The Key To Victorious Christian Life

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ” John 15:1-5

 

What Does It Mean to 'Abide in Christ'?

“It means to stay, to remain, to continue, to maintain, to persevere, to endure, to bear patiently, to remain stable or fixed, to bear something unpleasant, and to accept something unpleasant.”from Merriam-Webster dictionary

 

NOTE: the secret of "victorious Christian life" is to continually abiding in Christ.  

 

How to Abide in Christ?

“Do you ask, "How am I to abide in Christ?" In the same way as you received Him at first. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." Colossians 2:6. "The just shall live by faith." Hebrews 10:38. You gave yourself to God, to be His wholly, to serve and obey Him, and you took Christ as your Saviour. You could not yourself atone for your sins or change your heart; but having given yourself to God, you believe that He for Christ's sake did all this for you. By faith you became Christ's, and by faith you are to grow up in Him--by giving and taking. You are to give all--your heart, your will, your service--give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all--Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper --to give you power to obey.” FLB 125 (SC 69,70) 

 

What is the Condition to Receive Eternal Life?

 

“The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been,—just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents,—perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized.” SC 62

 

Let Us Allow Jesus Christ to Work in Our Heart by Yielding Ourselves Fully to Him

“It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character by obedience to God's law. But he failed to do this, and because of his sin our natures are fallen and we cannot make ourselves righteous. Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ's character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.” SC 62

 

 

As the Holy Spirit is Speaking to You, Cooperate by Opening Your Heart Fully to Receive Christ

"The disciples of Christ must obtain righteousness of a different character from that of the Pharisees, if they would enter the kingdom of heaven. God offered them, in His Son, the perfect righteousness of the law. If they would open their hearts fully to receive Christ, then the very life of God, His love, would dwell in them, transforming them into His own likeness; and thus through God's free gift they would possess the righteousness which the law requires . . . a reproduction in themselves of the character of Christ." MB 54, 55

 

 

We Can Work Out our Salvation Because God has Already Working in Us to Empower Us

 

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Phil 2:12,13 

 

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages  26  but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith.” Rom. 16:25, 26

 

Jesus Came to Reveal What a Man Could Do Through Faith

 

“The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what a God could do, but what a man could do, through faith in God’s power to help in every emergency. Man is, through faith, to be a partaker in the divine nature, and to overcome every temptation wherewith he is beset.” OHC 48

 

We Must Maintain Our Connection with Christ

 

 "More than this, Christ changes the heart. He abides in your heart by faith. You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure.” SC 62

 

We Are to Keep Walking Continually in the Footsteps of Jesus

 

“We are to keep walking continually in the footsteps of Jesus, working in His lines, dispensing His gifts as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Satan will be ready to give to anyone who is not learning every day of Jesus, a special message of his own creating, in order to make of no effect the wonderful truth for this time.” 1SM 191

 

We Retain Justification by Continual Obedience

 

“no man can cover his soul with the garments of Christ's righteousness while practicing known sins, or neglecting known duties. God requires the entire surrender of the heart, before justification can take place; and in order for man to retain justification, there must be continual obedience, through active, living faith that works by love and purifies the soul.”1SM 366

 

NOTE: In the garden of Gethsemane, the disciples of Jesus did not realize the necessity of watchfulness and earnest prayer- They did not continually plead with God.

 

“Rising with painful effort, He (Jesus) staggered to the place where He had left His companions. But He "findeth them asleep." Had He found them praying, He would have been relieved. Had they been seeking refuge in God, that satanic agencies might not prevail over them, He would have been comforted by their steadfast faith. But they had not heeded the repeated warning, "Watch and pray." At first they had been much troubled to see their Master, usually so calm and dignified, wrestling with a sorrow that was beyond comprehension. They had prayed as they heard the strong cries of the sufferer. They did not intend to forsake their Lord, but they seemed paralyzed by a stupor which they might have shaken off if they had continued pleading with God. They did not realize the necessity of watchfulness and earnest prayer in order to withstand temptation.” DA 688

 

We Must Continue in His Word Though Studying May Seem Boring. Like Jesus Who Had No Beauty to Attract More Followers but If We Are True Disciples of Jesus, We Must Chose to Follow Him as the Holy Spirit Reminds Us

 

“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him….” Isaiah 53:2

 

The Disciples Followed Jesus Without Hesitation and Questioning

 

“And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21  And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” Matt. 4:19-21 

 

“There was no hesitation, no questioning, no thought of the lucrative business to be exchanged for poverty and hardship. It was enough for him that he was to be with Jesus, that he might listen to His words, and unite with Him in His work. So it was with the disciples previously called. When Jesus bade Peter and his companions follow Him, immediately they left their boats and nets. Some of these disciples had friends dependent on them for support; but when they received the Saviour’s invitation, they did not hesitate, and inquire, How shall I live, and sustain my family? They were obedient to the call; and when afterward Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything?” they could answer, “Nothing.” Luke 22:35. . . .” CSA 16

 

 

NOTE: In our spiritual walk with God, with so many attractive distractions around us, are we listening to the Still Small Voice of the Holy Spirit by following Him through personal Bible study? Our Bible may have a cover on it like an ordinary book- not attractive! but what if people treated their Bible like their cell phone?

 

"None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict." GC 593

 

"All who do not earnestly search the Scriptures and submit every desire and purpose of life to that unerring test, all who do not seek God in prayer for a knowledge of His will, will surely wander from the right path and fall under the deception of Satan." CCh 320

 

“We should diligently study the word of God, and pray in faith that God will restrain the powers of darkness; for as yet the message has gone to comparatively few, and the world is to be lightened with its glory. The present truth--the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus--has not yet been sounded as it must be…” RH Extra 12-24-1889

 

“Study to show yourself approved to God…” 2 Timothy 2:15

 

Sulad Jhun Cardeinte writes from Thailand. His email address is acardeinte@aiias.edu

Follow his FB page: Adventist ToolBoX

 

To read the previous blog articles, go to SULADS Thailand website and click blog section. Direct link below; https://www.suladsthailand.com/blog-1/