Remember You Were Once Slaves: The Forgotten Key to Abiding in Christ

Chris Corradino
Jul 31
3 min read

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”— John 15:5 (ESV)

“Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you…”— Deuteronomy 15:15 (ESV)

Have You Lost the Fire?

If your spiritual life has felt dry lately—like your prayers are tired, your worship is distracted, or your Bible is gathering dust—you’re not alone.

Many of us go through seasons where we feel like we’ve drifted, even though we still believe. We’re not walking away from the Lord, but we’re not exactly on fire either.

Jesus offers a powerful image for staying spiritually alive: abiding.

But what does that really mean? And how do we actually do it?

Here’s a surprising answer that’s been right there in Scripture all along:

Abiding in Christ starts with remembering who you were before He saved you.

The Command That Isn't One — But Feels Like It Should Be

When we think of God’s commands, our minds usually go straight to the Ten Commandments—clear, moral guidelines written on tablets of stone.

But sprinkled all throughout the Old Testament, especially in Deuteronomy, is a command that doesn’t make that official list but shows up again and again:

“Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt.”

This line is repeated five times in Deuteronomy alone (5:15, 15:15, 16:12, 24:18, 24:22).It’s like a divine drumbeat underscoring every other instruction.

Why?

Because God knows that what we remember shapes how we live.

Forgetfulness Leads to Fruitlessness

Jesus says, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

But let’s be honest—how often do we try anyway?

We hustle. We strive. We serve out of obligation instead of joy.

We try to produce fruit without staying connected to the Vine.

Why?

Because we forget.

We forget how lost we were before Jesus found us.

We forget how dead we were before He gave us life.

We forget what it was like to be a slave to sin before we were set free by grace.

When we forget our Egypt, we begin to live like we no longer need our Deliverer.

And when we do that, we stop abiding.

Abiding Is a Verb — Not a Vibe

Let’s get something clear: Abide is not a feeling. It’s not a mood. It’s not something that just happens if you sit quietly long enough.

Abide is a verb. It’s action. Intention. Movement.

The Greek word Jesus uses in John 15 is menō — meaning “to stay, to remain, to dwell, to continue.” It’s a picture of daily, ongoing connection.

You don’t accidentally abide. You choose to.

And when you anchor that choice in the remembrance of where God brought you from, it fuels everything.

Memory Leads to Mercy

God didn’t tell Israel to remember their slavery just so they’d stay humble. He told them so they’d live differently:

So they’d treat the foreigner with compassion.
So they wouldn’t withhold justice from the vulnerable.
So they’d rest, and let others rest, too.
So they’d extend grace because they knew firsthand what it meant to receive it.

In the same way, when we remember the depths of grace we’ve been pulled from, we’re far more likely to: