All of us desire a closer walk with God. We desire a proper prayer life with a doubtless trust that He hears us and will answer. God has promised us this closer walk with Him—but under certain conditions. He explains in His word how it will happen.
We notice that the abiding comes with two conditions. They both hinge on an understanding of the Son of God. Christ says, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, then you can ask what you will and it will be done unto you” (John 15: 7). That is an astounding conditional promise of unlimited answered prayers. That is a closer walk with Him.
The First Condition
The first condition is “If you abide in Me.” The Greek word translated “abide” is also translated “remain” and “stay.” So, He is saying, If you remain in Me, if you stay in Me, and my words stay and remain in you—then I can trust you to receive My power to teach, heal and show forth Me to the world.
I have accented the “Me” here for a reason. His elect will remain in the real “Me,” the real Christ, the real truth as to who He really is. It is about staying in the real Christ. We cannot abide, remain and stay in Christ if we have an incorrect concept of who He really is.
It is like this: A new football coach has arrived. He wants to run a completely different offense than last years. The team only knows what they were taught last year. The team cannot continue, stay, and remain in the new coach’s system if they don’t know it. The team can only abide and stay in the new offense after they learn and practice it. To be successful, they must let go of the old system and embrace the new.
Likewise, to abide (continue, remain, stay) in the Son of God, we must know who He really is and walk in it. We must let go of the old leaven concepts as to who He is and cleave unto the “new.” He did not say, If you abide in one of man’s many concepts of who Christ is, then you will have a closer walk with God. No, Christ said to remain or abide in Me, or remain in the truth of who He really is. Those whom He has chosen to reveal Himself to will find the real Christ.
Many False Concepts about Who Christ Is
There are many false concepts of Christ out there that are confusing the masses. The word “many” keeps cropping up in unhappy scenarios. “Many false prophets are gone out into the world” (I John 4: 1). False teachers will be among us in the last days, “and many shall follow their pernicious ways…” (II Pet. 2: 1-2).
Christ warns us to enter into His kingdom by the narrow gate where “few there be that find it.” Many will enter through the wide gate into the broad and easy way that leads to destruction. And “there are many who go in by it” (Matt. 7: 13-14). In the very next verse, Christ shows us clearly who ushers the masses through the wide gate that leads to destruction. “Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing…” They will attire themselves to appear to be Christian preachers, pastors, priests, and evangelists. They are difficult to spot because they talk about Christ, “but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (v. 15). These are Christ’s words of warning.
We have all read these passages, but have you ever wondered why pastors do not warn us about the false prophets and false teachers? Much is written on the subject. The Spirit in Paul even warns us that they transform themselves into the apostles of Christ. “For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” And Satan’s ministers are transformed into “ministers of righteousness” (II Cor. 11: 13-15).
There. Three apostles—John, Peter, and Paul–and the Chief Apostle warn us about the many false teachers, preachers, and prophets in this world. This must be extremely important for us, since so much of the word of God is devoted to warnings about false teachings. They are pervasive. It is everywhere. These false teachings present a false picture of who Christ is and what His purpose is. As long as Christians are remaining in a false concept of who Christ is, they are not obeying His New Commandment: “Abide in Me…” The real Me.
So, who is the Son of God? “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” Yahweh, the Father, dwelt in Christ, the Son, who is the “expressed image of the invisible God.” There is only one God. “Hear, O Israel, the LORD (Yahweh) our God is one” (Deut. 6: 4; Mark 12: 29). The Father is an invisible Spirit, and He dwells in the Son. He that has really seen the Son has seen the Father. For the Son of God houses the Father, who is invisible.
This is why Christ commanded us, “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me” (John 14: 11). He also gave us another New Commandment: “Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15: 4). Very few ever hear about the abiding. He also said for us to “seek first the kingdom of God.” Not many speak of a kingdom headed by Christ. He said that He would return at the end of the age. Very few speak of this government that will “fill the whole earth.” His apostles speak of “the manifestation of the sons of God” in our era (Rom. 8:19).
