“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” — Ephesians 3:17

Beyond measure it is desirable that we, as believers, should have the person of Jesus constantly before us, to inflame our love towards Him, and to increase our knowledge of Him. I would to God that my readers were all entered as diligent scholars in Jesus’ college, students of Corpus Christi, or the body of Christ, resolved to attain unto a good degree in the learning of the cross. But to have Jesus ever near, the heart must be full of Him, welling up with His love, even to overrunning; hence the apostle prays “that Christ may dwell in your hearts.” See how near he would have Jesus to be! You cannot get a…

subject closer to you than to have it in theheart itself. “That He may dwell”; not that He may call upon yousometimes, as a casual visitor enters into a house and tarries for a night,but that He may dwell; that Jesus may become the Lord and Tenant ofyour inmost being, never more to go out.

Observe the words — that He may dwell in your heart, that best room ofthe house of manhood; not in your thoughts alone, but in your affections;not merely in the mind’s meditations, but in the heart’s emotions. Weshould pant after love to Christ of a most abiding character, not a love thatflames up and then dies out into the darkness of a few embers, but aconstant flame, fed by sacred fuel, like the fire upon the altar which neverwent out. This cannot be accomplished except by faith. Faith must bestrong, or love will not be fervent; the root of the flower must be healthy,or we cannot expect the bloom to be sweet. Faith is the lily’s root, andlove is the lily’s bloom. Now, reader, Jesus cannot be in your heart’s loveexcept you have a firm hold of Him by your heart’s faith; and, therefore,pray that you may always trust Christ in order that you may always loveHim. If love be cold, be sure that faith is drooping.

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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen