CHRIST CAME TO DWELL IN YOU

Christmas is a season we celebrate the precious gift of God from Heaven. It is also the season to reflect on why God sent this gift to us and the instruction that follows as we receive the gift. To examine the instruction, we usually think of John 3:16, which reads, 'For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting (Douay - Rheims Bible, 1899 American Edition). This means that God gave us His only begotten Son, but the instruction is to receive and believe in Him, so we can escape damnation and live eternally. But there's more to this: Christ didn't just come to dwell among us, He came to dwell in our hearts by faith.

Reference: Ephesians 3:17 New King James Version (NKJV) "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love."

The (NLT) penned it in this manner: "Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong."

One of the good reasons Christ came down to us is so He can dwell in our hearts through faith. He cares so much about us, that He desires to dwell in our hearts. We don't have to bother about how a Deity that created the whole world can live in the hearts of men. We don't have to wonder if its possible. We don’t have to question whether He can really do that. Remember that God Himself is present everywhere at the same time. That's why He is known as omnipresent God. However, for Him (Christ) to dwell in human heart, it requires our faith in Him. The God-kind of faith is the only technology that makes it achievable and workable.

Our heart is the dwelling place for God by the Spirit. This is true for every Christian. When we confess Jesus as Saviour and Lord, we are instantly transported into Christ. Then, through the Holy Spirit, we begin to grow in our faith and have continual, free access to the heart of God. In our referenced Scripture, the phrase, 'being rooted and grounded in love', means that our intimate relationship with God can go deeper and become stronger as we discover and experience His love, first-hand. This love is designed to keep us grounded in Christ and grow us in faith.

One of the most wonderful benefits of knowing Christ is living with the foundation of His affection. As Christians we must be in constant need of Christ's love and affection. If not, something must be wrong. And oftentimes, what is wrong is that we spend too much time and energy craving for the affections of others. From trying to earn the respect and admiration of others and vying for their approval, we reduce the time we can actually invest in enjoying the wellspring of love and affection that comes from communion with our heavenly Father.

The Bible says, "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (1 John 4:16 NIV). If you want to be rooted and grounded in love, you must devote your time and energy meditating on His Word and responding to His love, so He can reveal more of His vast and overwhelming affection to you. Once your root grows down into God's love, you'll be grounded in that love, and it means that God's love has become your foundation. Therefore, this season is the time to go for a fresh revelation of His unconditional love, so we can experience more of it and become strong, secure and unshakeable in our faith walk.

Scripture Reading - John 14:23; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 2:22; Colossians 2:6-7.

Guided Prayer: Glorious and everlasting Father, I worship you today because you've made my heart your dwelling place by the Spirit. I live for you and I grow in faith to please and satisfy you, thereby allowing your love to become the foundation of my life in Christ. Thus, I'm strong and secure in my reliance on your love, like a tree held strongly by deep roots. By letting Christ dwell in my heart through faith, I stir up others around me to greater levels of devotion to you, my worthy King, so they'll be rooted and built up in Christ and be established in the faith, in Jesus' Name, Amen!