…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…

                                                                               Ephesians 3:17a

This week we will focus on the importance of faith in our lives. There is only one God, but He exists in three persons. He has a character and nature that never changes. God is who He is. If you take a close look at the prayer we are studying this month, you will see these three persons of God: “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father” (v 14), “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (v 17), and “to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man” (v 16). God resides in heaven with the risen Christ seated at His right hand, interceding for all who are saved, yet God’s Spirit is also active on earth in the hearts and lives of those who believe. So how does Christ actually dwell in our hearts? The passage tells us that He dwells in our hearts through (our) faith. So how does our faith cause Jesus to dwell within us? Two things we need to understand: (1) the meaning of the word heart and (2) what it means to exercise faith. The human heart resides in the center of each of our chests. It is the life giving, blood-pumping organ, without which none of us would be alive. When the Bible uses the word heart, it is not referring to the organ rather the heart’s position (being in the center of your chest). Spiritually speaking, your heart is at the center of your existence. It is the seat of all of your thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors. It’s who you really are and reveals the things that are most important to you. This idea is not foreign to our culture. Perhaps you’ve heard someone say, “I love you will all of my heart” or “He plays the game with heart” or “My heart goes out to you.” In each instance, the idea of heart means totality; loving someone completely, playing a sport with everything you have, and sympathizing wholly with others. So the heart is who we are and what we are really about. Thus Christ dwells in that place through (our) faith. So what is faith? It is the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things and is the provider of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. In its most basic form, faith means to trust in God. You can think of the spiritual heart as a throne and on that throne only one person can sit. Either you sit there or Christ does. As we trust God with our lives, exercising faith, we are inviting Him to sit on the throne of our hearts, which in turn has an effect on our desires, our appetites, our endeavors, and ultimately our purpose. God wants to guide you in this life and lead you to a much richer, rewarding life experience, but He must dwell on the throne of your heart and He does that as you exercise faith in Him. Today, why not vacate the throne of your heart and ask God to take center stage in your life as you fully trust in Him.