better, we become more like Christ. We start seeing the world through spiritual eyes and loving others as God loves them.
1 John 4:13-16 says:
“. . . If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
Abiding comes down to this. Love God and love others. Who will you share the love of God with today?
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/VictorTongdee
This article is part of our Christian Terms catalog, exploring words and phrases of Christian theology and history. Here are some of our most popular articles covering Christian terms to help your journey of knowledge and faith:
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