"Abiding Purpose" from njgrace.org
The meeting of Grace Christian Church. We meet in person and stream services every Sunday at 10:30 AM EST in Manalapan, New Jersey.
The message "Abiding Purpose" explores the concept of believers abiding in Jesus Christ, the vine, to bear spiritual fruit, drawing from John 15:4–5. Abiding (verb) means to draw from, rely on, and depend on Christ as the source, enabling believers to live out His will. Jesus, fully dependent on the Father, models this relationship, and believers can reflect His ministry by abiding in Him.
The text highlights three spiritual proclamations from Jesus’ public ministry (Luke 4:18–19), which become the believer’s ministry when abiding in Christ:
- New Life in Christ: Jesus proclaimed the Gospel, offering forgiveness and abundant spiritual life (John 10:10b; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Believers are called to share this good news, emphasizing Christ’s substitutionary atonement and the gift of spiritual life.
- New Spiritual Authority from Christ: By abiding, believers gain authority in Jesus’ name to proclaim liberty to captives (freedom from sin’s power, Romans 6), recover sight for the blind (physical or spiritual healing, Mark 16:18), and set free the oppressed (casting out demonic forces, Mark 16:17). This authority flows through dependence on Christ, not self-effort.
- New Covenant of Grace: Jesus ushered in the New Covenant, proclaiming the "year of the Lord’s favor" (Luke 4:19), replacing the Old Covenant of Law with grace (Romans 6:14). Believers must proclaim this grace, countering legalism and affirming no condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1).
The message stresses that apart from abiding in Christ, believers can do nothing of spiritual value. Common misconceptions—relying on spiritual gifts, self-effort, or law-keeping—divert from the truth that abiding in Christ is the only path to a fruitful life and ministry. By abiding, believers align with Christ’s will, allowing His ministry to flow through them to proclaim the Gospel, exercise spiritual authority, and share the New Covenant of grace.
