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 2 of 16

A DEFINITION OF TERMS

This series of devotions deals with the appointed means whereby the Lord Jesus makes His residence within the individual. The somewhat trite phrase, "receive Jesus into your heart," is not found in Scripture. As ordinarily conceived, it does not reflect revealed Divine intent. The term "indwelling" refers to Christ taking up His habitation within the heart of the believer--living out His life through our persons. As Paul said elsewhere, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal 2:20). I will expound how Christ effectively lives within the believer.

By "relationship of the Spirit," I mean the way in which the Holy Spirit is involved in accomplishing the indwelling of Christ. He does so under the government of Almighty God, and in strict accord with His "eternal purpose." His involvement is both personal and effective. Without the participation of the Holy Spirit, the objective will not, and cannot, be realized. Further, the work of the Holy Spirit will, if not quenched, will yield results that will cause the determined objective to be fulfilled: i.e., Christ dwelling in the heart by faith.

By "Christ's indwelling," I mean the personal association of Christ with the human spirit. In this indwelling Jesus becomes dominant, making His abode with the believer, and revealing Himself to him. This is not a philosophical or theoretical indwelling, but a real and effective one. It is also a conscious one in which the believer becomes aware of the presence, power, and fellowship of the Son of God. This indwelling is the means through which fellowship with God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is accomplished (1 Cor 1:9).

I want to be as clear as possible on this critical point. Without the indwelling Christ, there is no hope of salvation. There is no place in heaven for a person in whom Jesus does not dwell. Without this Divine presence, there can be no spiritual maturity or advancement in the faith. Apart from this indwelling, men are confined to futility, and shut up to vanity. No amount of imagined doctrinal precision can compensate for the absence of an indwelling Christ. There is no personal discipline or religious activity than can substitute for an indwelling Christ. If Jesus is not personally involved with us, we cannot be involved with God Almighty, either in this world, or in the world to come.

Right here, we see the critical distinction between the Old and New Covenants, Law and Grace, Faith and Works. Personal and consistent involvement with the Lord Jesus Christ is requisite to salvation. There is no eternal life without it. No amount of moral discipline or adherence to a code of ethics can compensate for failure at this point. If Jesus does not abide in us, we cannot, and will not, be accepted by God. Thus, the vital importance of this subject is confirmed.

PRAYER POINT: Father, through Jesus Christ, I earnestly seek such grace as will find Your Son as pleased with me as I am with Him.

-- Tomorrow: TRAITS OF SAINTS --