Let’s begin by briefly reviewing our previous studies of what “LIVING In The WORD” truly means. Before ascending into heaven, Jesus left His disciples (which includes us) with Two Commissions. The First Commission is to GO to every creature and MAKE BELIEVERS, which results wth Christ living IN the Believer—NEW BIRTH! The Second Commission is to GO to every nation and MAKE DISCIPLES, which results ultimately with the Believer living IN Christ or “Living IN the Word”—NEW FAMILY!
The First Commission—Make Believers—NEW BIRTH! (Believer’s Baptism with Water)
Mark 16:15–18 15 And He said to them, “Go INTO all the world and preach (kerusso – herald, proclaim) the gospel (the good news) to every CREATURE (individual). 16 He who believes and is baptized (baptizo – to plunge, dip, submerge) will be saved (sozo); but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)
This First Commission of Christ is about sharing the Gospel, which when received, can cause the “old man” to become a “new man,” as a born-again BELIEVER, born of the Spirit, having precedence over the flesh! The result is that Christ and the Holy Spirit now reside permanently IN the believer’s heart. According to Paul, this is the revealing of a great mystery through the Gentiles, which is Christ IN you, the hope of glory (Col.1:27). “Christ IN you” is the first taste of an EVEN GREATER GLORY TO HOPE FOR, which ultimately is “you IN Christ,” also known as you “living IN the Word!” Paul spoke of the final result of this two-step process saying: “If any man be IN Christ, he is a new creature (Before Christ, no Sons of God ever existed!): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Cor.5:17).”
The First Commission produces sozo (salvation, healing, prosperity) for those who believe the Gospel, because Christ came IN as living SEED of the Word into the “womb” of the receiver’s heart and recreated him into a born-again BELIEVER. The Second Commission deals with transforming New Believer’s hearts and minds, from their old ways of thinking and acting (or reacting) to thinking and acting as their new Father by assimilating them into their NEW FAMILY: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (which also includes other disciples). This begins correction of the old way of thinking we received from Adam and our natural family that enabled us to live our natural life in the flesh, now empowers and equips us for our new supernatural Kingdom life in the Spirit with God’s way of thinking.
The Second Commission—Make Disciples—NEW FAMILY! (Disciple’s Baptism with Love)
Matthew 28:18–20: 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the NATIONS (the Gentiles, known as dogs to the Jews – speaks of the unclean and defiled, those possessing the fallen, sinful nature of Adam), baptizing them in (into) the name (onoma - into the character and nature) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them (obedience to new thoughts and actions) to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am WITH you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus commanded His disciples to MAKE DISCIPLES by submerging born-again believers (still with their old way of thinking and doing things) INTO the character and nature of the triune Godhead—literally making them One IN the Father, One IN the Son, and One IN the Holy Spirit. Remember, Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6b).” Christ must be IN you FIRST!
But what is the character and nature of God that believers are being submerged and assimilated into? John answered that question: “God is LOVE!” (1 Jn.4:8)
This is the DISCIPLE’S baptism: Not momentary immersion into water, but eternal immersion into the nature and character of God Himself, which is LOVE!
Believers baptize with water. Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Disciples baptize with LOVE!
John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My DISCIPLES, if you have LOVE for one another.” (NKJV)
As Christ’s Disciples, we are all One IN Christ and One IN the Godhead—One together IN a NEW FAMILY,“living IN the WORD!”
There is a critical difference between Christ living IN me and me living IN Christ. The former is about NEW BIRTH, having been pursued by Him, resulting in Christ living IN me. The latter is about NEW FAMILY and pursuing Him, which results in me living IN Christ (or me “living IN the WORD!”
Learning to Live in the Word!
Saving FAITH begins with total trust in God alone. But FAITH is an action word. When FAITH comes and finds a home in us, it begins requiring things of us. FAITH always requires CHANGE—change in our FOCUS and change in our EXPECTATION!
Therefore, living in the Word is about CHANGE—being continually transformed and becoming more like Jesus, so it must begin with CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK (Rom.12:2). No longer living a life of disappointment, looking and expecting to find what's wrong, but a new life of constantly looking and expecting to find what's right! Living in the Word is about looking for Truth rather than error and learning that Truth has a name—His name is Jesus. It’s a NEW LIFE of constantly PURSUING JESUS!
Living in the Word is a Life of FREEDOM through pursing and KNOWING TRUTH!
John 8:31–32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him (that’s us now), “If you abide (live) in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall KNOW (ginosko) the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE.”
Wow! Jesus just revealed the key to how we, as BELIEVERS, can move from all the disappointments, fears, bondage, and addictions of the world into DISCIPLESHIP with complete FREEDOM in Christ! Sound impossible? Not if you find the key! It’s all about FOCUS—what (or Who) you keep your heart and mind focused on can actually control the course and even the quality of your life! It’s mportant!
But honestly, for those who became believers in Christ, but are not interested in much more than knowing they’re going to heaven or operating occasionally in one or more of the five supernatural signs of the believer in Mark 16 (speaking in tongues, casting out demons, praying for the sick, etc.), this key will be of little or no value. But, for those of us who became believers, then fell head-over-heals in love with Jesus and still can’t get enough of Him, we have essentially “moved IN with Him” and become His eternal DISCIPLES! Jewish rabbis in Jesus’s day required their disciples to live with them physically. In the Gospels, we see this same pattern with Jesus and the Twelve. So, when Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed,” I believe He was revealing this new eternal family relationship between Himself, His disciples, and the Godhead which is available to us NOW! The Greek word for “abide” is meno, which means to remain, stay, reside—to LIVE.
When you hear, read, and study the Bible, it’s important to regularly ask yourself, “Am I looking for more things I need to DO and rules to keep, or am I looking for TRUTH?” Remember, the problem with focusing on things to DO, is even if you could DO them perfectly, they have no power to make you FREE! Only TRUTH you KNOW can do that! That’s why in life we must focus always on “the solution,” —what’s RIGHT, rather than “the problem”—what’s WRONG! The reason the TRUTH is so powerful is because it’s so much more than correct information or having your facts straight, it’s a living person—His name is Jesus—the One who created everything! He is the One who revealed Himself to us as the way, THE TRUTH, and the life (John 14:6). Anything else is “a life,” not “THE LIFE!”
Remember, discipleship is about relationship, first with our Rabbi, Jesus Himself, and then with our fellow disciples. When I’m looking for truth, I’m actually pursuing Jesus. Disciples must practice focusing and looking for Truth (pursuing Jesus) everywhere throughout life!
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so IN Christ all shall be made alive. (NKJV)