Abide in Jesus: The Path to the Life God Intended

Introduction

Many believers sincerely try to live for God but quietly struggle with effort, fatigue, and inconsistency. Jesus calls us to something deeper, simpler, and far more powerful: to abide in Him.

Abiding is not an advanced spiritual technique. It is the intended Christian life — where God supplies what we need to live our lives and bring Him glory.

Three Ways People Commonly Live

1) Living for Self

Many people live primarily for themselves—their needs, safety, desires, and control. Life at this stage is driven by self-preservation and limited perspective.

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

2) Living FOR God

Many believers make real progress here. They sincerely try to obey God, serve Him, avoid sin, and do what is right. This stage is good and necessary — but if we stop here, faith can quietly become effort-based.

“Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

3) Living FROM God

The real breakthrough comes when believers become connected to God through the Holy Spirit and begin to live from His life, not just for His approval.

“He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1 Corinthians 6:17)

What Does It Mean to Abide in Jesus?

To abide means to remain, stay, or continue—to live in ongoing connection and dependence. Abiding is relational, not mechanical; ongoing, not occasional.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4–5)

Why Abiding Is So Important

Abiding is not optional because fruit is not optional. God never intended that we strain our way into holiness or maturity. He intended life to flow from relationship.

“It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

What Breaks Abiding: Grieving and Resisting the Holy Spirit

Grieving the Holy Spirit

To grieve the Holy Spirit is to cause relational sorrow by ignoring conviction, withdrawing from correction, or choosing self-protection over trust.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)

Resisting the Holy Spirit

To resist the Holy Spirit is active refusal—deflecting truth, rationalizing disobedience, or rejecting God’s leading.

“You always resist the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 7:51)

How Do We Abide in Jesus?

We are going to walk Abiding in two phases – First Get Connected — Then Remain Connected

But first a bit of history lesson to put this in context

The story of abiding begins in the garden.

Part 1: Getting Connected — Restoring What Was Lost

In the beginning, humanity lived from God:

God was the source of life

Identity was received, not achieved

Righteousness was unbroken fellowship

Obedience flowed from trust

Adam rebelled, Broke the rules, but also severed the connection.

“Your iniquities have separated you from your God.” — Isaiah 59:2

God came into creation as a human – Jesus  – to restore our union with God.

Shedding His innocent blood as the sacrifice form mankind restored Righteousness (Right Standing)

Connection cannot be rebuilt through effort.  It is restored through grace.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:21

Righteousness is not behavior modification. It is restored standing—access to God without fear.

You cannot abide while trying to earn acceptance.

Denying Self as our Lord or Source

Self-denial is often misunderstood.
Jesus is not calling us to self-hatred, but to do a source transfer.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
— Luke 9:23

To deny self means:

• • • Relinquishing self-rule
    • Rejecting self as life-source
    • Letting go of independence from God

This is the death of self-sufficiency, not the loss of personhood.

Assuming a New Identity (Union Restored)

Connection is not theoretical—it is ontological – it is the very nature of being.

“He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”   — 1 Corinthians 6:17

Through Christ:

• • • You are not visiting God
    • You are joined to Him
    • Life flows from union, not proximity

Abiding begins when we accept the identity of one who is already connected.

Returning to the Original Design (Redeemed)

We are called to return to the original design, and restore what was lost through separation.

“Return to Me, and I will return to you.” — Malachi 3:7

This is a return to:

• • • God as source
    • Life by trust
    • Openness instead of hiding
    • Love instead of fear

This is Eden restored through Christ, not innocence regained by effort.

Part 2: Staying Connected — What It Means to Remain (Abide)

Once connection is restored, we are called to shift from entering to remaining.

“Abide in Me, and I in you.” — John 15:4 

Remaining is not passive—it is relational maintenance.

Yielding to the Spirit (Ongoing Dependence)

Abiding requires continuous yielding.

“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” — Galatians 5:16 

Yielding means:

• • • Letting God lead reactions
    • Surrendering control in real time
    • Choosing dependence over impulse

Yielding keeps the connection active.

Trusting God as Source (Daily Reliance)

Trust is the posture of abiding.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart… In all your ways acknowledge Him.” — Proverbs 3:5–6 

When trust fades:

• • • Control increases
    • Anxiety rises
    • Self-effort returns

Abiding flourishes where trust is renewed daily.

Walking in the Light (Relational Transparency)

Abiding requires openness, not perfection.

“If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship…” — 1 John 1:7

Walking in the light means:

• • • No hiding
    • No image management
    • No private compartmentalization

Transparency preserves fellowship.

Walking in Love (The Evidence of Remaining)

Love is not the entry requirement—it is the evidence.

“He who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”— 1 John 4:16 

When we are abiding:

• • • Love flows more freely
    • Forgiveness comes faster
    • Others are no longer threats

Love is what abiding produces, not what it demands.

We get connected by grace—restored righteousness, surrendered self-rule, and new identity in Christ.
We stay connected by abiding—yielding, trusting, walking in the light, and walking in love.

Abiding is living today from what Christ already restored.

How Can I Tell If I’m Abiding?

The following table can help us discern where we are on our journey, and if stuck here the breakdown is actually happening.

How To Use This Table

Read each row prayerfully.

Mark the column that best reflects your current lived reality, not your intentions.

If issues cluster in the left half, focus on restoration.

If issues cluster in the right half, focus on abiding practices.

Diagnosis is not condemnation—it reveals where grace is needed next.

Phase 1: Getting Connected / Reconnected With The Father Through Christ

Phase 2: Staying Connected (Abiding / Remaining)

Work on getting solid with getting restored:  righteousness, union, identity, finished work.

Then practice remaining/abiding: yielding, walking in the light, trusting, returning quickly.

Where to Learn More

BibleProject – https://bibleproject.com/
Rick Renner – Sparkling Gems – https://renner.org/product-category/sparkling-gems-reg/
Bible.com / YouVersion – https://www.bible.com/
BibleGateway NKJV – https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-King-James-Version-NKJV-Bible/

A Call to Action

Abiding is not something you achieve—it is something you return to. Release control, reconnect to the source, and remain.