The Daily Word of Righteousness

One in Christ in God, #18

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, (Galatians 4:19)

As we take heed to the things of Christ, a wonderful transformation occurs in us. Christ is formed in us. As Christ is formed in us the Father and the Son come to dwell in us. They make their abode with us.

Our task is to keep the words of Jesus and to open the door of our heart to Him.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)

God's plan is described as follows:

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19)

Before the Father and the Son can take up residence in us we must be strengthened in the inner man. We must be converted in the depths of our character, not just in our mind.

The prayer of Paul for the saints at Ephesus was that they would be "strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man." He prayed that Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith—the faith that comes as a result of the strengthening of the inner man by the Spirit of God.

The increase of Christ in the heart means an increase in our possession of the love of Christ. Being established in the love of Christ makes it possible for the saint to grasp the riches of God's Glory. As we grasp the riches of the Glory of God we grow closer to the place where we can be filled with all the fullness of God. We become the eternal dwelling place of the Godhead. God finds His rest in us. We find our rest in God.

The Father dwells in Christ in totality.

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9)

The Father loves the Son and dwells in Him completely. All that the Father is and possesses He has given to the Son. The Father is in the Son in His fullness and the Son is in the Father in His fullness. If we can understand the relationship of the Son to the Father we can gain some understanding of the relationship of the Body of Christ to the Son.

To be continued.