Andrew Murray - Abiding in Christ

Abiding in Christ
Andrew Murray

B OOKS BY A NDREW M URRAY
F ROM B ETHANY H OUSE P UBLISHERS
With Updated Language

Abiding in Christ
Absolute Surrender
The Andrew Murray Daily Reader
The Blood of Christ
The Fullness of the Spirit
Humility
The Indwelling Spirit
A Life of Obedience
Living a Prayerful Life
The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer
The Path to Holiness
Teach Me to Pray

Abiding in Christ
Andrew Murray

B ETHANY H OUSE
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Abiding in Christ
Copyright 2003
Bethany House Publishers

Newly edited and updated for todays reader by Jeanne Hedrick. Originally published in 1895 by Henry Altemus under the title Abide in Christ.

Cover design by Eric Walljasper

Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Italics in quoted Scripture are included for emphasis by the author.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-0-7642-2762-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Murray, Andrew, 18281917.
[Abide in Christ]
Abiding in Christ / by Andrew Murray.
p. cm.
Originally published: Abide in Christ. Philadelphia, Pa. : H. Altemus, 1895.
ISBN 0-7642-2762-9 (pbk.)
1. Meditations. 2. Christian lifeReformed authors. I. Title.
BV4832.3.M87 2003
248.4dc21 2002155876

ANDREW MURRAY was born in South Africa in 1828. After receiving his education in Scotland and Holland, he returned to Africa and spent many years as a missionary pastor. He and his wife, Emma, raised eight children. He is best known for his many devotional books, including some of the most enduring classics of Christian literature.

Preface

During Jesus life on earth, the phrase He used most often when speaking of the relationship of the disciples to himself was Follow Me. When about to leave for heaven, He gave them a new phrase, which better described their more intimate and spiritual union with himself in glory: Abide in Me.

Unfortunately there are many earnest followers of Jesus who fail to grasp the full meaning of these words. While trusting Him for pardon and help, and seeking to some extent to obey Him, they have not realized the closeness of union, the intimacy of fellowship, or the wondrous oneness of life and interest He invites them to when He says, Abide in Me. This is not only an unspeakable loss to them personally but also a great loss to the church and the world around them.

If we ask why those who have accepted the Savior, and have experienced the renewing of the Holy Spirit, come short of the full salvation prepared for them, I am sure the answer will in many cases be ignorance, which leads to unbelief. If the reality of abiding in Christ, the living union with Him, the experience of His daily and hourly presence and keeping, were preached in our orthodox churches with the same distinctness and urgency as is His Atonement and our pardon through His blood, no doubt many would accept with gladness the invitation to such a life. And its influence would shine forth in the believers as they experience the purity and power, the love and joy, the fruit-bearing, and all the other blessings associated with abiding in Christ.

My desire to help those who have not yet fully understood what it means to abide in Him, or who have feared that it is a life beyond their reach, is why these meditations are now published. It is only by frequent repetition that a child learns its lessons. Only by continuously fixing the mind for a time on one of the lessons of faith is the believer gradually helped to take and thoroughly assimilate its benefits. I hope that to some, especially young believers, it will be a help to consider carefully the precious words, Abide in Me, with the lessons connected with them in the parable of the Vine. Step by step we will see how truly this promiseprecept is meant for us, how surely grace is provided to enable us to obey it, how indispensable the experience of its blessing is to a healthy Christian life, and how awesome are the blessings that flow from it. As we listen, meditate, and pray, the Holy Spirit will make the words to be spirit and life to us. This word of Jesus will become to us the power of God unto salvation, and through it will come the faith that grasps the long-desired blessing.

I pray earnestly that our gracious Lord may be pleased to bless this book, to help those who seek to know Him fully, as He has already blessed it in its original issue in the Dutch language. I pray that He would, by whatever means, make the multitudes of His dear children who are still living divided lives, to see how He claims them wholly for himself, and how wholehearted surrender to abide in Him alone brings a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8). May all of us who have begun to taste the sweetness of this life yield ourselves to be witnesses of the grace and power of our Lord to keep us united with Him. And may we seek by word and walk to win others to follow Him fully. It is only in such fruit-bearing that our own abiding can be maintained.

In conclusion, I would give one word of advice to my readers: It takes time to grow into Jesus the Vine; do not expect to abide in Him unless you will give Him that time. It is not enough to read Gods Word, or meditations as found in this book; and when we think we understand the concepts and have asked God for His blessing, to go out in the hope that the blessing will remain. No, abiding requires day-by-day time with Jesus and the Father. We all know that we must take time for our meals each day. Every workman sets aside his time for dinner because it is important in his daily routine. In the same way, if we are to live through Jesus, we must feed on Him (John 6:57); we must thoroughly take in and assimilate the heavenly food the Father has given us in His life. Therefore, anyone who wants to learn to abide in Jesus must take time each day, before reading, while reading, and after reading, to put himself into contact with the living Jesus. He must yield himself distinctly and consciously to His blessed influencegiving Him the opportunity to take hold of him so that He may draw him up and keep him safe in His almighty life.

And now, to all Gods children whom He allows me the privilege of pointing to the Heavenly Vine, I offer my fraternal love and greetings, with the prayer that to each one of them may be given the rich and full experience of abiding in Christ. And may the grace of Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be their daily portion. Amen.

Contents

John 15:112

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; continue in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.