[Pastor Ralph]

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think?

[Lynnely]

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think?

[size=7]This is a toughie! If one were to take the two phrases separately, they would mean 2 different things, I believe. But written together is a bit more complicated to me. In my mind, the Father, Son and Spirit are one...but each separately with distinct actions to perform. Since accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Lord AND Savior, He is just that...He came for the purpose of teaching me the things the Father wants me to know and do, living a perfect life, and finally dying in my place because of my sinful live before salvation. But then he left to go back to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell my body, instead of Him. Now it's the Holy Spirit who directs my pathway, who urges me to do the right thing when the wrong thing seems easier and maybe more attractive at the time. But it is Christ who "lives" in my heart because of the things He taught me through the Holy Word...it's the Spirit who gives me the power to remember those teachings and to do them.
Is it the same thing...or two separate ideas....yes, and yes!

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think?

[size=7]This is a toughie! If one were to take the two phrases separately, they would mean 2 different things, I believe. But written together is a bit more complicated to me. In my mind, the Father, Son and Spirit are one...but each separately with distinct actions to perform. Since accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Lord AND Savior, He is just that...He came for the purpose of teaching me the things the Father wants me to know and do, living a perfect life, and finally dying in my place because of my sinful live before salvation. But then he left to go back to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell my body, instead of Him. Now it's the Holy Spirit who directs my pathway, who urges me to do the right thing when the wrong thing seems easier and maybe more attractive at the time. But it is Christ who "lives" in my heart because of the things He taught me through the Holy Word...it's the Spirit who gives me the power to remember those teachings and to do them.
Is it the same thing...or two separate ideas....yes, and yes!

[Jezemeg]

I believe these two concepts are similar but not the same, just as each part of the Trinity is the same but separate. The Holy Spirit cannot enter the body until we surrender completely to Christ and receive salvation, at least that is how I interpret this.

While it is possible to receive salvation without completely surrendering one's will to God, I believe that the Holy Spirit cannot completely enter one's body without surrendering one's will to God...in a way by keeping what we deem as necessary, ie keeping certain behaviour patterns or ideas or habits that we've come to treasure...we are putting up a barrier that prevents the Holy Spirit from fully strengtheining our hearts. Just as we've made our surrender 'conditional' so has God made the availability of the Holy Spirit's strength and presence.

[pickledilly]

At first thought, I really didn't know how to answer this. I started out thinking they're pretty much the same. But then I considered that you can allow someone to take up residence without allowing them full access and control of the dwelling place. Living there, but hindered, confined, or restricted.

Christ, by His own Spirit, comes to dwell in our hearts when we repent of sin and accept salvation. His presence there is real and living. He is the seed of every spiritual blessing and empowerment of heaven (which is grace!) now planted within us. But being strengthened by the Spirit comes as faith is activated and the personal will is yielded. Our spirit gets saved, but our natural outer man does not (the mind, will, and emotions of a person). They have to be submitted as sacrifices and put to death as we choose Christ over ourselves in every decision we make. It is by this process of allowing the life of the Spirit to grow that we find such things as Philippians 4:13 to be true: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. As we take care not to grieve or quench the Spirit's work in us, we can be obedient to such instruction as 1 Corinthians 16:13 that says to be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like mature grown-ups, be strong, and do everything in love. We can become the overcomers that Christ is looking for in chapters 2 and 3 of the Revelation. Apart from cooperation with the power supplied by the Spirit to the inner man, the outer man can never be subdued and conquered so that we can do such things. In other words Christ's Spirit will be a resident, but won't be given permission to influence or strengthen the household.

The presence of the Spirit of Christ in the inner person, the heart, is the source for the constant flow of grace from the Father. We're not forced to employ that grace (just as with the matter of salvation), but it enables us to live strong and victorious outwardly as we inwardly operate in faith and choose obedience to His will and Word.

Also, as I go back and read the literal statement of verses 16-17, it says that the Father grants the power to be strengthened in the inner man through His Spirit so that Christ can dwell in the heart through faith. We are given one thing in order to accomplish another. The power of the Spirit leads us to salvation, enlivens and strengthens our previously deadened spirit, and ushers in the presence of Christ so that Christ can actively and fully inhabit our hearts through our faith. I just keep being amazed and astounded at how the LORD loves us so much!

So, either way you look at it, I think these two concepts are definitely related and interdependent, but not the same.

[Ken7]

I had thought little about this subject before today, thank you. Paul clearly states that while THEY are from the same God they are distinct workings from God. I receive confidence from the strength of the Holy Spirit richly dwelling within me. I also receive strength from Christ richly dwelling and growing my Faith ( I don't grow my faith - He does). As I more fully comprehend Gods Immense love for me - the abundance of my inner strength and confidence from Him grows - ABUNDANTLY. This growth is for His Glory!

[Pegi]

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think?

I believe they say the same thing. I receive strength from both Christ and the Holy Spirit.

[Stan]

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think?

I think that they are differant one says that the Lord's Spirit living in you give you the strength to deal with what ever comes against you. The other says that Christ lives in your heart meaning that you have made place for Christ accepting Him as Lord and giving Him control of you life. One is you doing something "Accepting" the other is God doing something "Strengthing" .

[RonS]

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think?

