19. Abide—

John 15:4 (NRSV)  Abide in Me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, 

neither can you unless you abide in Me.

IN—

The two parts of Christ’s injunction have their unity in that central deep-meaning word IN. There is no deeper word in Scripture. God is IN all. God dwells IN Christ. Christ lives IN God. We are IN Christ. Christ is IN us: our life taken up INto His; His life received Into ours; in a divine reality that words cannot express, we are IN Him and He IN us. The words, "Abide IN me and I IN you," simply tell us to believe this this Divine Mystery counting upon our God the Vine-grower and Christ the Vine to make it Divinely true.

No thinking or teaching or praying can grasp it—it is a Divine Mystery of Love.

AM states: As little as we can effect the union can we understand it! Let us just look upon this Infinite, Divine, Omnipotent Vine loving us, holding us and working in us. Let us in the faith of His Working abide and rest IN Him, ever turning our hearts and hope to Him alone. Let us count upon Him to fulfill in us the mystery: "You in me, and I in You."