Hiding under the Umbrella

Christianity is not about following the rules. But it is not about following no rules, either. Nor, following principles derived from Scripture that promise to achieve success in the Christian life. It is much simpler. It is about remaining. The quality of the Christian life rises and falls in relation to our ability to remain in the place Jesus has for us, a place that is not a concept or idea but a reality, more real in fact than the physical universe that surrounds us.

We have recently been discussing the voice of God and how it is is the only means of effectively living out the Christian life. It is God’s Spirit that that leads us into a place where all things are available to us.

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Defying Gravity

Last time, I shared a bit about my personal journey to understand what it means to remain in Jesus, and my coming to understand that when Jesus said “if you obey my commands,” he was not talking about obeying all that he taught which is recorded in the Bible (or even obeying the Bible itself) but rather obeying His voice. In fact, it is only by hearing and obeying God’s voice that we can ever move into the deeper abundant life Jesus promised.

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The Most Depressing Scripture Ever

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. . . . apart from me, you can do nothing. . . . If you obey my commands, you will remain in [Me]

For years, I considered the above-quoted scripture as the most depressing passage of the Bible ever. During my regular Bible-reading, I would happen upon this passage, consider the prospect of remaining in Jesus, and conclude it was an impossible task — at least for me. After all, how was I suppose to obey Jesus’ commands, just as He had his Father’s? How was I suppose to be that good? Maybe one day I would achieve that level of perfection, but certainly not now.

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