Is Abiding a command?

Last night I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with my two sons Ken and Kevin together with Raphael who is like an adopted son. Raphael, his wife Rachel and their three beautiful children live in Orlando. "Rapha" goes way back with the McCord clan--all the way back to Brazil and to living for over a year in our home as a high school exchange student. Seeing "Rapha" is always great. His passion for Jesus is infectious. There are no better people than "Rapha".

As is usual with the McCord clan the subject ended up in John 15 and Raphael asked this question "Is Abiding a command?" The question started a really great time of discussion.

I believe Abiding is a command. For me, a command from God through Jesus is a statement of what is obvious and non-negotiable in the Kingdom. A command from Jesus is not a "Do this or else". A command from Jesus is "Do this because there is nothing else better and more joyful to do than this." A command from Jesus is a command from God who is love. A command is Jesus saying, "This is how true, joyful life works." It is Jesus saying, " Do this because this is non-negotiable and obviously good for you and everyone else."

Jesus said that we would be His friends if we do what He commands. To modern ears that may sound like a strange way to create a friendship. The reality is that people connect as friends when what they both see and do the same thing joyfully.

Friendship is forged in a mutually shared pleasures and joy. When there is a "What? You enjoy this, too!" moment between two people a potential friendship is born. "What? You like to fish, too!?" "What? You are a Tolkein fan, too!" "What? You want to bear fruit and glorify God, too!"

When Jesus told His followers to abide, he was telling them that there is no other way to enjoy life, glorify God and bear the fruit God wants to release into the world. Abiding is a non-negotiable. It is a command for joyful living.

During the discussion I made the statement "My true discipleship began in 1995 when I committed 100% to abiding." I was serious. Ken, Kevin and Raphael seemed shocked that I would make such a firm statement about my spiritual formation since they have known me to be passionate for Jesus for so much longer than the past 13 years.

In 1995 I finally accepted abiding as an obvious, moment by moment non-negotiable command from Jesus for God's glory and my good. Doing this, my personal discipleship moved into an entirely different reality. Discipleship became moment by moment. As of 1995 I knew if I wanted to sustain love and truly be a disciple of Jesus I had to abide moment by moment. Abiding made my Christian life began to simplify and have moment by moment satisfaction.
Jesus' command to abide didn't complicate. It simplified and brought friendly joy.

It was in in 1995 that I finally gave into the words "Without Me you can do nothing." When Jesus' words become obvious and non-negotiable (commands) a deeper kind of friendship is born with Jesus. Deeper kinds of friendship with others are born, too.

To sit at the table with Ken, Kevin and Raphael was to sit with true, abiding friends who find abiding in Jesus obvious and non-negotiable. It was a wonderful night. "What? You are committed to finding satisfaction in Jesus moment by moment? Me, too!" I am sure Jesus was enjoying last night with us moment by moment. He, too, is our abiding Friend.

Abiding is non-negotiable for all who truly want to experience a barrier-free friendship with Jesus and glorify God. Enjoy this command like you would the command to rest after a long, long day of hard work given by someone who loves you very much.