INDWELT BY DEITY

"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23, NKJV).

Devotion 6 of 9

THE SON

In salvation and sanctification, everything hinges upon the Son of God. No eternal benefits can be realized without Him. Acceptance with God is not possible outside of Him. If the individual does not have the Son, he has nothing. There can be no inheritance without Him. There can be no grace without Him. The remission of sin comes through Him, together with the grace to remain free from its guilt and power. While this is acknowledged by nearly every major denomination, it is relatively unknown. Jesus is at the heart of God's kingdom. His is a Christo-centric dominion-- everything revolves around His Son. The truth of this is not as well known as one might suppose. There are major denominations that are known for their emphasis of the Holy Spirit. Others have chosen to accentuate holy conduct. Still others have a penchant for the church itself, its organization and purpose. While all of these things have a place, they are never the primary place. Nowhere in all of Scripture is the heart of true religion represented as anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Therefore, to have an indwelling Christ is to have access to everything valid and lasting. This cannot be overstated. "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love" (Eph 3:17). The means through which this is accomplished is the strengthening of the "inner man" by the Holy Spirit of God (Eph. 3:16). Thereby we are rendered capable of receiving Christ. Observe that Christ dwells in our hearts "by faith." The indwelling Christ is a spiritual matter, and thus not confirmed with sensual evidence. Our faith, or persuasion of the truth, is itself our evidence. "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27). The criticality of the indwelling Christ is seen here. It is our possession of Him that constitutes a guarantee of us being in glory with Him. Prior to Jesus, this indwelling was a "mystery . . . kept secret for ages and generations" (Col. 1:26, NIV). Before Jesus, revealed religion was largely a matter of procedure, with very few people ever comprehending association with God involving anything beyond "carnal ordinances" (Heb. 9:10). The condition of the world required this mysterious circumstance. Sin had not been taken away, and the whole world stood "guilty before God" (Rom. 3:20). But O, how God wanted this to be known. In His infinite wisdom, He had conceived of a way through which Deity could join with mankind. Now, through the Gospel, He is at liberty to make this known. "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end" (Heb 3:14). Note carefully, He does not say that we WILL BE made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. Rather, We ARE partakers of Christ if this condition is found. Our persistent confidence is evidence that we have been made partakers of Christ. It is His presence within that has enabled the saints to maintain confident hope. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" (2 Pet. 1:19). Here the effect of Christ's presence is emphasized; yet it is Christ's presence that is the point. He is the real Day Star, outshining all else. As the believer pours over God's Word, ingesting it into his spirit, the time will come when it all comes together. The rising of the Day Star in the heart is the time of spiritual maturity. It is a time when the understanding becomes fruitful, and the divine intent in salvation is realized. That experience is evidence of an indwelling Christ. "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:12). To me, the thought of possessing the Son is still an arresting one. The possibility of such a thing is not what boggles my mind--it is the reality of it. How marvelous that an individual formerly dominated by sin could have the Son of God. Do not think that this is a mere metaphor of speech. There has been a joining of you and Jesus through the "great salvation" now proclaimed. Our spiritual life, or ability to respond to the living God, is owing to the presence of Jesus. It is NOT the result of knowing how to do things. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Rev 3:20). This is one of the most challenging verses in Scripture. It has certainly been corrupted by teachers that do not know what they affirm (1 Tim. 1:7). This is not an invitation to alien sinners. This is a Jesus pleading with His church--a church that has departed from Him and become unaware of His presence. These words are addressed to the church of Laodicea, who best portrays the contemporary American church. Jesus has been excluded from their assembly. He is not working with them, and they are not working with Him. They have become complacent, and think themselves to be complete and successful in every way. But they have actually drifted from Christ. They have lost their moorings, and are again entangled in sin. Satan has robbed them, and has again ensnared them. Jesus does not talk to the church like the professionals of our day. Rather than speaking to them as a group, He calls out to individuals within it. "If any man will hear My voice . . ." Here the heart of Jesus is revealed. He is looking for a person who will respond to Him--a person that will welcome Him, and get rid of things that prohibit Him from entering. And what will He do for such a person? He will "come in to him, and will sup with him." The fellowship will also be reciprocal: "and he with me." That is the indwelling Christ! He fellowships with the individual, working with him, revealing himself to him, and enabling him to walk in the strait and narrow way that leads to life (Matt. 7:13). PRAYER POINT: Father, I know you are well pleased with Your Son. Twice you have declared this: at His baptism, and His transfiguration. By your grace, I am now well pleased with Him also. I thank you for enabling me to join You in satisfaction with Your only begotten Son.

--TOMORROW: THE SPIRIT, #1 --