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 12 of 16

THE GLORIOUS RESULT--ROOTED AND GROUNDED

" . . . that ye, being rooted and grounded in love . . . " Now we come to the grand objective of this indispensable ministry of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Christ does not occupy a rocking chair, remaining idle within the heart. In the Kingdom of God, an inactive believer can very well indicate an absent Christ! It is no wonder the Spirit admonishes us, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Cor 13:5). Professed believers who identify, and blend in with, assemblies where such a spirit is stifled are tottering on the precipice of eternal ruin.

There is a spiritual progression in this text that is virtually unknown in the nominal church. Unless we are strengthened with Divine might by the Spirit, Christ cannot dwell within us. Further, if Christ is not dwelling within, we cannot be "rooted and grounded," an absolute requisite in spiritual life. Jesus told us of those who heard and gladly received the Word, yet were not rooted. "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away" (Lk 8:13). Unrooted and ungrounded believers are like "children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness" (Eph 4:14). They cannot stand under the assaults of the wicked one, or the craftiness of deceptive men. They are not stable. Their confidence is fragile, and they do not have the "full assurance of faith" (Heb 10:22). Because of this tenuous condition, they cannot draw near to God, reach deep into the well of life, or effectively resist the devil.

Notice the spiritual substance in which the rooting and grounding takes place: "love." This is Divine love, and speaks of a comprehension of both its reality and accessibility. That very love is "shed abroad in our hearts" by the Spirit of God (Rom 5:5). He makes us aware of the magnitude of that love, as well as its effectiveness for our fallen condition.

The prevalence of professed believers that are NOT "rooted and grounded" in the average church is mind-boggling. It is not uncommon to find such individuals in the pulpits, functioning as leaders, and having official, yet imagined, charge of the people of God.

Let me be clear on this matter, for it is critical. If a person is NOT rooted and grounded in love, it is because Jesus is not dwelling in that individual by faith. If Jesus is not dwelling in such by faith, it is because they have not been strengthened with might. If they have not been strengthened with might, it is because the Spirit has not ministered the required strength. It makes little difference what else may be claimed, if these things are not resident in the person, a spiritual condition of unspeakable jeopardy exists. Like Lot ran from Sodom, so must such people leave that condition with resolution and dispatch. Such people are actually sinking in the treacherous storm like Peter, and need to cry out for help.

Spiritual stability is necessary because of our circumstance. Faith has put us in the middle of a fierce and unrelenting war. The forces aligned against us are not flesh and blood. They are superior to flesh and blood in both strength and thought. Unless our roots go deep into the love of God, these forces will get the best of us.

Praise God, salvation has provided resources for this situation. We can become "steadfast and unmoveable" unable to be "moved from the hope of the Gospel" (1 Cor. 15:58; Col 1:23). We can be in a state where the things of God do not confound us, life does not baffle us, and the foe does not overcome us. The people of God CAN be the head instead of the tail (Deut 28;13). There is a spiritual condition called "more than conquerors" (Rom 8:37). It is to be experienced by all believers, and is fully accessible to them in Christ Jesus.

PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for the Divine power that can root us in Your love.

-- Tomorrow: TROUBLING COGITATION'S --