THIS ABIDING IN us sets the Christian faith off as unique, a sui generis. In the Vedanta philosophy, you become the Divine, become Brahma—the personality is lost in the ocean of Being. In Islam, Allah is over you and with you, but never in, except in a few mystics. In Buddhism, God is a vast question mark. In Judaism, He is “high and lifted up,” or with His people. In the Christianity of Christ, He is “in,” and not a casual “in” but a creative “in.”
He is there to heighten all our powers and to stimulate our minds, to kindle our emotions, to strengthen our wills, and to make the total personality effective, at its maximum best. Redemption is redemption from weakness as well as redemption from sin. “My church has weakened me,” said a Latin American youth, “it tells me what to do, dictates everything I do.” He could have added: “Everything I may read.” The church has oversight, but gives the member no insight of his own. They are very obedient and very weak.
Being in Christ and His being in us is different. We are primarily in Him—Jesus is Lord—but He is also in us—He is Redeemer—Redeemer from sin and ineffectiveness and weakness. He is a strong man creating strong men around Him.
Note the double abiding as a condition of much fruit: “He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit” (John 15:5). If you abide only in Him you do not bring forth much fruit—you are comparatively weak, depending on Him for everything with little initiative. You are pious, but not positive. On the other hand, if He only abides in you then again you do not bring forth much fruit, for you are the center. You have not surrendered yourself to Him as Lord. You are finding all the answers in you. You are the center of reference, and when you are the center you become the center of weakness.
O Lord Jesus, my first abiding is in Thee. My first act is to surrender. Thou art Lord. I’m lost in Thee. Then Thou art able to be in me. I’ve lost everything and found everything. Thou dost make the surrendered self into the creative self. I thank Thee. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: The answers are not in me but in Thee. I take Thee—and the answers!
