The Challenge
Topic: Jesus, our Savior and our Lord
Spend a few minutes reading, praying, and meditating on the following verses:
Ephesians 3:17a that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Challenge: Read the essay “My Heart Christ’s Home”. https://www.usna.edu/Navigators/_files/documents/MHCH.pdf
In your journal (or here https://www.quiettime.today/journal) write down which of the rooms in your heart’s home are occupied by Christ.
Bonus verse:
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
More information: https://www.quiettime.today/blog/challenge-5
More Information
Yesterday we explored the incredible idea that God is our heavenly Father. Today we look at our relationship with Jesus, our Lord and Savior. One mind-blowing aspect of our relationship with Jesus is that He can actually dwell in us. A few aspects of this relationship are described by Paul in his letter to the church in Ephesus:
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
We are part of a spiritual family that is named after Christ (Christians), and the members of this family find strength through God’s Spirit in the inner man. This is where Christ dwells, in our hearts, through faith. When Christ is in us, we are firmly grounded in love, a love that is larger than we can logically comprehend. It is a result of us being filled to the brim with the fullness or abundance that comes from God.
This is an essential element of the abundant life, that Christ is in your heart. Romans 8 makes it clear that the Spirit of Christ is the same as the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. It also explains how the Spirit of Christ in us helps us to achieve the abundant life.
Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
By considering ourselves dead to the temporal temptation of the world, by putting to death the sinful deeds of the body through the power of the Spirit, we achieve the abundant life. As long as we fail to root out sin out of our lives, we will not live the abundant life.
Jesus Himself explained this relationship that we have with Him by using the vine and branches metaphor.
John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
What does it mean to abide in Christ? Recall that Christ is also called the Word.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
So it’s impossible to abide in Christ if you don’t spend much time with Him in your bible.
John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
If you spend much time in the Word, then Christ will start to change you and work through you.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And once Christ dwells richly in your heart through His Word, then you will start to bear much fruit and everything will be possible for you. But without Him, you can do nothing.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
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