THE HOLY SPIRIT AND CHRIST'S INDWELLING

"That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Devotion 1 of 16

INTRODUCTION

There is a spiritual smallness that has permeated much theological thinking. With minds nailed to the earth like Sisera's head, professed leaders have steered the people into the land of empty wells and broken cisterns. A profound dissatisfaction exists among professed believers in our country that is not always uttered, yet is very dominant. The twins of Academia and Philosophy have been exalted to places of prominence, together with their little sister Emotion. As a result, emotional hype has supplanted conviction, and surface matters have become the focus rather than "the deep things of God."

While this has often brought the appearance of superiority, it has not produced the spiritual qualities that characterize the Kingdom of God. The Spirit apprises us of the essential elements of God's Sovereign Kingdom. They are "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17). Even those with but a modicum of perception know all three of these are nearly extinct in the contemporary church. The antonymous traits of ungodliness, variance, and moroseness plague the average church. Self professed experts have arisen to address these deficiencies with motivational speeches, economical expertise, and tips on family issues. But the well from which they are drawing is too shallow.

There are reasons why these conditions exist. Much of the church has lost its focus, and is staggering in the dark. The heavenly Kingdom, however, has a solitary focus: the Son of God. He has the "preeminence" in all things (Col 1:18). Neither the summary nor the elements of life and godliness can be properly seen apart from Jesus Christ. Nor, indeed, can the Word or purpose of God be comprehended unless the exalted Savior is prominent in our thinking. This is the significance of the Psalmic statement, "For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light" (Psa 36:9).

There is no valid understanding that does not have Christ as its locus. True comprehension is neither originated nor nourished from the corrupt wells of worldly wisdom. Whether it is language, history, analysis, or percipience, unless the Lord Jesus presides over the soul and is the focus of attention, "the truth" will not be perceived. Furthermore, freedom from enslavement to sin and spiritual ignorance can only occur when the truth is "known" (John 8:32,36). There is no such thing as impersonal salvation.

This series of devotions will accentuate the role of the Holy Spirit in the personal indwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will find that the indwelling of the
Lord Jesus is dependent upon conditions that are only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit. We will also find Christ dwelling within our hearts produces certain appointed effects.

PRAYER POINT: Father, through Your grace, and by the Lord Jesus Christ, enable me to rise above religious mediocrity that Your will may be wrought in me.

-- Tomorrow: A DEFINITION OF TERMS --