The Lord Jesus Christ is willing to give the gifts of the Holy Ghost even to the rebellious, which are sinners, so that the presence of God is with his people. "Psalms 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them."  We see the gifts works in preaching deceivers as an evidence of the presence of God. Since this is true, it is also true that the presence of God is among us with the intention to abide in us.

'God the Word' who created the universe became a man and was named Jesus.  Jesus Christ taught his disciples how God abide in him and showed them how he abode in God.  "John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake."  Jesus lived as a man in this world.  At that time God was known as the Most High God.  Jesus Christ called the Most High God as his father and told his disciples that he abides in God and God abides in him.  This statement puzzled them.  How can God and man live together as one?  Jesus Christ gave two points for evidence (1) the words he spoke and (2) the works he did.  If God abides in a person, then the mind of Christ and the power of God will manifest through that person.  The obedience of the person and the love of God will do this.  "John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."  Jesus Christ says that he got this abiding by obeying God the Father.  And he says that we can also receive the abiding of God likewise by obeying the commandments of God.

God loved the world. He gave his begotten Son for the world on the cross. God requires the world to love God by obeying his commandments.  If we love him enough to obey him then with his abundant love, God in Trinity will abide in us.  God will declare those who have his abiding as his sons and daughters in order that they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, be joint heirs with Jesus Christ and live with God through out eternity.  "John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.... 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you."  If we have this abiding while we are on earth, then this abiding will continue through out everlasting future.  This is the eternal promise for the obedient people of God.

The meaning of the word 'abide' is 'live' or 'dwell'.  Abide in Christ means that we live in Christ together as one person. How can this be possible?  A spirit can live in a physical body.  God is a Spirit.  So if we submit our body as the temple of God then he can live in our body.  But how can we being a person with a physical body live inside a spirit?  A spirit can move from place to place in seconds.  A spirit can be in the heavens anytime.   A spirit will not carry the physical body because of the limitations of a physical body.  However, when a person has truly repented of his sins with remorse in his heart and asks God for forgiveness, God promise to forgive him of his past sins and gives him the spirit of man so that he may see the kingdom of God.  At that point, the person is born of the spirit which is born again.  "Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."  So if we are born of the spirit then we have both physical body and spirit body.  Our spirit can live with another spirit as one.  In other words a born again person can live in God and God can live in the person.  So we can abide with God in the spirit.  

"1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him."  Here we see an example of a tree and its seed.  The seed is an infant tree in all its essence.  As it grows it will look like the parent tree and will produce the same fruit as the parent tree.  Likewise the Seed of God that is planted and remains in a person will bring forth the fruit of righteousness through the person.  God is limitless and omnipresent. But the name 'Seed of God' is used for our understanding that God can abide in a person.  This Seed of God becomes the part of the person sharing the mind of Christ.  The Seed who is the extension of God himself will convert the person to a new creature.  "2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."  

True Christian life is a life after Christ.  It is not a religious life, but a spiritual life.  Jesus Christ told his disciples to abide in him in order to be fruitful and to bring much fruit.  "John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 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."  Then again he warns them that if they do not abide in him, they will be cast out into the fire.  "John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."  Abiding comes by obedience to the doctrine of Christ.  "2 John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son."