How to Abide in Jesus’ Word
Dr. Ian Hamilton is a husband, father of four, and grandfather of six. He spent thirty-seven years ministering to local churches in Scotland and now continues to serve Christ and His Church as professor of historical theology and president at Westminster Presbyterian Theological Seminary, UK and adjunct professor of applied theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
We were privileged to partner with Dr. Hamilton on the publication of his multimedia Bible study, The Nature & Practice of True-Hearted Discipleship. This 8-week study guides you back to Scripture in order to examine Jesus’ descriptions of what it means to be His follower.
The following excerpt is from Lesson 3: “True Disciples Continue in Jesus’ Word.”
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples…” John 8:31
According to Scripture, true disciples abide in God’s Word. What does it mean to abide in God’s Word?
The word “abide” means “live in,” “remain,” or “to have your roots in.” In Scotland, someone might ask you, “Where do you abide?” meaning: “Where is your home, where do you live, and where are your roots?” Jesus is posing a test of truth that every professing Christian needs to hear and take to heart.
Let’s unpack Jesus’ statement.
First: to abide is to believe.
To abide in Jesus’ Word means to believe the truth of His Word, especially Him, who is the Truth (John 14:6).… True faith receives Jesus Christ, who is the good news of God, and rests all its hopes before God on Him.
Second: to abide is to obey.
To abide in Jesus’ Word means to obey the commands of His Word. The life of discipleship is to be shaped principally by Jesus’ commands—not by some of them, or even most of them, but by “all” of them.
Doing good is a mark of an authentic disciple. However, the good we do does not and cannot earn us any merit before God. All our merit is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Where there is no obedience, there is no saving faith; there can be no saving faith. The reason for this bold statement is not just that a true-hearted disciple is a new creation with a new heart disposition, although that is wonderfully true. The more fundamental reason is that a true-hearted disciple is someone united to Jesus Christ, the commandment-loving, commandment-keeping Savior. He came from heaven not to do His own will but the will of the One who sent him (John 6:38).
Third: to abide is to continue in His word.
To abide in Jesus’ Word means to persevere or “continue” in His Word.
Jesus had earlier spoken of professing believers who eagerly embraced His teaching but who turned away when opposition and persecution came their way (see Mark 4:16–17). To abide in Jesus’ Word is to so prize its truth that you would rather suffer and even die rather than abandon it.
Fourth: to abide is to abide in Him.
To abide in Jesus’ Word means to abide in Him!
Jesus is impressing on His disciples that He is the spiritual source of their lives. Their connectedness to Him will determine whether they “bear much fruit and so prove to be [His] disciples,” thereby bringing glory to the Father. Abiding in Jesus’ Word and abiding in Him are two sides of the same reality. The written Word and the incarnate Word cannot be separated. The Christian life is lived out of union with Christ. From the moment faith takes you into Christ, He becomes your life (Colossians 3:4). The imagery of the vine and its branches is vivid and evocative. Jesus could not have spoken more forcefully to these men: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).