John 8:31-32 (AMP) 31 So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].”

1. ABIDING IN THE WORD IS PROOF THAT WE ARE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST.

1 John 3:7-9 (CEB) 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, in the same way that Jesus is righteous. 8 The person who practices sin belongs to the devil, because the devil has been sinning since the beginning. God’s Son appeared for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those born from God don’t practice sin because God’s DNA remains in them. They can’t sin because they are born from God.

A. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ABIDE IN WORD?

Abide: (meno) to continue, to stay, to remain, to live, not to depart from, to keep, to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting: to obey.

1) ABIDING IN THE WORD MEANS PRACTICING THE WORD. (If we habitually practice the word, it proves that Jesus is our Lord and that we are Sons of God, if we practice sin it proves that sin is our master.)
John 8:34 (AMP) Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, everyone who practices sin habitually is a slave of sin. 35 Now the slave does not remain in a household forever; the son [of the master] does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free.

Practices: habitual performance: repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency: to make yourself do something, to carry out, to execute, to perform: to commit to do.
Note: Jesus came to set us free from the slavery of sin and make us sons of the one true master.

2) TO ABIDE IN THE WORD IS TO CONTINUALLY OBEY HIS TEACHINGS. (We listen to understand and obey. We never listen to just gain knowledge. Everytime we listen to the word of God, we must listen with a heart ready to repent and adjust our lives in agreement to His word.)

Note: abiding in the Word is proof of a heart change that leads to a lifestyle change. LEGALISM = focuses on changing your lifestyle to change your heart

BORN AGAIN = the miracle of changing your heart that causes a lifestyle change

3) ABIDING IN THE WORD IS BEING A FRIEND OF GOD. (It is through the Word that we maintain a healthy and intimate relationship with God.
John 15:14(AMP) You are my friends if you keep on doing what I command you.

Friend: he who associates intimately with one, a companion, a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile

• OBEYING GOD IS LOVING GOD.

John 14:15 (AMP) “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.

• If you stray away from the Word, you stray away from Him.

SPIRITUAL BENEFITS OF ABIDING IN THE WORD OR IN CHRIST.

BENEFIT #1- BEAR FRUIT.

John 15:1-5 (AMP)“I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have given you [the teachings which I have discussed with you]. 4 Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

• If you’re not studying the word, you are not under the pruning process.

• As we’re abiding in the word, we’re abiding in Christ.

• People don’t bear fruit because they’re not abiding in the word.

• The only way to continue to bear fruit is by abiding in Christ and the Word.

• Fruit = Love

BENEFIT #2- PRAYERS ANSWERED.

John 15:7-8 (AMP) If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples.

• This is a conditional statement: Remain in me and my word in you, then ask. If you are not remaining in me and my word in you, don’t ask.

A. CONSISTENT OBEDIENCE LEADS TO CONSISTENT PRAYERS BEING ANSWERED. (The faith we use to obey Him is the same faith we use to receive from Him.)

• You can’t have faith to receive and not faith to obey.

1 John 3:22-24 (AMP) 22 and we receive from Him whatever we ask because we [carefully and consistently] keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight [habitually seeking to follow His plan for us]. 23 This is His commandment, that we believe [with personal faith and confident trust] in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and [that we unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another, just as He commanded us. 24 The one who habitually keeps His commandments [obeying His word and following His precepts, abides and] remains in Him, and He in him. By this we know and have the proof that He [really] abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us [as a gift].

• What God is saying is “I support those who support my cause.”

• We glorify God by walking, talking, and obeying His commands.

B. GOD ALWAYS SUPPORTS HIS REPRESENTATIVES. (If our goal is to is represent Him, Jesus will make it His Goal to answer all of our prayers.)
John 14:14 (AMP) 14 If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it.

BENEFIT #3- A LIFE FULL OF THE LOVE OF GOD.

John 15:9 (AMP) I have loved you just as the Father has loved Me; remain in My love [and do not doubt My love for you].10 If you keep My Commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

• The fruit (the main result) is that we remain loving.

BENEFIT # 4 – A JOY FILLED LIFE.

Jonn 15:11 (AMP) I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing.

• One of the major causes of depression is DISOBEDIENCE.

• A major cause of joy is OBEDIENCE to God’s commands. In His commandments is built-in-joy.