Abide | Part 2 of 8
Abide: Learning to Live in Christ | Part 2 of 8
About this series
For years, I’ve read phrases like “abide in Me,” “remain in Christ,” and “in Him.” I believed them, but if I’m honest, I wasn’t always sure what they looked like on an ordinary Tuesday. This series isn’t written by someone who’s mastered abiding. It’s written by a fellow traveler who has become convinced that Jesus offers something deeper than simply trying harder. Together, let’s open God’s Word and discover what it really means to live in Christ.
Scripture: Romans 6:1-11
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to define yourself by your struggles? We say things like, “I’ve always been impatient,” or, “I’ll probably wrestle with this for the rest of my life.” Maybe we never say those words out loud, but deep down we begin to believe they’re true.
I know I have.
The problem is, while those struggles may still be real, they no longer define who we are. That’s one of the beautiful truths Paul reminds us of in Romans 6.
When we placed our faith in Christ, something far greater happened than simply receiving forgiveness. We were united with Him. His death became our death. His burial became our burial. His resurrection became our resurrection. The old person we used to be—the one separated from God and enslaved to sin—is no longer our identity.
That doesn’t mean we stop struggling. We all know that’s not true. But it does mean we stop introducing ourselves by our failures. We are no longer defined by our worst moments, our greatest weaknesses, or the sins we’ve battled for years. If we are in Christ, our identity has fundamentally changed.
I wonder how often we ask God to help us become someone He already says we are. We pray for victory while forgetting that He has already given us a new identity. We spend so much time fighting yesterday’s battles that we forget we’re no longer wearing yesterday’s name.
I’m beginning to realize that abiding starts here. Before it’s about what I do, it’s about believing what God says is true about me. I’m not trying to earn my place in His family—I already belong there because of Christ. I’m not working toward acceptance—I am living from it.
That changes the way I want to approach each day. Instead of asking, “Will I be a good enough Christian today?” I can begin asking, “How would someone who belongs to Jesus live today?” That’s a very different question, and I think it’s one that leads us back to abiding.
Sit With This
When you think about yourself, what comes to mind first? Is your identity shaped more by your past and your failures, or by what God says is true because you are in Christ?
Prayer
Father, thank You that my identity is no longer rooted in my past, my failures, or my performance. Help me believe what You say is true about me, and teach me to live each day as someone who truly belongs to You. Amen.
Dadvotionals 