This semester I've truly learned what it means to abide in the Lord. John 15:5 says "I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in Him produces much fruit because you can do nothing without Me." The first post I ever wrote on here was my testimony. The more I've written the more I've shared, like my struggle with pornography. And like all sins we struggle with, it's freaking hard to stay focused on Jesus. When you're in the middle of a sin cycle or prideful thought or anything not honoring God, is your heart singing Jesus? No, it's not. Most of the time my heart sings "My desires. My plans. My ways. Me. Me. ME."
So how can I change that?
Let's go back to John 15. The first 8 verses are all Jesus commanding us to remain in Him. When we cling to the Vine and press into Christ, we can't NOT produce the fruit of His Spirit in us. When we seek Him His character flows out of us into our daily lives. In verses 9-17 Jesus tells us how to love like He loves. When we cling to Him "our joy is complete" (v.11). Verse 16 tells us that Jesus has chosen us. Let me reword this more directly:
The Creator of the UNIVERSE
CHOSE YOU.
So how does this relate back to your heart singing the name of Jesus?
When you cling to the Vine that IS Christ you will not fall.
Romans 8:12-17 tells us that we do not have to live in our sin anymore! "By the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father!' The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's children, and if children, also heirs- heirs of God and coheirs with Christ- seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."
In the midst of our sin we can cry out to our Father - Abba.
In Christ you do not have the spirit of going back to whatever sin or condemnation that broke you.
I'm not saying you're going to be the best at this. I fail in my flesh every day. It's spiritual warfare which sounds terrifying because it is.
But listen
You're not fighting for victory
You're fighting from victory
As a child of God, He has already paid the debt for your sins. You're are covered and loved because of the blood of Jesus.
Jesus has fought and won the hardest war for your life and you get to rest in that and trust Him through the hard circumstances life throws at you.
Most days your heart is still long for that fleshly desire more than Jesus. But you are forgiven and you are redeemed and you are victorious.
When you abide, your heart and life will scream the name of Jesus.
"Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurancethe race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus,the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne." Hebrews 12:1-2
