Before we start today let us remind of the request we discussed last week; request two is in Ephesians 3:17 that Christ would rule and reign within us by faith.
Christ – Person Dwell – Permanent, Hearts – Place
Another part of the Godhead is required for us to live a victorious life. Perhaps the most difficult because it is asking you to give yourself complete over to Christ. Rule and reign.
You will notice that Christ is to dwell by faith. It is biblical faith, not a wish or a hope that something is true. Biblical faith always means the belief and commitment to a persons life to truth and reality; it is a belief and a commitment to a fact; e.g. Abraham offering Isaac.
Question: Are there still areas in our life that say no to God, therefore we cannot understand the fullness of God as long as we are not willing to surrender? Christ not a guest.
The third request, again found in Ephesians 3:17 is for love;
that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love
Ephesians 3:17
This is no ordinary love, this is love though should be off such intensity that Paul describes it by using two metaphors rooted and grounded.
One is an agricultural term and the other an architectural term.
Rooted
That ye being rooted – The meaning is, that his love should be as firm in our hearts, as a tree is in the soil, whose roots strike deep into the earth and extend afar. Let us look at. This in three ways.
- The first thing for the tree to grow is the roots. They must go down into the nurturing soil, absorbing the nutrition it needs by taking the minerals and the moisture needed to produce foliage and fruit. We can’t see the roots, but a trained eye can tell much about the condition of the roots by what he sees above ground. Fig tree example. There is spiritual analogy here. If you see no fruit on a fruit tree, you may suspect that the tree is not adequately rooted. For some reason or another, it is not absorbing the nutrition it needs.
- Roots are strong, Example taking out the private bush.
- Roots are long and spread as they grow.
Grounded
θεθεμελιωμένοι tethemeliōmenoi – “founded” – as a building is on a foundation. The word is taken from architecture, where a firm foundation is laid, and the meaning is, that he wished them to be as firm in the love of Christ, as a building is that rests on a solid basis.
Well grounded, well trained in three big areas:
- Grounded and rooted in the word of God – learning the facts/truths of Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15)
- Grounded and rooted in faith – ability to obey what doesn’t always make sense – not live just by sight (Colossians 2:7). Loving to live by faith
- Grounded and rooted in love (Ephesians 3:17) – this is where we are today.
In love – in love to the Redeemer – perhaps also in love to each other – and to all. Love was the great principle of the true religion, and the apostle wished that they might be
Elliot says “The idea implied in “rooted” is of the striking down deeper and spreading wider into the soil; in “founded” of the firm basis on which ultimately we rest. “In love:” Love is not itself the root or foundation (for this is Jesus Christ Himself), but the condition under which growth takes place”.