Do What God Does || The Jesus Connection #3

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.” – John 15:5-6

What does it mean to remain in Jesus? How can we connect with Jesus to have a strong relationship with him? This is what our new series will be about. In this series, we will examine different statements we believe in as Christians regarding understanding who Christ is. This series is called “The Jesus Connection” because I aim to strengthen your connection to who Jesus is and what believing in him can do for your life.

In this blog, we see that Christians do what God says.

1 John 3:23-24

23           And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

24           Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

If we obey God’s commands, we remain in a relationship with God. The mutual relationship, living in Christ as Christ lives in us, shows itself in Christians through three essential commands:

• Believe in Christ.
• Love others.
• Live obedient lives in close fellowship with God.

We’ve touched on part of this and will touch on the rest later in this series. We must believe in Christ. Believe who Jesus is, who God is, what they did on earth, and what their impact is on our lives. Love others how you want to be loved, which is how Jesus loved you. We see both forms of this command show up in the Bible. Live obedient lives in close fellowship and in a close relationship with God. It’s listening to the plans God has for us. Using the strength of the Holy Spirit to accomplish those tasks. See, learn, and adapt the ways Jesus lived into that plan.

The Spirit’s presence is spiritual, mystical, and practical. It’s not voodoo and ethereal, but it’s real. How we live verifies the presence of the Spirit within us. If we live as if the Spirit doesn’t exist, then we aren’t Christians. If we’re living as if the Spirit doesn’t exist and claim to be a Christian, then we are showing the world a false image of who God is. Think about what we’re called as a Christian: free, a saint, loved, Child of God, among many other times.

In biblical times, a person’s name often stood for their character. Consider why we read so much about the meaning of someone’s name. It represented who the person really was. We are to believe not only the words of Jesus but also the essential nature of who he is as the Son of God. We can learn a lot about God and acknowledge who God is, what he represents, and the knowledge of being a Christian. Yet, intellect doesn’t equate to action. We must embrace the nature of who God is and what that means for our lives.

Romans 8:9

9             But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

How many of you have asked this question: “Am I a Christian?” It’s a question that I ask myself often. I’m not perfect (no matter how much I strive for perfection). I want to live as other Christians live, yet I struggle. I struggle with praying regularly, reading my Bible daily, and listening to worship music, among other facets. I don’t tithe regularly. I may not use all my free time to help the church or volunteer. In this role, I wrestle with imposter syndrome to say, “Who am I to teach the Bible to people?” I am a sinner. I struggle with lust. I struggle with overeating. I struggle with my mental health. I swear, sometimes. I’m sure you have some of these problems as well.

If you have sincerely trusted Jesus Christ for your salvation and acknowledged him as Lord, then the Holy Spirit lives within you, and you are a Christian. You can be assured that you have the Holy Spirit because Jesus promised to send him. What is this trying to say? Because you doubt you are a Christian. If you have accepted Jesus as your savior but doubt if you are indeed a Christian, then you are. It’s comforting and feels contradictory to what scripture can say. However, if we have doubts, we still can overcome them. It can lead to becoming a stronger Christian through our weaknesses. However, it’s when we intentionally don’t doubt. It’s when we become a matter-of-fact denier of Christ and embrace the full doubt of Christianity. That’s when we’re genuinely not a Christian.

Since you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that eternal life comes through him alone, you will start to act as Christ directs. You will find help with your daily problems and your prayers. You will seek ways to strengthen your Bible literacy. You will have moments when you can pray in all ways. You will find strength to strengthen your relationship with God. You will be empowered to serve God and do his will. You will find the time to serve. You will find the resources to donate to the different ministries. You will become part of God’s plan to help build the church. How does it all start? By doing what God says.

The next part will discuss Christians continuing to believe in the Good News. Until then, stay blessed!