A. Abide in Him
"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.” (John 15:5-8 NKJV
Jesus said we should "abide" with Him in us and us in Him. If you are a Born-Again Christian, Jesus "abides" inside you because the Holy Spirit lives in you. But the other half of abiding is that we have to abide "in Him." In one sense, you are abiding in Christ because you are in God's family. However, abiding in Christ is more than that. It is reasonable to conclude that we need to abide inside Him to the same degree that the Holy Spirit is inside us!
More is always possible for the inside of us because Jesus promised that a river of the Holy Spirit could flow out from inside us (See John 7:37-39). More is possible for the outside of us too!
“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38 NIV)
"...we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus...let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:19,22).
You can learn to "abide in Christ" by learning to draw near to God and letting Him draw near to you. By this, you experience a continual cleansing from God, inside and out. It is by drawing near and receiving this cleansing that your body is consecrated by God and prepared to be used for His purposes! The Old Testament priests were to "stand before" the Lord and be His ministers. The pattern is still the same today.
B. Dwell In God
“I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge (TRUST) in the shelter of your wings.” (Ps 61:4 NIV)
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Ps 91 NIV)
Dwells OT:3427
yashab (yaw-shab'); a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:
KJV - (make to) abide (-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell (-ing), easeself, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit (-ant), make to keep [house], lurking, X marry (-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set (-tle), (down-) sit (-down, still, -ting down, -ting [place] -uate), take, tarry.
Shelter (Secret Place)
“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.” (Ps 139:15-16 NIV)
“I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9 If you make the Most High your dwelling--even the LORD, who is my refuge-- 10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." (Ps 91:2-16 NIV)
C. Don’t trust your own understanding
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov 3:5-6 NIV)
KJV - knowledge, meaning, X perfectly, understanding, wisdom. Experience, talent, abilities, education and intellect
From root word:
OT:995 biyn (bene); a primitive root; to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(generally) understand:
KJV - attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill (-full), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) understand (-ing), view, (deal) wise (-ly, man).
'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
(Jer 33:3-4 NIV)
D. Depend Totally on the Lord
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”
“You younger men, accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble."
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.
8 Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. 9 Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
10 In his kindness God called you to his eternal glory by means of Jesus Christ. After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power is his forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:5-11 NIV)
E. Live in the Presence Of God
“Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."
The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16
How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"
And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." (Ex 33:12-18 NIV)
F. Display Your New Nature
24 You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness--righteous, holy, and true.
25 So put away all falsehood and "tell your neighbor the truth" because we belong to each other.
26 And "don't sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.
28 If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need.
29 Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
30 And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.
32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Eph 4:24-5:1 NLT)
G. Cover the Naked
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.’ (Isa 58:6-12 NIV)
a. Noah’s Nakedness
20 After the Flood, Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard.
21 One day he became drunk on some wine he had made and lay naked in his tent.
22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers.
23 Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, walked backward into the tent, and covered their father's naked body. As they did this, they looked the other way so they wouldn't see him naked.
24 When Noah woke up from his drunken stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done.
25 Then he cursed the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham: "A curse on the Canaanites! May they be the lowest of servants to the descendants of Shem and Japheth."
26 Then Noah said, "May Shem be blessed by the LORD my God; and may Canaan be his servant.
27 May God enlarge the territory of Japheth, and may he share the prosperity of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant." (Gen 9:20-27 NLT)
H. Show Mercy and Kindness
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
Isaiah 58:9 (Msg Bible)
“Then when you pray, God will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.' "If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people's sins,”
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. (Isa 58:9-12 NIV)
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt 5:7 NIV)
When you consider forgiving the people who have hurt you, you must always consider how much Jesus has forgiven you! You don’t deserve His love and can never earn it. He forgave you because He is a merciful, gracious God. Because you have already been forgiven of ALL your sins and set free, you must forgive others by becoming so transparent that His mercy and grace will radiate through every aspect of your life. You are never to be a giver of condemnation but always a giver of mercy.
Mercy is distinctly different from forgiveness because God is merciful to us even when you don’t sin, just as you can be merciful to those who have never done anything against you. God’s mercy doesn’t just forgive your failures and faults but reaches deep into all your weakness and need. His attitude toward you is merciful.
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms--all because we are one with Christ Jesus. And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:4)
Mercy is also related to grace. Grace is what saves you - mercy is what sustains you. Mercy eliminates the pain; grace cures the disease. Mercy offers relief from punishment; grace offers pardon from the crime. Mercy is a word you will hear used in the legal system. After the conviction has been made, the jury has unanimously declared the persons' guilt, and the sentence is about to be handed down, MERCY is begged for.
The Hebrew word for mercy is “Checed,” which means to get inside someone’s skin, to look at where they view life and feel what they are experiencing, to move in and act on behalf of the one who is hurting. That is exactly what Jesus did when He chose to leave the comfort and glory of Heaven to become one of us. Mercy has also been defined as compassionate treatment, having the disposition to be kind and forgiving.
One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking Him this question: "Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?" Jesus replied with a question, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?"
The religious man replied with the correct answer, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, `Love your neighbor as yourself.’ "He then asked Jesus another question to justify his behavior; “And who is my neighbor.”
Jesus answered him by telling the familiar story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37. The Samaritan handed out mercy by taking notice of the bruised and beaten man lying beside the road, relating to his need AND doing something to help him.
After telling the story, Jesus asked, “Which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy." Then, Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."
The dispensing of mercy on your part identifies you not only with the hurting but with God the Father. You are never more like your Heavenly Father than when you are giving out mercy. Jesus desires acts of “mercy and not sacrifice.’ (Matt 9:13 NIV) If you truly love God, you prove it through the mercy you give.
The mercy and “unfailing love of the LORD never ends! His “mercies begin afresh each day" (Lam 3:19-24 NLT). His mercy is brand spanking new every morning! Every day you are given a second chance and a fresh start at life! “Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever. (Ps 136:26 NKJV)
As God gives you a fresh start each new day, so should you reach beyond the pain and give to those who have hurt you a fresh start through your forgiveness. Mercy is forgiveness soaked in the love of God. Every day, when you forgive, the anger, bitterness, resentment, and pain you feel from the wrong suffered at the hands of another is weakened. It’s only through the giving of mercy that your emotional wounds will be healed. If you do not show mercy and forgive the unforgivable, you may never find total healing for your spirit, mind, and body.
When Jesus was ready to release the disciples into ministry, He gave them very specific instructions. In those commands, we find a four-step plan for effectively fulfilling the Great Commission.
First, speak peace to them. "When you enter a house, first say, ’Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.”
Second, fellowship with them; “Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you.
Third, take care of their needs; “Heal the sick who are there.”
Fourth, to become a conduit of mercy and share God’s forgiving love and mercy with the guilty, convicted, and the desperate who have only known judgment, wrath, and condemnation, share the Great News! Tell them, “The kingdom of God is near you” (Luke 10:5,8,9 NIV).
Just as Jesus was love incarnate, He was mercy incarnate. He wept with the sorrowing and gave companionship to the lonely. He took little children into His arms and blessed them. He forgave those who beat Him and rallied against Him. The ultimate outcome of His mercy was the cross.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matt 5:7 NIV) He was teaching that mercy to men brings mercy from God - not mercy from men. Our corrupt, ego-centered, and selfish society often asks only one question; “What’s in it for me?” Jesus wants us to ask, “ Lord, what is in it for you? How can I meet their needs right where they are? What acts of compassion can I do?” Mercy is meeting people’s needs wherever their needs are - in whatever situation they find themselves. It’s not simply feeling compassion but showing compassion, not only sympathizing but offering a helping hand as well. The true character of mercy is in giving – giving compassion, giving help, giving time, giving money, giving of yourself, and giving forgiveness. If you desire to “brightly reflect the glory of the Lord” and become “more and more like him and reflect his glory even more,” you must “never give up” in showing His mercy. (2 Cor 3:17-4:2 NLT)
I. Forgive daily
“..and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” (Matt 6:12-15 NLT)
When a person receives Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, the Creator of the universe comes to dwell inside of them.
Jesus taught that the fundamental guiding principle of being a disciple of His was to live and breathe forgiveness toward one another just as He had forgiven them (see Matt. 6:12-15).
Apart from Jesus, it is impossible to forgive, just like we have been forgiven.
Jesus forgave your sins past - present - future because He is the “same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).
Jesus has given you the power to forgive. Your life should be characterized by forgiveness because Jesus first forgave you.
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col 3:13 NIV).
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph 4:32 NIV).
Jesus taught that the direct evidence of being a Christian is to forgive beyond the limits of human comprehension.
Total forgiveness is supernatural - something you can’t do without Him.
If you don’t forgive, you prove to the world that you have not been transformed into a true disciple of Christ.
When we forgive a person, we cancel their debt and all of its effects - which have far-reaching consequences.
Jesus taught that their sins against one another were far smaller than their sins against God.
God has given us His assurance that our sins have already been forgiven at the cross (see 1 John 2:1).
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” (1 John 2:1 NIV)
The constant intercession of Jesus assures us that we have forgiveness - right now! (see Rom. 8:26)
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35 NIV)
Jesus has given the world the right to judge whether or not you are His disciple by the way you love and forgive others.
The word disciple means a "student of." As a Born-Again Christian, you are a Christ-one, a mirrored image of Jesus Himself.
Forgiveness should now flow from you naturally because you took on His nature and character, His beliefs and behaviors.
If you do not forgive others with the same love that Jesus used to forgive you, then the world has the right to believe and proclaim that Jesus is not the Son of God.
When you forgive, you show the world that they also can be forgiven of their sin and reconciled to God. If you want a lasting encounter with God’s presence in your relationships, in your church, and your home, you must flow at all times in and through forgiveness.
