… so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Summary: Paul describes to us how God works in our hearts.
What does it take to squeeze the Creator of the universe into your heart? According to Paul, it takes the power of God’s Spirit working in your inner being.
Think about that for a minute.
God is willing to take the time to work on you and me personally. When we turn to God like the prodigal son, God embraces us with open arms and then goes to work on us.
Is he “fixing things?” Does he change us? What is going on?
Paul says that the Father strengthens us with power.
Do you know what a Siamese twin is? When two babies in the womb share a body part, they are conjoined. Spiritually, we are all much the same as a Siamese twin. We have a physical body and a spiritual body conjoined at conception. The physical body is mortal. Within a certain number of years, it dies. The spiritual part of our body is eternal. When the physical body dies, the spiritual body is cut loose. Meanwhile, while the physical body is alive, the two are conjoined.
When Paul talks about God’s Spirit working in our “inner being,” he is talking about our spirit. When he writes that Christ may “dwell in your hearts,” he is again talking about our spirit. If our spirit is to live, we need Jesus.
Paul uses many metaphors to describe the effect Jesus has on our spirit. We are members of one body (Eph 3:6), fellow citizens with God’s people and members of his household (Ephesians 3: 20). We are also parts of a building which is a holy temple, and a dwelling for God’s spirit (Ephesians 3:20-22).
In all of these, we become part of something larger than ourselves. Perhaps we are restored to what we were originally intended to be.
Application: Know that God is working to strengthen your spiritual being so his Son, Jesus, can live in you.
Food for Thought: What does it feel like to have Christ in your heart?
There is joy, it is calming, and grounding, you see the beauty in nature. When driving in the City, you don’t get adjitated by other drivers around you, because you feel the love in your heart. When in the grocery store, you have love for the people you encounter, which has an amazing effect on those you interact with. The analogy I like, is flowing with the river of life, When christ is in your heart, you are not fighting with the stream, you flow with it.
It is also quite noticable when my heart is not with Christ, as I allow little things to frustrate me, and allow others to change my mood. From studies, it is said that 90% of our waking moments is directed by our subconscious throught, which is basically habitual energy. It takes practice, or better put, it takes prayer with a grateful heart to sustain the power of Christ in my heart.
Brad
Brad,
Beautifully said! I’m so glad you are sharing your insights here. You encourage me! Thank you! 🙂
I like Brads response, especially the river analogy–I feel that too!
I would also add something I view as the confidence of Christ. Alot if fear is gone, and I dont worry about “all the things.” The things I do fear/worry about, I give to Him. Giving it to Him, I can tell Him how I think I feel about it, what I think I would want, but eventually, I get “whittled down to the truth.” The truth of how I really feel, and what I really want. Spoiler alert: its me being self centered. The feelings I express, the words I say in my heart, the response comes in my mind in scripture. Sometimes I have to stop and look it up because I want to be sure I am hearing that correctly. I dont nessessarily get definitive answers, but I usually get the understanding that to lose to self is to gain in Christ. I may still “lose” but it doesnt feel like loss. Whatever comes, I’m ok with it. Eventually answers come or the questions just fall off the vine. Either way, I am confident in the peace of the exchange with my Savior.
Philippians 4: 6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Thank you, Chris!
I like the imagery of questions just ‘falling off the vine.’ That captures a lot of my experience with God, too. Being patient and trusting God is a great way to live, and somehow, the important things always get taken care of in God’s timing – his perfect timing.
Great comments Guy’s !!
06-01-2023, What does it feel like to have Christ in your heart?
How does someone who is blind to the glory of God come to see Him for who He really is, live the LIFE He has prepared for all, hear the truths being revealed to us by the Holy Spirit?
Without spiritual eyes, ears, brains, mankind cannot see, hear or comprehend the works of God which reveal His glory: creation, incarnation, gospel, Scripture. As physical beings, we are simply not capable of seeing, experiencing, the glory of God and instead, refer to His works as nature.
Isaiah 35, 5-6 The blind will be able to see, and the deaf will hear.The lame will leap and dance, and those who cannot speak will shout for joy.
In Luke 7:19-20, In a moment of possible doubt, from prison, John the Baptist sent disciples to Jesus to ask “ are you the one?”
Luke 7:22 So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
How does it feel to know each beat of our heart, each breath we take are by the power of God? How does it feel to know the true love we feel for another is from God, and how does it feel to see God at work in everything mankind refers to as nature? How does it feel to know every good thing we do id by the power of God in us?
Thank you, Ron.
Your answer points us to the fact that we need to be aware of the spiritual side of our nature to experience a spiritual event — like Christ being in us.
I love the comments here.
I will take a slightly different angle. I have also known many godly people who struggle with anxiety and depression. Even some famous people of the faith have battled depression (such as CS Lewis and JB Philips). And they are not feeling that way because they stopped reading their Bible. It is interesting that they sometimes experience depression mixed with the joy of Christ. But often I am told by such people that the Lord sustains them and provides spiritual, emotional sustenance and hope. There are many Psalms that deal with this reality – such as Psalm 88. Two Psalms that have helped me are Psalm 46 and 62. Psalm 62: 8 has had special significance in my life. Having Christ in our hearts is critical. But maybe even more so during the rough times.
Brother,
I think you have touched on a critical point. Thank you! Who hasn’t struggled with life’s emotions and pain? In this world we are confronted with pain continually. Yet, I cannot imagine carrying on without Jesus. With Jesus in my heart, I can (Philippians 4:13).