PART 2

When we become saved, we must continue to live for Christ. If we are living for Christ then God does not see sin in us, instead, He sees Christ in us… but we must continue to be in Christ and Christ in us. Let us consider a few passages and the meaning of a few words to help us understand this truth…

John 8:51 Truly, truly I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death at all."

Notice Jesus said "keeps"... let's consider the Greek word for "keep"… which is “tereo”…

Strong's Definition: to watch; to guard (from loss or injury); (in custody; figuratively to maintain); hold fast, keep (-er), (ob-, pre-, re) serve.

Thayer's Definition: to attend to carefully, take care of; to guard; metaphorically to keep one in the state in which he is; to observe.

When we "keep something", we "hold on to" it. Here the word is "keeps", and is in the mood of "continue" or "maintain". Jesus tells us that we must continue to keep His words in order to prevent us from seeing spiritual death. If we do not continue to keep His words then will we see spiritual death? If not, then why did Jesus make this statement? The answers are obvious. Part of keeping His words is keeping His commandments...

John 15:10-11 If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Notice that Jesus said "IF" we "KEEP" His commandments, we will abide in His love. Jesus said He spoke these things that He "MIGHT" remain in us. So, "IF" we do not "KEEP" His commandments are we still abiding in Him and He in us? Again the answer is obvious… He WILL NOT remain in us.

1 John 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

If God's Word "remains" in us then we shall "continue" in the Son, and in the Father. Once we are saved and "in Christ", what we have heard, which is God's Word, must "remain" in us so that we can "continue" to be in Christ. If God's Word does not "remain" in us, then we will not "continue" to be in Christ. If we are no longer in Christ then we have lost our salvation. We cannot be “out of Christ” and remain saved. Plain and simple! We must "keep" God's commandments, which is part of His word, to abide in God and He in us...

1 John 3:24 The person who keeps His commandments abides in God, and God abides in him. This is how we can be sure that He remains in us: He has given us His Spirit.

We cannot say that if we do not keep His words, or if we do not continue in Christ, that we were never really saved because in order to "continue" to be in Christ, we have to be in Christ to begin with… and in order to “keep” something, we have to have it to begin with. Paul further explains what has happened to us when we are saved and what we must continue to do…

Colossians 1:21-23 You who were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled by the death of His physical body so that He might present you holy, blameless, and without fault before Him. However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

As unsaved sinners, we were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, but now as Christians we have been reconciled by the death of Christ. "However" we "must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith". This statement that Paul makes indicates that Christians may not necessarily "remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith".

Let's consider the Greek word for "abide"... a verb (a verb is a word that denotes an action or a state), “abide” is translated from the Greek word “meno”…

Strong's Definition: a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy); abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand.

Thayer's Definition: to remain, abide; in reference to place; not to depart; to continue to be present; to be held, kept, continually; to remain as one.

We learn that the Greek word "meno" in its verb form means... "abide, remain, dwell, continue, not to depart, to be held, kept, continually".

Now let's consider the Greek word for "abode"... a noun (a noun refers to a person, place, or thing... it can be used as the subject or object of a verb), “abode” is translated from the Greek word “mone”…

Strong's Definition: a staying, that is, residence (the act or the place); abode, mansion.

Thayer's Definition: a staying, abiding, dwelling, abode; to make an (one’s) abode; metaphorically of the God the Holy Spirit indwelling believers.

We can learn that the Greek word "mone" in its' noun form means... "rooms, dwelling places, abiding places", and also poorly translated as "mansions".

John 14:2 In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. (NASB) “many rooms” (ISV)… “many mansions” (KJV).

In this passage we learn how the word "abode" is used in various ways... "many rooms, many mansions, many dwelling places". Jesus says that He is going to heaven to prepare a place for the people who are saved. He is not saying He is going to prepare a place for those who are lost. Now let's consider what else Jesus says later in this same chapter of John…

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

Jesus clearly says that He and God will make Their "abode" with us "if" we love Him and "keep" His words. "Abode" means "dwelling, abiding place"... "keep" means "continue, hold on to"... so we understand that if we love Jesus and "continue to hold on to" His words, then He and God will "dwell/abide" in us. If we do not “continue to hold on to” His words then God and Jesus will not continue to “abide” in us. We must keep, continue and remain!

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In Christ,
brother Sonnie