THE WAY TO ABIDE IN CHRIST (2)
In chapter two of 1 John we shall consider only verse 27. “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 true, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye abide in him” (Gk.). Here we see that we abide in the vine according to the inner anointing. This anointing is a moving within us, the working of the all-inclusive Spirit as the compound ointment (see Exo. 30:23-25).
There is a contrast between these two chapters in 1 John. Chapter one deals with sins, failures, and unrighteousness, all of which are negative things. Chapter two is positive, with the anointing directing us what to say, what to do, and where to go.
Many times the sense of the anointing is “no” to our plans, our thoughts, or our words. How many times do we obey the “no”? Very few. This means we are not abiding, for we are not going according to the teaching of the inner anointing.
UNDERSTANDING THE ANOINTING
Without a thorough knowledge of the Word, you will be unable to understand much of what the anointing teaches. In the Lord’s recovery, every saint must be built up with the full knowledge of the Bible. Gradually your ability to understand and interpret spiritual things will develop; this will give the anointing the means to speak to you.
It grieves me that in the Lord’s recovery these days there are so many signs of dissension, division, looseness, and lightness. A false liberty has crept in. These are offenses to the Lord. I entreat you to come back to the way of life. Spend time on the Word every day. If you run a race, you will be disqualified unless you stay within the two lines. We must be just as strict. All of us in the Lord’s recovery must maintain a high standard lest we give the recovery a bad name. Be strict with yourself about getting into the Word. Only in this way can you come to understand what the anointing is teaching you and thus abide in Him.
THE WAY TO ABIDE IN CHRIST (3)
Now we come to the third way to abide in the vine. “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we boldness toward God” (1 John 3:20-21, Gk.).
A HEART FREE OF CONDEMNATION
How can we have boldness toward God? It is by a heart without condemnation. This heart has been sprinkled from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:22) and is void of offense toward God and men (Acts 24:16). We must deal with anything our conscience condemns.
From these three chapters in 1 John we can see that to abide in Christ we must walk in the light that the blood may cleanse us, obey the teaching of the inner anointing, and keep our heart clean from any condemnation. By taking care of these three things, we are abiding in Him.
(Life Messages, Vol. 1 (#1-41), Chapter 7, by Witness Lee)