In all of Romans 8, the apostle Paul speaks of a sublime time for mankind. Nothing less than a conquering of death for us humans, a time at the end of this age that God will wipe away all tears from mankind’s death swept eyes. God has chosen out a few thousand human beings to be the first fruits of His immortal harvest. The astounding thing is that it will happen right here on this planet. For He is coming back to earth to reign in righteousness for a thousand years! A new era of immortality will supplant the old ways of death for humans. Through His abiding in us, He will sustain His life in us in a new spiritual body, a body impervious to disease and death. This is all conceived of and delivered to us by our King.
Very few have ever heard of such a thing happening. Yet these things comprise Christ’s words to us. The reason it’s very few is because they are not taught this truth. They are taught false doctrines that give a false picture of the Savior. The Savior is coming back here to reign for a thousand years. We may rise up to meet Him, but we are coming right back down here to earth with Him. Until the old leaven (false teachings) is purged out of Christ’s followers, they will never be able to abide, remain, and stay in Him. The elect will purge out the false teachings about Christ and will repent of them.
The Second Condition
The first condition consists of us abiding, staying, and remaining in the true concept of Christ. The second condition is for His words to abide or remain in us. It boils down to the interpretation of His words. There are interpretations many, and they are dictated by our concepts of just who He is.
Christ said “and if my words abide in you…” His word is truth. When the Spirit of truth is come, “he will guide you into all truth…and will show you things to come” (John 16: 13).
Let’s see what His written word says about His words. “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6: 63). “Thy word is truth” (John 17: 17; I Kings 17: 24). So when Christ speaks of His words abiding in you,” He is saying that it is the truth that abides in you. If people are deceived by false teachings about Christ, then how can the truth ever abide, remain, and stay in a person?
Therefore, it is paramount that we understand that His words are His New Commandments and the Apostles’ Doctrine. And if we hope to receive this wonderful promise of full answers to all of our prayers, then we need to know His New Commandments and the Apostles’ Doctrine, which are Christ’s teachings. If we do not know them nor do them, then the Spirit will not abide in us, no matter how much we scream and holler. [Order your free copy of my latest book The Apostles’ Doctrine. Ordering info at the end of this article.]
Our personal understanding of His words are colored by the words that we have heard about Him since childhood. Sunday school and church services and picnics paints a picture of Christ for protestant churches. And the Catholic mass with its rituals, confessions, and bazaars and bingo nights paints another. Both are woefully short of the words of the Spirit of truth.
Yet Christ said, “If my words abide in you…” His words are found in His New Commandments and His doctrine. It is only through cleaving to them that we may abide in Christ. Let John tell you: “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (II John 1: 9). Kenneth Wayne Hancock
[Ordering My Free Books in Paperback
I am now able to send you a copy of my books absolutely free with free shipping. Please specify which one.
Yah Is Savior: The Road to Immortality explores the deeper meaning of our Savior’s Hebrew name Yahshua, which means Yahweh is the Savior.
The Unveiling of the Sons of God explains how the whole creation is waiting and longing for the manifestation (the unveiling) of the sons of God for these latter days. Christ will be totally formed in His elect as they will have grown and matured spiritually into His likeness and power.
The Royal Destiny of God’s Elect. It explores God’s vision for us, to be kings with Christ and how He will use us to reproduce His nature of Love.
My latest book is The Apostles’ Doctrine. Their doctrine was Christ’s teachings. And the early church walked in those teachings. This book reveals just what they are and how to walk in them.
Send your request, specifying which one of my books you desire, to my email address: wayneman5@hotmail.com Include your name and mailing address. For those outside the United States, or who may prefer a pdf copy of the last two books mentioned, please specify. Also, you may read the first two books online at my website Immortality Road found here: https://immortalityroad.wordpress.com
God bless you and your family, and thank you for taking a stroll with me on Immortality Road.]