That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.
— Ephesians 3:17
From time to time, many of us get caught up in the challenges of life and sometimes fail to notice all that God is accomplishing in our midst. As we go through each day, we can become so fixated on our daily challenges and trials that we lose sight not only of what God has done, but also of what He is doing on our behalf.
Truly life can be overwhelming at times. But we need to remember that although we may experience momentary afflictions, our overwhelming victory in Christ is permanent and eternal. It’s during those times when the shifting tides of life threaten to unnerve us or to displace our footing that we need to recognize the permanent stability of our True Foundation, Jesus Christ. He is our Strong Tower, our Shelter, and our Dwelling Place. We can count on that! But even more important is the fact that He has chosen to make our hearts HIS permanent dwelling place.
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The apostle Paul emphatically declares this truth in Ephesians 3:17, saying, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.” That word “dwell” is the Greek word katoikeo, a compound of the words kata and oikos. The word kata means down, and the word oikos is the Greek word for a house. The word oikos could also be used in a larger sense to describe a family clan or a larger social unit, such as the house of David, or it could depict a local community. In the New Testament, the primary meaning of the word oikos is a house or location where an individual, entity, family, or community permanently dwells.
When kata and oikos are compounded, the new word katoikeo (“dwell”) carries the idea of one who permanently resides at a specific location. Thus, Paul’s use of this word implies not only that Christ establishes His physical residence in a faith-filled heart by the Holy Spirit, but also that He is at home and permanently settled there. That location has become His dwelling place, His temple, His property, His place of permanent residence — and He has become a perpetual, never- to-move-out Occupant!
Isn’t that good to know? Christ’s dwelling is permanently fixed within our hearts, and He has no intention of ever leaving us or abandoning us for another place of residence! That means He knows what we face every day, and He faces it with us. It is impossible for us to live without Jesus’ attention to every detail in our lives, because He perpetually dwells inside us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. This also means there is no place to run or hide from Christ, because He literally goes where we go and is always present wherever we are. We are His permanent earthly residence, not merely a stop on His way to somewhere else!
Christ Himself is in every challenge we face, so we can rest assured that God is always with and in us. He is always present to sustain us, strengthen us, and guide us through this life. He never leaves or forsakes us. We are His permanent dwelling place.
It’s no wonder that First John 4:4 declares, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!” Jesus Christ lives inside you! Think of that as you get started today!
MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that by Your great love and kindness, in Christ I am Your temple, Your sanctuary. Your Spirit has His permanent dwelling in me individually and in Your Church collectively. From this day forward, I will make it a practice to remind myself that Christ in me is my Hope of Glory. As Your permanent dwelling place, I know I carry You into every situation I face, so I thank You that You empower me to walk honorably in all I do to the glory of Jesus Christ.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I confess that when the shifting tides of life threaten to unnerve me, I remain stable and unmoved because I am anchored in the solid Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my permanent stability and my true foundation; therefore, my steps do not slide. The name of the Lord is my strong tower and my shelter. My life is hidden in Christ in God. And not only do I abide in Him, but He also dwells in me! I am the living temple of the Most High God. He has chosen to make my heart HIS permanent dwelling place. Knowing that He will never leave me or forsake me, I boldly proclaim: Victory is mine because greater is He that is in me than he that is in this world!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER
- Have you ever thought about the fact that your heart is Christ’s home in your life and that you are His permanent place of residency? Since that is the case, how should it affect the way you live?
- Just think of the fact that you cannot run or hide from Christ, because everywhere you go, He goes with you. That means you never face anything alone or without Him facing it with you. Knowing that Christ is in you, what kind of affect does that have on you as you face different circumstances in life?
- If you really believe that Jesus is greater in you than anything you’ll ever face, then ponder what a victorious position this puts you in your life. Why don’t you take a few minutes to meditate on Christ being in you and do it before you let any time lapse after reading this Sparkling Gem today.
