Topic:    Abide in Him
Text:      1 John 2:27-29
Minister: Pst. Davies Otonye

The songwriter says “Trust and Obey, there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey”.

To abide in Him requires us to trust him, not only to trust but to obey. Indeed to abide in him, we need an unquestionable trust and an un-negotiated obedience – totally submitted to him. Jesus himself makes it clear in John 15:4-6 “Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruits of himself except it abides in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches, he that abideth in me, the same bringeth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abideth now in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and it is withered and men cast them into the fire and they are burned”.

Our text is very clear that fulfilling the call to abide in him requires certain things, first of all; the starting point as we can see from the first verse we read; it requires the anointing that provide the grace for us to abide. The anointing is the unction to abide.

Our text also reveals a few things I will be sharing us:

i.              We need the anointing to abide in him. The anointing is unction and ability… the anointing is so important that even Jesus needed to be anointed before he started his ministry. [Acts 10:38-39]. If Jesus needed to be anointed to stay, we need greater anointing to stay

ii.             The anointing is given by him, that is why the scripture says “we receive”. We do not take the anointing of our own; it is not one of those things we take by violence or by pretence, whatever is received must first be given. Until the anointing to stay is given it is not received, and the anointing to stay will come Him; the bible says “It is not of him that willeth nor him that runneth, but it is the Lord that showeth mercy”. You need total dependence on God’s ability to abide in him.

iii.            To abide in him, the grace and anointing you have been given must be made to grow in your life. You must provide an environment in your life that allows that grace you have been given to grow. Many have killed the grace of God upon their life by the places they have gone; the things they have done; and the things they have refused to do. The environment we stay determines whether the grace we are given will survive or not.

iv.           The anointing teaches us all things. it teaches us restrain, it teaches us dependence on the spirit of God, it teaches us acceptable worship, abstinence, strategies for spiritual warfare, acceptable conduct in the things of God. Without the ability that God gives, it is not possible for any man to stand.

v.            The anointing teaches us the truth about the trinity and enables us to navigate the paths of spiritual realities. It is through the teaching anointing that we abide, if we are not taught we cannot abide [1 Cor. 2:13-14]. This is why the Bible talks again, and again about a teachable heart [Mark 5:25 AMP].

vi.           Those who do not abide shall be ashamed when Jesus comes because they have not cultivated the environment for the grace of God to find expression in them. They did everything contrary to the scripture and will of God and that is why such people will end up in shame [1 Cor. 3:18-19].

Before I round up, I will like to read two scriptures; Matt. 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom and his righteousness and all this things shall be added to you”. Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world”.

God knows the end from the beginning, and because He has a good intent for us, that’s why he is saying to us clearly, that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lust. For it is those that live like that, that will abide in him and be confident.

Prayer Point:

Thank you Father for your children, we appreciate you for your mercy and for the grace that you have shown. We know that indeed you love us because you do great thing in our midst, let your name be glorified in Jesus name.