Why We Should Remain in Christ

Remain in Christ Word Study, Lesson 4

In our previous lessons, we learned that to remain in Christ, we need to remain in God’s love, follow God’s commands, and do God’s work. Believing in Christ is the first step to following God’s commands and doing God’s work. But we are also commanded to love other people, and through that love, we do God’s work of sharing the gospel with others and making disciplines of all nations. To give us the strength to remain in Christ, we’ve been given three tools: Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and communion.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

All of that sounds good, but why should we care to do any of this? Why is it important that we remain in Christ? That’s the question we want to answer in this lesson. We’ll look at five reasons the Bible gives that we should remain in Christ:

1. Because Christ remains in us

2. So that Christ’s teachings will remain in us

3. So that we will be taught by the Holy Spirit

4. So that we do not continue to sin

5. So that when we are tested, we will survive and receive a reward

Because Christ Remains in Us

When you are in a relationship, it’s not a good relationship if it’s one-sided, if only one person is doing the work to maintain the relationship. When we remain in Christ, we don’t have to worry about the relationship being one-sided. We can be encouraged to remain in Christ because we know that he also remains in us.

John 15:4-5: ⁴ “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

If we remain in Christ and Christ remains in us, then we will bear fruit. If we don’t remain in Christ, then we will not be able to do the work that God has commanded us to do. Any success we have in doing God’s work is not from our own power. It’s from Christ. The only way we can tap into this power is to remain in Christ, having confidence that he will also remain in us.

So That Christ’s Teachings Will Remain in Us

As we mentioned last week, one of the key tools that we have to remain in Christ is Christ’s teachings. We need to continually remind ourselves of Christ’s teachings contained in Scripture in order to remain in him.

1 John 2:24: As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 

2 Timothy 3:14-17: ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 John 1:9: Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Our ability to remain in Christ depends on us remembering Christ’s teachings and applying those teachings to our lives. If you ever feel disconnected from God, if you feel like you are losing your sense of remaining in him, spend some time in the Scripture to rekindle that connection. As you read Scripture, you will be better equipped to remain in Christ, and as you remain in Christ, you will be encouraged to spend more time in Scripture.

So That We Will Be Taught by the Holy Spirit

We also learned last week that if we remain in Christ, we will receive the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit helps us remain in Christ. One way the Holy Spirit helps us remain in Christ is that he teaches us anything we need to know to remain in Christ and do his work.

1 John 2:27: As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

The anointing that it mentions in 1 John 2:27 is receiving the Holy Spirit. Just like Christ remains in us, the Holy Spirit remains in us. Through the Holy Spirit, we can understand Christ’s teachings and recognize false teachings. If there’s anything we need to learn to live a life that remains in Christ, the Holy Spirit can guide us to the right Scripture or the right person or even speak to us directly to make sure we receive and understand that message.

So That We Do Not Continue to Sin

The primary reason that Christ came to earth was to die on the cross and pay the penalty for sin once for all. All the time he spent on earth was leading up to that one moment. Even in his teaching to the crowds and the religious leaders, he encouraged people to believe in him and leave their life of sin. The Bible is clear that we cannot deliberately choose sin and still remain in Christ. In contrast, if we remain in Christ, we will not choose sin.

1 John 3:6: No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

1 John 3:9: No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 

If we have chosen to follow Christ, if we remain in him, then we will not continue to sin. Sin no longer has power over us. If we are tempted, he provides a way to endure in the midst of that temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

So That When We Are Tested, We Will Survive and Receive a Reward

There will come a time when we will all be judged. The work that we’ve done here on earth will be tested. Scripture compares this to a builder. If we have Jesus Christ as our foundation, and if we build on that foundation using quality materials, then when we are tested, what we’ve built will survive.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15: ¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

We learned in previous lessons that part of remaining in Christ is doing the work of the Father. What kind of work are you doing? If Christ is your foundation, what materials are you using to build on this foundation? Are they materials that will stand the test of fire—gold, silver, costly stones? Or are they materials that will be burned—wood, hay, straw? 1 Corinthians 3 tells us that our work will be shown for what it is. If we are doing work that will survive the test, then we will receive a reward. If our work doesn’t survive the test, we will still be saved if we have Christ as our foundation, but we won’t receive that reward. By remaining in Christ and doing the work he has called us to do, we will be choosing to build using materials that will survive the final test.

Conclusion

Those are some pretty good reasons to remain in Christ. First, we remain in Christ because we are confident that he will also remain in us. Then, we remain in Christ in order to continue to learn and grow through Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Next, we remain in Christ so that he will help us resist the temptation to sin. Finally, we remain in Christ so that when our work here on earth is judged, we will stand the test and receive a reward. Which reason is most motivating to you?