The Power Of The Holy Spirit Changes The Inner Self
READ EPHESIANS 3:14-21
MEDITATION: To make Christ at home in your heart, you need the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the inner self (3:16b). Paul prays for the power of the Spirit (3:16b-17a), “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” He is not talking about a dramatic, one-time experience, but rather an ongoing experience of God’s power to change our hearts, as we walk in the Spirit every day, that results in Christ’s taking up residence in us in a deeper, more conscious way than we experienced at conversion. Why do we need this power in the inner person? Many reasons could be given, but here are three:
We need the power of the Spirit because we all face problems that are beyond our power to resolve. Jesus plainly stated (John 15:5), “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” We are totally dependent on Him, although we often forget this, as seen by our prayerlessness. Zechariah 4:6 reminds us, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord.”
We need the power of the Spirit because we never outgrow our need for His strength. No one is born into God’s family as a mature adult, or even as a teenager. We all start out as babes. As you know, babies are totally dependent on their parents for everything. Spiritually, even when we grow to maturity, we never outgrow our need for the power of the Spirit in the inner person.
We need the power of the Spirit because God changes our outward behavior by dealing with the inner person. Paul’s phrase, “the inner self” (3:16) is synonymous with the heart (3:17). He uses the same phrase in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.” You get to an age when your physical being starts slowing down. That should be a good reminder that our days on earth are limited and we need to focus on the inner, hidden qualities of the heart.
The battle against temptation and sin is a battle that is won or lost in the heart or inner person. Jesus pointed out that the outward sins that we see all come out of our hearts (Mark 7:21-23). You may be able to change your outward behavior through various techniques or methods that you learn in counselling or through a seminar. But if God doesn’t change your heart, you are merely learning to be a better hypocrite! The Pharisees looked good on the outside, but Jesus said that on the inside they were full of uncleanness and lawlessness (Matt. 23:27-28). Genuine Christianity is not just a moral improvement program. God is in the business of changing our hearts—our motives, our attitudes, and our desires. For that kind of inner change, we need nothing less than the power of the Holy Spirit. Only He can make your heart the kind of place where Jesus is pleased to dwell. So to make Christ at home in your heart, you need prayer and you need the power of God’s Spirit changing the inner self.
Are you praying for your inner self to be changed through this season of Lent? How much change can you see in your inner self? Check closely the content of your prayers. Are your prayers more about receiving material things or about becoming a better image and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ? How do you measure your spiritual advancement: by the material things you’ve received or by the person you have become?
ACTION: Ask the Lord to show you aspects of your life that need to be transformed into a clearer image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
PRAY THE MODEL PRAYER FOR EXTENDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD
