[HarleyD]

What about when Christ abides in me?

All of this stuff goes back to the nature of God. God grants and man acts.

Consider the following two verses:

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1Jo 2:27

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 1Jo 2:28

Was John crazy? First he tells us that the anointing we have received abides in us and that we shall abide in Him. Then he turns right around and states that we should abide in Him. Quite frankly, until I understood what Augustine was talking about I could never understand any of the books of John.

God abides in man and this is His promise to us. He will never leave or forsake us. But we must constantly call upon Him to help us abide in Him to do good works. If we do not, we will stumble but He will be there to pick us up.

Abiding is a two fold street just as prayer, salvation, etc. God remains faithful. Man is more iffy but when we are faithless, He remains faithful cause He cannot deny Himself.

[jo kus]

Quite frankly, until I understood what Augustine was talking about I could never understand any of the books of John.

How did Augustine help you to understand John's epistle?

Abiding is a two fold street just as prayer, salvation, etc. God remains faithful. Man is more iffy but when we are faithless, He remains faithful cause He cannot deny Himself.

I can agree with those words, but we no doubt understand them differently!

Regards