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 11 of 16

THE APPOINTED OBJECTIVE

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith . . . " Here is the grand objective of being strong within. Observe, it is not taken for granted that Christ dwells within. Right here we come into sharp conflict with much contemporary teaching. For literally centuries believers have disputed about whether those in Christ can ever be lost, lose their salvation, fall away, or be excluded from glory. Strong and persuasive arguments have been developed on both sides of the issue, as believers wage war against each other instead of against principalities and powers (Eph 6:12). The answer to the question is found right here in this marvelous text.

The indwelling of Christ is here described as conditional. It is not taken for granted. Nor, indeed, is it assumed that once Jesus is received, He remains. The word "dwell" means to house permanently--to reside, dwell, inhabit, or settle down in. It does not reflect a temporary situation.

There are two indispensable requisites for this indwelling, or permanency of Presence: (1 Strength in the inner man, and (2) Faith. Neither of these can be achieved without the consent and hearty involvement of the one in whom Christ dwells. If our inner man is not strong, Christ cannot remain with us. If our faith fails, He can no longer stay with us. That may seem harsh, but it is true, and must be eagerly and determinedly embraced.

Let no soul be deluded at this point. God will not receive a person in whom His Son does not dwell. There is no hope for any individual in whom Jesus does not take up residency. Knowing the inherent weakness of man--even redeemed man--Paul prays for the appointed means of the Divine indwelling to be accomplished. He not only prays for this, he announces it to those for whom he prayed. This is in order to alert their spirits, and awaken anticipation within them.

Christ dwelling within our hearts contradicts all merely human perceptions. It is like putting twenty pounds of potatoes in a one pound bag. It is just that impossible and even more. Unless we are MADE adequate as a housing place for Jesus, He will not be able to live within us. Far ahead of his time, David sensed the principle here declared. "I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart" (Psa 119:32NKJV). The Psalmist knew he could not do this himself. If his heart was to be made larger, God must do it. He sought a greater capacity, a firmer grasp, and more adequate competency. Living prior to "the day of salvation," he sought such grace so that he could stay within the perimeter of God's commandments, keeping them and never forgetting them.

What must be the requirement, then, for Christ to take up permanent residency in us? Will He be able to remain within those whose hearts are faint and spirits are weak? Can Jesus permanently reside in those who vacillate between the flesh and the Spirit, attempting to jump back and forth between this world and the world to come? Is there a living soul presumptuous enough to imagine this is a fair representation of life in Christ Jesus?

Jesus spoke of this dwelling while yet with His disciples, and before He was betrayed. "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:21,23NKJV). This is precisely the same dwelling referenced in our text. You will notice Jesus also attached conditions to the experience of Divine love, personal manifestation, the Father and Son coming into the individual, and making Their abode there. Those who imagine this is unconditional are simply wrong.

If Jesus could do no mighty work in His own country because of their unbelief (Matt 13:58; Mark 6:5), what would lead anyone to believe He could so work in a divided and weakened heart? If you have any vestige of confidence in the flesh, throw it overboard immediately! If you imagine your intellectual powers and personal discipline are adequate to prepare your inner man for a remaining Jesus, abandon such a delusion with haste! If you are resting upon a profession of faith you made years ago, and have not nourished your soul and kept the faith, "awake, rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light!" (Eph 5:14). We are not speaking of mere options here, but of the indwelling Christ, without which there is no hope of heaven--not a solitary, frail, or a fragile wisp! Redemption has fully provided for the saints individually and collectively to become the residence of Jesus Christ. That indwelling brings both satisfaction and adequacy. It equips the child of God to live triumphantly and appropriate the blessings to which he has been appointed. This is involved in the blessing Paul himself fervently sought (Phil 3:7-14).

PRAYER POINT: Father, through Jesus I praise and thank You for providing a way for my heart to be enlarged and made strong. I know by experience this requirement is beyond my natural abilities.

-- Tomorrow: THE GLORIOUS RESULT--ROOTED AND GROUNDED --