The in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions. Our God lives inside us!

16 A gift [the gift of our lives to the Lord] opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great [God of heaven and earth, our heavenly Father].

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. They are one in the same.

¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19

1. He strengthens us out of the glorious riches of His power, which is the Spirit who lives in us (our inner being).
2. Christ dwells in our hearts through faith; what is faith? It is believing Jesus enough to act on what He said.
3. How much does God love the world? “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” John 3:16. It is in this love that we have our roots and our foundation.
4. That foundation of love is also where we get our power to overcome our sinful nature. But, we were never intended to do it alone; we are created as part of a whole, the body of Christ, which is made up of other believers.
5. Delving the depths of Christ’s love for us is an eternal endeavor. It’s even 4-dimensional! In fact, it surpasses human knowledge.
6. God wants us to be filled to overflowing with the fullness of His love!

What is the product of having so much love in us? We produce fruit, fruit that will last. Here’s the problem: When we don’t endeavor to know Him and His love, we quit producing fruit for the kingdom. Lip service will not cut it; real fruit is displaying the characteristics of God (godly characteristics).

²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind [repented] and went.
³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. Matthew 21:28-31

Why were sinners ahead of the religious leaders? Because they depended upon Christ for their salvation and to lead them every day in every way. Religious people don’t really need Jesus; they can be righteous on their own–NOT! Jesus is looking for followers who will follow, who will search for Him in the Scriptures and in other Christians, who will meet with other followers for fellowship and worship, who will depend upon Him for every decision (not just the “big” ones; by that time, it’s too late), and to fear nothing but losing sight of their Savior. Jesus never gets mad at us, He is never disappointed in us, nor does He hold our past over our heads. He loves us just as we are, but too much to leave us as we are. He is the epidemy of patience and gentleness, of kindness and goodness. The biggest verse in the Bible, to me, is Romans 8:1. Here’s what it says,

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

It actually reads,

Therefore, NO CONDEMNATION!!! for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Face it, folks. Our sins are gone. They have been washed away in the blood of Jesus, never to be seen or heard from again. NOW, when we read the Bible, we read for relationship and not just for knowledge. We strive to know Him, not know about Him. Has this type of reading been your experience? Try asking God to reveal Himself to you as you read His Word. Then, read a little, ponder, read a little more, ponder, etc. You will be amazed at what the Spirit will teach you!

Abba, thank You for teaching me this lesson so long ago. It has been my mainstay all these years. I’m just glad You want to know us personally–even intimately! Psalm 139:4 says it all, “Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely, O Lord.” May I never lose my zeal for Your Word. It is honey to my lips and balm to my soul. Amen.