Thirsting Souls Bible Teaching

(Eph 3:20) “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (21) Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”  Asking God for something is a balance of desires: firstly, we are to desire His will first and foremost in the matter, whatever it might be; and then second, looking with faith for Him to answer our prayer. Nothing is too hard for Him to do. The question is: one, is it His will to do it; and two, is it what is best for us. A first glance, the one seems to conflict with the other. But not to the one truly submitted to His will.  

(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, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”  Notice these verses begin and end with the love of God. The fullness of God, thus the filling of the Holy Spirit, is not possible without our entering into the love of God, Him loving you  and allowing Him to love through you. We will be told in Chapter Five that this filling is achieved through a heart directed towards Him in singing and thankfulness. Isn’t this “loving Him back”?

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!