Reading: Ephesians chapter 3
Spotlight: Ephesians 3:14-19

The process…

Just like in our devotional for March 1st, we once again see Paul giving insight into how exactly he prays for the saints. There is so much understanding we can gain from this. Remember to approach this text not only from a place of praying it for other believers but with the comfort that we have every right to pray it for ourselves. In verse 16, he is specifically talking about a transfer of power from God to us. More of God’s spirit in our in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. But wait a minute. I thought Christ already dwelled in my heart? I am born again believer and I have accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. Is Paul praying for non-Christians to get saved? No, he is praying for believers. So why is he praying for them to have Christ dwell in their hearts? After all, Colossians 2:9-11- says “For in Christ, all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Well, now I am confused. Does the bible contradict itself? Paul tells the Colossian believers they have fullness in Christ and he is telling the Ephesian believers that they need Christ to dwell in their hearts. Let me explain this apparent contradiction.
The key is in the difference between our hearts and our spirits. When we ask Jesus to into our hearts we are literally made alive in Christ (Eph 2:5). Were we physically dead before? No. So the ‘made alive’ must refer to spiritual life. When we are born again, in our spirits there is a deposit made of God’s spirit. Before we were saved we were spiritually dead. I often hear people (who are not saved) talk about having spiritual experiences, but that is actually impossible because before we are saved our spirits are dead, literally. The only thing we can hear in the spirit is the voice of God calling us to salvation. We can’t hear or discern anything else ‘in the spirit.’ People don’t like to hear that because it hurts them on the ego level. Non-Christians want to believe that they have a spiritual capacity and will mislabel emotional experiences as spiritual ones so that they can believe the lie that they have a spiritual capacity. So when we get saved what actually is happening is God is bringing our spirit to life from death and depositing His spirit in us. That is why in Colossians we are given fullness in Christ. God doesn’t chip off a little part of Himself, He comes to live in us in fullness. If that is the case then why can’t I heal people or be like Benny Hinn? The reason is that the fullness has yet to be realized on the heart level. If you remember my March 1st devotional, we talked about God and Satan battling for real estate in our hearts as we give our hearts to Jesus. Giving your heart to Jesus is actually a life-long process and not a single act. Let me say that again, giving your heart to Jesus is a life long process, not a solitary act.
So when Paul in Ephesians 3:16 says “he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being” he literally means activating Holy Spirit power in us at the heart level. He goes on to say, in verse 17, “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” When you look at it like this, it makes perfect sense to tell believers they need Jesus to dwell in their hearts. Our entire Christian walk can be summed up like this: taking the fullness of God that was deposited in our spirits at our spiritual rebirth and realizing that fullness, experiencing new dimensions of it at the heart level, as we pursue intimacy with Christ, as we read the word, as we pray, as we go through trials and so on. I’ve heard it said that salvation is free but the anointing cost everything. When you see men and women of God that operate in a powerful anointing, it is as simple as this; they have allowed more of their heart to be overtaken by the spirit of God that is already in their spirits in fullness, to be realized and activated at the heart level.
So what is the purpose of all this? Let me summarize it by reading excerpts from the end of the text. (Ephesians 3:17b, 18 & 19) “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love (Love as spoken here has a manifold meaning, “Being rooted and established in Christ, being rooted and established in the word, etc.) may have the power… to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses all knowledge…” It’s all about seeking a greater revelation of His love every day. That is how we grow in Christ.
What is the end result? Verse 19b says “That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Once again we have to assume that the bible does not contradict itself. So if the man who told us that we have all fullness in one text is telling us to pursue this deeper revelation of God to have fullness in another text. We must understand that he is referring to taking the fullness that exists in our spirits and be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” in our inner man or our hearts. How do we know when we get there? Remember, it is a process. I compare myself with people like Reinhard Bonnke, Billy Graham, Benny Hinn or Lou Engle and I realize that I have a long way to go. I bet these men all feel the same way too.

How to Pray this Scripture:

Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that out of your glorious riches, you would strengthen me with your power through your spirit in my inner being so that you may dwell fully in my heart through faith. Increase my faith Lord. May I be rooted and established in your love. By your Holy Spirit, grant me the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep your live is. Give me a greater revelation of your love each and every day. Increase my capacity to receive love from you, Lord, to know this love that surpasses knowledge that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Additional Scriptures:

Ephesians 1:17-20
Ephesians 2:4-5
Colossians 2:9-11
Revelations 3:20