Christ May Dwell In Your Hearts

“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19 ESV

When we are spiritually dead due to our trespasses and sins, we cannot have faith on our own, because dead people do not have faith, It is only the faith of Christ that resides within our hearts that allows us to trust Him completely. If it were solely our own faith, we could create our own belief system that negates the need for Jesus and nullifies the effect of His sacrifice on the cross. Many do this, thinking that we only need Jesus for our entrance to heaven, nothing could be further from the truth. It is essential to acknowledge and trust in the faith of Christ.

As the power of God begins to manifest through our lives, we become rooted and grounded in the love that He places in our hearts. Our love for Him and for others is the evidence that we are fully His and growing into mature sons and daughters of our heavenly Father.  “⌞He has sent me⌟ to announce the year of the Lord’s good will and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all those who grieve. ⌞He has sent me⌟ to  provide for all those who grieve in Zion, to give them crowns instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of ⌞tears of⌟ grief, and clothes of praise instead of a spirit of weakness. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, the Plantings of the Lord, so that he might display his glory.” Isaiah 61:2-3 GW

As we grow we become aware that we do not have all that the Father desires to give us, which is why we gather with other brothers and sisters in the faith. It is through our collective gathering that Christ is more fully developed in us. “Let us hold on tightly to our confession of hope, without being diverted; the one who announced the message to us is trustworthy! Let us, as well, stir up one another’s minds to energetic effort in love and good works. We mustn’t neglect meeting together, as some are now doing. Instead, we must encourage one another, and all the more as you can see the great day coming closer.” Hebrews 10:23-25 NTFE

When we gather with other believers, our goal should not be limited to studying the Bible. Rather, our primary goal should be to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth about Christ in His fullness, so that we can establish a deeper connection with Him. Although studying scripture is important, the revelation of Christ is even more critical. This is what the Father intends for us when we come together as a community, and this purpose has remained unchanged since the ascension of Jesus. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.”                           2 Corinthians 4:7-12 ESV

In this passage above, Paul emphasizes the importance of comprehending the dimensions of Christ, by asking directly "what is the breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ. This understanding is not meant to be gained through individual bible study, but rather is explored and comprehended collectively with all the saints. It is through our relationships with His family that Christ is manifested. Each one of us knows Him in different ways and dimensions. When two or three people gather, Christ is present in their midst. Jesus Christ desires to demonstrate His presence when we gather together, seeking Him and His presence. “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:18-20 ESV

“To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge”, that is why I say it is more than bible study. Knowledge is not bad, but knowledge alone will not gain any favor with God. However, the love of Christ surpasses knowledge, and as we know love is experiential, not cerebral.  This was a huge statement to make to the Ephesians, for they had people in their gatherings that were teaching false doctrines which Paul and Timothy were directly confronting. “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”                   1 Timothy 1:3-7 ESV

The passage above emphasizes that Paul, Timothy and even I have a goal - to be filled with the fullness of God and experience it with all the Saints. It's not a revival or one-time occurrence, but it should be a part of our daily lives. We need to grow in our relationship with Christ, not just with our fellow believers but also with everyone we come across in our daily lives, including at work, in the markets, social gatherings, etc. This is where our faith is tested, and we are faced with the question - is God real in our lives? We need to be bold enough to invite Christ into the lives of others and not remain silent out of fear. God wants to bring all his family back to himself, and it's our responsibility to take that leap of faith and make it happen as we are prompted by the Father.

Stephen Barnett