Our Lord said to His disciples, “Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself” (John 15:4).

It is true that a person who is saved by God’s grace will remain saved forever; yet the scriptures are full of warnings to believers against UNBELIEF, against DRAWING BACK, against NEGLECTING THE WORD AND WORSHIP, against WORLDLINESS, and against LEAVING OUR FIRST LOVE!

Here the Lord Jesus exhorts us to “ABIDE” in Him, which means to stay where we are. Abide (dwell) in His love, in His word, in His Spirit and fellowship.

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk (live, abide, stay) ye in him.”
(Colossians 2:6)

Let us forever be on guard against any influence whether material, social, or personal which might hinder our fellowship and relationship with the Lord. I think of poor Esau, who satisfied his appetite but lost his blessing.

Are we so foolish?

Yes, we are!

And we need to be constantly reminded of it.

STAY where you are!

Dwell in Christ and in His word, in His love, and with His people. Don’t let anyone nor anything come between you and Him. If you notice even the slightest decline in interest, desire, or thirst for spiritual growth, go with Jacob “BACK TO BETHEL” (Genesis 35:1-2).

By Henry Mahan