Holding Hands with Christ

When we begin reading the Bible, it can be hard to make sense of all the laws, do’s and don’ts, right and wrong. It may seem like a lot to keep up with following on your journey with Jesus. Keeping commandments sounds hard for most of us. The thought of rules and religion may make your stomach knot, fill your mind with anxiety or make you want to give up altogether. As Jesus implores His disciples to abide in Him, He mentions keeping commandments once. He speaks about abiding in Him and abiding in love a total of three times. This must be an important concept that Jesus wants the disciples to understand. He was not saying the Old Testament commandments weren’t important. He was saying that the new covenant, Christ himself, was more important. Jesus is emphasizing that staying connected to Him is the new and only way to stay connected with the Father. When abiding is the focus, obeying comes naturally.

When we abide in Jesus, we are holding hands with Him on our journey. Holding hands with Christ activates the Holy Spirit within us and connects us to our Father in heaven. You see, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, Yahweh, in the throne room of grace and glory. Jesus’ left hand is touching Yahweh at any given moment. All the while Jesus reaches out his right hand down to us- mere, messed up humans that can never measure up on our own. A holy connection from Heaven to earth. Creator to creation. Father to daughter/son. Highest of Kings to the least deserving. Jesus bridges that gap for you and me. “And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty. “(Philippians 4:13) Let’s hold hands with Christ as we follow Him.

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”   John 15:5-11 NASB

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