The Transforming Word by Tony Evans

Author:Tony Evans
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
ISBN: 9780802480354
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 2004-06-15T07:00:00+00:00

Abiding Brings the Anointing

The key to experiencing the illumination of God’s Spirit through His Word into your life is “abiding” (1 John 2:24, 27). The abiding of the believer is the assurance we find in the presence and power of Christ when we are living in intimate fellowship with Him and obedience to Him. The anointing flows from abiding.

John used “abide” as his relational term for staying closely and intimately connected to God through His Word. When you abide, you don’t just read the Bible as words, but you are looking for the Person behind the words. Abiding says to God, “I want to know and love You more each day and to become more like You.” When reading or studying the Bible for knowledge becomes an end in itself rather than the vehicle to cultivate an intimate relationship with God, we miss the power of the anointing.

Look at 1 John 2 again. “The one who says he abides in Him [Christ] ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (v. 6). Again, “The word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (v. 14). And then, “As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father” (v. 24).

Do you see the two-way action here? When we abide in Christ, then His Word abides in us. Does this mean we don’t have to do anything but lie around and wait for the Lord to move us? Of course not. One of the paradoxes of the Christian life is that we are to run the race as if everything depended on us, while at the same time trusting and abiding in Christ as if everything depended on Him.

Don’t ever get the idea that the Christian life is just “Let go, and let God.” God wants to see some motion from us in the form of obedience to His will as expressed in His Word, even before we know what the specifics of His will may be (see John 7:17). Many home alarm systems use motion detectors to intercept intruders. But nothing happens until the alarm senses motion. Too many Christians want to remain where they are without having to move ahead, and yet they want to enjoy the growing blessings and presence of God. But God is saying that when we move, He will make sure that His sensors pick up that movement and give us more of the Spirit’s illumination.

The result of illumination is that you get to really experience the spiritual realm firsthand. And unlike my family’s trip to the theme park that forced us to take out a small loan, you get your access for free. God wants you to discover “the things freely given to [you] by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). In other words, the whole kingdom is yours to enjoy. When you are illuminated

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