Some of the biblical authors use repetition to drive home a point. It is an effective way to keep focusing our attention on something critical.

The apostle John does this very well. He uses the word “abide” a lot. This refers to “a close, intimate (and permanent) relationship between the believer and God.”*

I’m going to give you the list. It’s going to sound repetitive. But remember, that’s on purpose.

“[abide] in him” -1 John 2:6
“[abide] in the light” -1 John 2:10
Let the message “abide in you.” -1 John 2:24
“abide in the Son and in the Father” -1 John 2:24
“the anointing that you received from him abides in you” -1 John 2:27
“abide in him” -1 John 2:27
“abide in him” -1 John 2:28
“God’s seed abides in him” -1 John 3:9
“he abides in us, by the Spirit” -1 John 3:24
“Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him” -1 John 3:24
“God abides in us” -1 John 4:12
“we abide in him and he in us” -1 John 4:13
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” -1 John 4:15
“whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” -1 John 4:16
“the [truth] abides in us” -2 John 1:2
“abide in the teaching of Christ” -2 John 1:9
“Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” -2 John 1:9

Wow, that’s nineteen “abides”! It’s as if being close to God is important! It’s as if it makes a difference! 

Because it does.

Today is a simple (and very repetitive) reminder to walk closely with God. Are we striving, with God’s help, to be faithful to him day by day? Or are we drifting away and blending in with a world that could care less?

When we abide in Christ, we are close. Are we perfect? No. But abiding is our trajectory. We will share light, not darkness. We will be increasingly like Jesus—and this will be a massive blessing not only to ourselves but to the other people in our lives. 

Don’t drift. Abide.

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Notes:

-*NET Bible, Full Notes Edition (Thomas Nelson, 2019), 2328.
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.