Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19)  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge”   Notice that the love of Christ is said to be “past” our ability to understand. Again, as stated yesterday, the four dimensions are given to illustrate this very point (I invite you to research the concept of  “4 dimensions”. Some of Einstein’s theories were based upon this concept.) The point being, I don’t know why the Lord would love me, but He does. I cannot comprehend why He would die for the worse person who ever lived – but He did! It is because of that love I am a saved person today!  

(Eph 3:17) “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;”  These four dimensions, rather than three, are given to express the hard to understand concept of Christ being in us and we in Him. It can only be embraced by faith. I may not understand a lot of things, but this thing I know with all my heart: my God and Savior said it is true – so it is! 

Eph 3:17)  “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,…”  The true Child of God seeks to do everything in their life based upon a response to the love of God. He loved me and gave His Son, the Son gave His life, and the Spirit now dwells in me, all because They were motivated by their love for me. I should love them back and therefore will deny my own desires to the contrary and seek to obey His Bible in any and every way I can.  

 (Eph 3:17) “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;…”   So many, having not read the Word of God themselves and having never been taught, have wrongly assumed that “faith” is simply the mental acknowledging of facts as true.That is not Bible faith, according to the Book of James. Faith is the right response to those facts, in heart and therefore in actions. “Be saved”: respond by asking for the gift of salvation; “I will built My church”: I will go to church; “go ye therefore”: how can I get this done for You, Lord. You get the idea.

(Eph 3:17) “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;…”  So often today, ministers as well as saint in the pew, forget to take verses 1. in context; 2. with the whole teaching of Scripture. We forget that the Bible is one book, not sixty-six separate books. God is not mentally ill, going from one extreme to another, saying this in one book, and then changing His mind and saying something else in another. So here, yes Jesus dwells in our hearts by faith, yet came into our hearts as response to our repentance of heart.

(Eph 3:16) “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;”  Emotions have a tendency to drain us of physical strength. If we have allowed ourselves to worry over something, we find this the result. We find ourselves seeking “rest”. Yet, the true strength of the Child of God is to come from within. It comes from the point of faith; faith the Lord will take care of us; faith that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us spiritually. Victory for the true Believer is not outward, but inward. The world may see only weakness, as with the cross. Yet, there was nothing weak about Christ in any way, shape, or form. Seek that kind of strength. Look to the Lord your Savior!

(Eph 3:14) “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15)  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,”If you read this in the context of what is written before and after, you find the phrase “the whole family of heaven and earth” is referring to the saved. Those who have gone on before us in Christ (saved by His blood which includes Old Testament Saints) who are in heaven and those “in Christ” here upon this earth are all one family! This is spelled out to us in the Book of Hebrews, “For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.”  I can anywhere, enter a church of saved people, and find family! Praise God!

(Eph 3:13)  “Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. (14) For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,”  The words “wherefore” and “for this cause” refer to those things revealed – the mystery of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles and the blessed access through faith to the presence of He Who now is our Heavenly Father! Praise the Lord, I join the Apostle Paul in bowing my knees before my Great and Mighty God Who is full of mercy! 

(Eph 3:13)  “Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.”    There are those who think of suffering for Christ as, “Not for me!” Such have not fully considered or believed the amount of suffering the Lord bore to purchase our salvation – to keep us from Hell Fire. The Bible says of  those who respond rightly, that they have “good hearts” (Luk_8:15) “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” The good heart says, “He’s worth it” or “I owe Him that much”, and thus are willing to bow to the will of the Father in all things.

(Eph 3:11)  “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:  (12)  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”    So, I pray with confidence. Not confidence that I will get what I want; but confidence that He hears me and will do whatever His will dictates. Our prayers are to be as Jesus’ prayers, “Not My will but Thine be done.”  Amen