I think the Spirit can be in the inner man after he eccepts Christ as his savior. But this is just the start of the Christian life. Mt7:14 But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.
I think recieving the Spirit is the gateway to life in verse Mt 7:14. After you get through the gateway you then must walk the narrow road. I don't think a person can walk this road in the flesh. It can only be done with the total death of the flesh so it is not I but Christ. If we don't do what Paul says "take up your cross daily and fallow Christ" we will never be able to walk the narrow road. The cross kills the flesh, so if the flesh is dead then Christ can dwell in our heart and we can then walk the narrow road.
So do you want to be a defeated Christian or do you want to be a Paul type Christian. I lived for years as the first type now I have started to understand about killing the flesh. The flesh dyes hard it is a battle daily.
But O what freedom in Christ is there and what joy.

[JustJeff]

Three scriptures in answer to the questions: (1) And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever,... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:16,26. (2) ..."If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:23.
It is the Holy Spirit in us that gives us strength by the recollection of the Word in application to our daily living. It is Jesus Christ who is the Word. Two separate and distinct parts of the three parts of the Holy Trinity, all of whom dwell in us.

[masika]

Strengthing of the Spirit and Christ to dwell in our hearts for me is the same thing. If Christ is not in us we can not have that strenght , it is only untill christ takes the position in our heart that He will give us that power.

[haar]

The concepts of being strenghened in the inner man by the Holy Spirit and Christ dwelling in us to me, mean one and the same thing. The Holy spirit in our our hearts provides the strength we need to walk with God. Jesus promised sending the Holy spirit to us after he had ascended into heaven. But Jesus comes into our hearts when we receive Him at conversion and He also dwells in our heart too.

The Holy Spirit is one with Jesus Christ and God thus the three dwell in our hearts and that is why our hearts are said to be the temple of God.

[sahala p.s.]

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think?

The concepts of are the same thing. I think the verses show again the Trinity of God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which their present, their power in us is the thing inseparable of them. God as source of power strengthens us with his power. It is given to us through his spirit (Holy Spirit). His power given to us is given shape to that, Jesus Christ lives in our heart.

[charisbarak]

This is a good question. I think they are basically the same idea/concept, but they each give a different word picture to me. I like to think of The Holy Spirit working in me to grow me (the inside/the real me) to be more like Jesus. On the other hand, I like the idea of Christ living in our hearts--having asked Him to come in & dwell in me--all day, every day, leading, guiding. The trinity is ONE God and Jesus sent the Spirit to live in us, taking His place when He rose. God is truly at work in me!!

[PCHRIS]

this is good i love these questions that get the grey matter ticking and also on the knees asking for the Spirit to pour revelation into me.
I beleive the indwelling of Christ in the heart, and the strengthening by the Spirit are not two different experiences. Paul is not always precise in distinguishing the work of Christ and of the Spirit in man as Romans 9:9f well shows. The verb used katoikein is also significant it doesn't mean a transistory dwelling in place like Pastor Ralph had put in our study notes it refers to a "permanent habitation as opposed to sojourning, pitching a tent or an occasional visit."
v17 tells us we are to be rooted and grounded in love, so Jesus' presence means not only strength but wisdom, inspiration, and above all love, and it is to love that the prayer now turns to and continues as its theme to the end.

[kiqstart]

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think?


I believe they are different that one means to give you strength to do God's will, and by doing this you will know and feel God's presence in your heaart

[Lisa Rupert]

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think?
Our inner being (spirit) is (spiritually) dead until we accept Christ. This brings the inner dwelling of Jesus into our hearts and awakens, guides, and strengthens the inner spirit making it alive to God. Without this process we are dead to God. So I believe the two are the same because they both work in conjunction to do the will of God.

[Commissioned]

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think?

The two concepts are not the same thing, rather one supports or facilitates the other.

The ability, as a Christian, to live a victorious life in Christ Jesus, comes after we have accepted Christ as Savior.

God, through His Spirit, strengthens our inner man giving us the "power, might, strength, force, capability;" to live this victorious life with Christ dwelling in our heart.

Before the empowerment by the Holy Spirit, strengthening the inner man, we were pawns in the hands of the Prince of this world, Satan. We were his and followed his path to damnation. But now that we have repented and accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are no longer under the rule of satan. The "power" that has been given to us by the Spirit of God now enables us to obey God rather than satan. Where once we were connected to the devil we are now connected to God, and Jesus Christ now dwells in our heart.

[Patricia A. Conti]

When the Holy Spirit strengthens our inner being, God receives us into His family. When Christ dwells in our hearts it means we believe and acknowledge Christ in all things and at all times, The first is God's initiated action in us. The second is our initiated action to God.

[Eudora]

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of (a) by the Spirit in the inner person, and ( Christ dwelling in our hearts say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas?

I do believe that they are different and yet one in the same. One is a concept of what brings life to the other.

What do you think?

Strengthened by His spirit is where we are able to do all things because of the faith that we believe Him and His word. He supplies all that we need both in and out of the body. He strengthens our heart, mind, body and soul with His written and spoken word and He supplies , by His creation of all things, everything that we need as humans, while we are here.

We are constantly restored with His energy. His energy comes with an overwhelming supply of humble love, joy, peace, patience, and every expression of emotion known to man. He doesn’t push His love on us, He is an example of what He wants us to learn how to be.

The mere existence of Him, dwelling in our heart is what keeps the “fullness” in us alive and fresh. It’s the thought of Him, by faith that refreshes and revitalizes our spirit.