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 4 of 16

A BRIEF OVERVIEW

The emphasis placed upon Deity in this passage is arresting. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all involved. "That (1) HE [the Father, v 14] would grant you, according to the riches of (2) HIS GLORY, to be strengthened with might by (3) HIS SPIRIT in the inner man; That (4) 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 (5) CHRIST, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of (6) GOD."

Our text also contains the language of copiousness, extensiveness, and adequacy: " . . . the RICHES of His glory . . . with MIGHT . . . ROOTED and GROUNDED in love . . . ABLE to . . . BREADTH, and LENGTH, and DEPTH, and HEIGHT . . . the love of Christ, which PASSETH knowledge . . . FILLED . . . all the FULNESS of God."

Here is a text far removed, in any every sense of the word, from mediocrity. The realm of wealth is not the world, but GOD'S GLORY. The means of fortification is not psychological or physical, but DIVINE MIGHT. A mere token of stability is not achieved, but ROOTING and GROUNDING. It is not a challenge or exhortation that is offered, but ABILITY. We will not be shown the mere surface or edge of Divine love, but its BREADTH and LENGTH and HEIGHT and DEPTH. Our familiarity with Christ's love will go BEYOND the perimeter of human knowledge. A mere token of Divine favor is not the portion offered, but rather a FILLING. The substance with which we are filled is not some fleeting imagination, but the FULNESS OF GOD. See what a large text now looms before us!

Those who associate salvation with mere intellectual attainment, life disciplines, and religious liturgy, have "stumbled at that Stumblingstone" (Rom 9:32-33). Salvation, in all of its aspects, leaps beyond the restricting borders of nature. There is a height, depth, length, and breadth to salvation that challenges the mind and ravishes the heart. It is all realized through the indwelling Christ, Who makes His abode with us and manifests Himself to us. A person is dead toward God to the extent Jesus Christ is NOT dwelling within. Conversely, the individual is alive to God to the degree Jesus dwells within. God will have no personal dealings with us apart from Jesus Christ. Everything has been placed into his hand including you!