The BLB Blog

The official blog of Blue Letter Bible

Chuck Smith on the Priority of Abiding in Christ

Posted on Posted by

20131010_priority

The following is from Chuck Smith’s resources available at the Blue Letter Bible.

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 1)

I believe that if there is a theme that runs through the book of Ephesians, it is this: In Christ Jesus.

And if you are going to ever make a thorough study of the book of Ephesians, underline every time he makes a reference to the relationship in Christ Jesus: in Him, by Him, for Him, and through Him. Paul shows that the believer’s life is totally bound up in the person of Jesus Christ and that we are nothing, really, apart from Him. It is in Him. It is through Him. It is by Him and it is for Him that our lives exist.

Naturally when you start talking about this kind of a relationship, your mind must go back to the words of Christ in John 15 where He talks about that relationship. “Abide in Me. My words abide in you.” There is a necessity for this if we are to bear fruit for Him. And the purpose of the Father is not that you just bear fruit, “But that you bear much fruit. Herein is your Father glorified…” (cf. John 15:8).

Yes, it is true that God has a plan for you and wants to work in your life. He has a work He wants to do in your area, in your community, a greater work than you have yet seen, a greater work than you can even imagine. And God wants to use you as His instrument in accomplishing His work in that community. But relationship is first. The relationship comes before the ministry. And thus, your relationship with God has to be the first priority of your life. And may God just really help you to draw close to Him, to be open to Him, to get that relationship established; so that God can begin to do the work in your life that He wants to do. He will do through your life what He wants to do.

(adapted from Chuck Smith’s course titled Servant Leadership, available at the Blue Letter Bible Institute)

Comments

  1. Paul shows that the believer’s life is totally bound up in the person of Jesus Christ and that we are nothing, really, apart from Him. It is in Him. It is through Him. It is by Him and it is for Him that our lives exist.

    WOW !! That says it all

    He plucked me from the fire and mouth of Sheol !

    He Redeemed Me!

    He Chose Me !

    He Knew Me!

    He Created Me!

    He Loves Me!

    I am For His Pleasure!

    LORD “Yeshua”

    Use me for your Purpose and Plan!! Make me to be a pleasing Aroma through your Blood 🙂

    As I AM YOURS !!!

    Grace, Mercy, and Love
    Your Beloved & Child
    Donna

    • The purpose for life is to give glory to God for His pleasure, to acknowledge His works.
      Psa 40:5, Psa 78:4, Psa 107:8, Psa 111:4, Act 2:11, Mat 7:22
      Those that lived with Jesus recognized His uniqueness. One was given the revelation of Who Jesus is. None of them understood, were converted while Jesus was with them. They were not lost except for the betrayer yet not converted. This indicates a furtherance of the work of God in each of our lives. Mar 4:26-9, Eph 4:13
      This is not our work, it is the work of God. Our part is dying to self, to choose to always prefer our Father.

          • Jesus is the death of this world. What is His message? Love the unloved. Give your substance. Obey His commandments. Deny yourself and follow Him.
            How much love does God deserve? It is necessary to die to oneself to come into unity with the Holy Spirit, God in us. Mat 19:23, Luk 18:24

      • Rearrangement of terms and familiar wording does provoke a reconsideration, a greater understanding of the subject. This cannot be tolerated with the Bible so then the intent is necessarily understood only by the instruction of God. Jhn 3:5-8, 16:33, 1Jo 4:4, Jhn 17:11-26
        One must want Jesus more than anything else.

    • Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel and Blessed be His Glorious Name for ever and ever. Amen

  2. Relationship with the GOD, Our Father, Our Savior, and Our Spirit of Truth.
    To want Him, To yearn for His Love, His Affection, His ways more than My Own. More than I am…..

    Father,
    I long for you.
    To hear you with each breath I breathe.
    To see you with each daylight that comes.
    To feel you with each moment that passes.
    To know you in all your ways.
    To be one with creator of all.
    To have reassurances that I am yours.
    To never fear again.
    To believe I will never be plucked from your hand.
    To stand when all others fall.
    To never give up on your word.
    To not be shaken by man.
    To die for your love.
    To know you control my end.
    To Love beyond understanding.
    To be Saved through the Blood of Your Son.
    To have life because you gave it.
    To enjoy true Mercy without trying.
    To be born of grace because it is.
    To know you never fail.
    To see you never change.
    To be because you made me.

    I Thank you, Love you, and Honor you because You Are so I am.

    A child of The Great I AM.
    Donna

  3. Wow you Guys really Love God—-mmmmmmm—-That’s Great!

    Chuck,

    Good points on Ephesians, what a great way to understand the Christ in You, to notice the details in the Word of God like that, the Word of God will open up to you in great detail and therefore you’ll understand more of the Christ in You. cool.

    To add to your article or study of encouragement.

    While studying Ephesians with a great detailed eye and getting into the Greek and seeing the underlined understandings like you pointed out.

    * Look how your seated in the Heavens as a believer.
    * Look how the book of Ephesians represents God’s Love. speak in love, walk in love, forbear one another in love, your rooted and grounded in love, doing things of God out of love, responding back in Love, man o man it’s flooded with Love throughout the book
    * Look how the mystery was revealed in and only this Book specifically to Paul.
    * Look how we as a church work together as one–this is huge, if your trying to help someone in a marriage, where do you go? Eph. If your trying to help someone in church on there Walk with God, where do you go? Eph. walk in light, Love, circumspectly, the 3 fold walk–How? Eph.4:2 and 3–with humility, meekness, longsuffering or patience, with forbearing one another with Love, there’s that love again. cool a?

    Anyway,
    Happy studying

    P.S.

    Study the Word then
    Think the Word then
    Practice the Word then
    Make it a life-style then
    Enjoy that relationship with God and the fruit at hand (in others words close by)

  6. Brother, they do so in ignorance. They will not be chastised, it will only anger them. It is natural to resist judgment. You are brought into their presence that they may be exposed to the Spirit of our Father. Your confidence, your faith in Jesus is true. I pray with you for them that the Lord will call them and they will be enlightened.
    Jud 1:9-10, Hbr 12:14-15, Phl 4:8, Gal 5:22-23

  7. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1Pe 3:15