Rightly Dividing the Word of God
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In short
To stay in I AM means to remain in Jesus Christ, who is the true life, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, truth, and life. The believer cannot walk by self-effort, but must abide in Christ through the Holy Spirit.
Where am I?
You are in the Walk with Jesus journey. This study follows the foundation of rightly dividing Scripture and leads into practical abiding: learning to remain in Jesus Christ instead of trying to live spiritually apart from Him.
Why does this matter?
Jesus does not merely show the way to God. He is the way. If we live outside of Him, we live outside the source of light and life. Staying in I AM is therefore essential for spiritual fruit, fellowship, and obedience.
This study is for
- Believers who want to understand what it means to abide in Jesus Christ.
- Readers who want to study the I AM statements of Jesus.
- Christians who want to depend more deeply on the Holy Spirit instead of self-effort.
Questions answered in this study
- Why does Jesus call Himself I AM?
- What does it mean that Jesus is the vine?
- How can a believer stay connected to Jesus Christ?
- Why is Jesus the light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, truth, and life?
- Why can we do nothing apart from Jesus Christ?
Jesus Declares Himself to Be "I Am" Back to contents ↑
When Moses, at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14, asks for God's Name, God declares that he is "I AM THAT I AM". Ever since the people of Israel knew God by this Name.
When Jesus uses this "I AM" statement to refer to certain qualities about Himself, such as I AM the LIGHT, I AM the WAY, etc. he refers to the fact that, next to these qualities, HE is God Himself. As a side note: this is why the religious leadership at the time wanted Him dead, as by these statements He was claiming to be God, which was considered Blasphemy.
Using the "I AM" statements this way made these words extremely strong: e.g. when HE says I AM the WAY, this means that He is not some teacher who shows the way to God, but that He is the WAY to God and that without Him, there is NO way to God because He is God Himself.
This might even be better understood when Jesus says, I AM the LIGHT: He is the one and only light source, and if you are not in Jesus, you have NO light in you. If you die without Jesus, you will have eternal darkness, the opposite of light, because He is God the source of light.
We dare to say that if you die without Jesus, you will spend eternity in the opposite of who He is. E.g. when Jesus says: I AM the LIFE, that means that if you die without Jesus, you will die without the LIFE, which means eternal death. And that is what we would call hell, however, in reality is even worse, as after the judgment period, hell and all people of which their names are not written in the book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, where you will receive what you have sown in this life!
Stay in the center of "I AM" Back to contents ↑
If you want to receive all that Jesus is for you, then stay in the center of "I AM". If you act outside the things that Jesus is for you, we are living in sin.
Staying in Him can only be achieved by letting the Holy Spirit in your life.
Let's explore some to the ways in which Jesus is the I Am.
I Am the Vine Back to contents ↑
Key verse: John 15:5
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
John 15:5 (KJB)
We can't expect to grow like Jesus was, that is with the same spiritual qualities as Jesus, if we don't stay connected to Him. Just as the branches have to stay connected to the vine, else they will die. Being connected to Jesus means that you will develop an intimate relationship with Him.
Just as a branch cannot live apart from the vine, we cannot live and bear fruit on our own.
To abide in Christ means to remain and to stay connected in prayer, worship, and obedience each day. Only he who abides in Jesus can bear much fruit. Fruitfulness in the spiritual life is not measured by our own merits, but by our dependence on and love for Him. Every action we take should be in the center of "I AM", that is the center of His will.
The connection with Jesus can only be established through the Holy Spirit. We should learn to be abased and let the Holy Spirit work through us.
If we stay in the center of His will, we will overflow with love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. So let us remain steadfast, rooted in Christ, knowing that apart from Him we can do nothing, but with Him, all things are possible:
I Am the Light of the World Back to contents ↑
Key verse: John 8:12
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
John 8:12 (KJB)
Light and darkness are opposites. Where there is light, there is no darkness. Where there is darkness, there is no light. Darkness costs no energy. To generate light does.
When Jesus says 'I am the light of the world' He shows that He alone can eliminate darkness.
Next to this we truly believe that the physical light we see around us, originates from Jesus as well, as He create light:
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Genesis 1:3 (KJB)
To follow Jesus means to leave anything which is related to spiritual darkness behind us such as: confusion, fear and sin.
When we follow Him, we can live in spiritual light. It exposes everthing dark in our lives and in the lives of others. Being in His light, makes us see!
Today, let us walk in His light, so that we will never stumble.
I Am the Door Back to contents ↑
Key verse: John 10:9
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
John 10:9 (KJB)
With this statement, Jesus shows that He is the entrance to God. Only by entering through this door are we truly saved from hell. This means that there is no other way to God than Trough Him.
I Am the Good Shepherd Back to contents ↑
Key verses: John 10:11, John 5:24
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11 (KJB)
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus gives His life for us. He died the painful death on the cross your you! By His death, we have life forever:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
John 5:24 (KJB)
Start your relations with Jesus today!
I Am the Resurrection and Life Back to contents ↑
Key verses: John 11:25, 26; Luke 12:4-5
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
John 11:25-26 (KJB)
Here Jesus says that He has all the power over death, although we are talking about the second death here. This means that we can die a physical death, but live an eternal life. When you don't secure this life you will die the second death. In this example Jesus warns about this second death, which is hell:
“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”
Luke 12:4-5 (KJB)
I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life Back to contents ↑
Key verse: John 14:6
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 14:6 (KJB)
He is the embodyment of the way, truth and life. Without Him, we are lost, living in lies and death.
To walk with Jesus is to live in the fullness of God’s promises: that we will never walk alone, never be deceived, and never truly die.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the phrase I AM important?
I AM points back to God’s revelation of His Name to Moses. When Jesus uses I AM statements, He reveals not only what He gives, but who He is.
What does it mean to abide in Christ?
To abide in Christ means to remain connected to Him in faith, prayer, obedience, worship, and dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Can a believer bear fruit without staying connected to Jesus?
No. Jesus teaches that the branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the vine. Spiritual fruit comes from dependence on Him, not from self-improvement.
Why does Jesus say He is the light of the world?
Jesus alone removes spiritual darkness. Following Him means leaving confusion, fear, and sin behind and walking in His light.
Why does this study warn about life without Jesus?
Because Jesus is the life. To reject Him is to remain outside the source of eternal life. The warning is serious, but it is also an invitation to come to Him.
Continue the Walk with Jesus journey
This page sits in the Walk with Jesus journey. Continue in order, or jump to one of the other two main FaithSets journeys.
How to Become Born Again
Start with salvation, repentance, faith in Jesus Christ, and the new birth by the Holy Spirit.
Start the Salvation journeyThe Time is Short
Understand the urgency of the time and why Scripture warns us to be sober, watchful, and ready.
Start the End-times journey