New Dimension (Ephesians 3:16-18; 6:10; Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20:4:6; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 16:13; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Luke 1:80; 2:40; Acts 11:26; 1 John 4:17)

Bad Behavior

Growing up, my older brother had a neighborhood friend that he went to school with, that would come over to our home, and sometimes enter, without even being invited, or even knocking; and without asking, and when our parents weren't aware, the 'friend' would just go to the fridge, and help himself to whatever was in there that he found desirable. I just vaguely remember my mother catching him taking his liberty, without asking, going into our fridge, and she confronted him, and he stopped what he was doing and took a bit of a 'tongue lashing' for his bad etiquette and arrogant behavior. It wasn't that our family wouldn't have readily given him something to eat, and had, on occasion, but his sense of entitlement and brash disrespect for our food, and our home in general, was somewhat egregious, and even repulsive, to simply assume a right or authority, that he didn't have, especially when we, as members of the family, were still required to ask, if we wanted something from the fridge, unless we were already given the right to do so.

Visiting a Friend

Generally speaking, you may go to visit someone you don't know all that well, and normally, you are somewhat guarded, as to your behavior and what you do and don't do in their home. However, if your interaction becomes more frequent, and more familiar, you also become more comfortable in your relationship with that person, while in their home, but it is still not the same as being in your own home. You still maintain a measure of respect and decorum in how you treat someone else's furniture, asking permission, and maintaining a certain basic etiquette within that relationship, and especially while in their home; like not raiding their fridge as in the example of the brutish 'friend'.

Your Home, Your Space

Being in your own home, where you are 'king, or queen, of the castle', as the case may be, you may have general rules for your family, and especially if there are boundaries set for children, but you have certain liberties, because it is your own home, and you are relaxed and comfortable, in your own home. If you want to just 'kick back' and lie on the couch, or put your feet on the coffee table, or change the channel on the TV, or check out what's in the fridge, you have total and complete liberty and authority to do what you want, when you want, because it is your place, your space, your own home; you are totally comfortable, relaxed, and at ease.

Ephesians 3:16-18:

"...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory; to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height..."

Puzzling

This passage puzzled me, because Paul, by the Spirit of God, is speaking to Believers, of whom the scripture states, it is "...Christ in you, the hope of glory.." (Col.1:27), and again, "...Christ lives in me..." (Gal.2:20), and again, "...God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts..." (Gal.4:6), and again, "...your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you..." (1 Cor.6:19), and again, "Know you not yourselves how Jesus Christ is in you..." (2 Cor. 13:5). The question then becomes, "Why does Paul, by the Spirit of God, speak to Believers, of Christ 'dwelling' in their hearts, when He already lives 'in' them?" If Christ is already living inside of us, why is he just now, as a result of Paul's prayer, going to finally 'dwell' in our hearts?

Dwell

The answer is in the word 'dwell' (katoikeo), 2730, which means not only to live somewhere, but to 'settle down' in a place, to make it home; to be comfortable there. The transition is from Christ just living inside of us, perhaps, as in the illustrations previously mentioned, like a 'stranger' visiting, where He doesn't have 'ownership', to one who actually owns the home and is completely comfortable, and relaxed, being there. The 'tense', in the Greek, translated 'dwell', speaks of finality:

"...that Christ might finally settle down and feel completely at home in your hearts" (Wuest)

Ownership

The process of this transition, from a seeming 'visitor', to actual complete and total ownership starts with being, "...strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man..", where the word 'strengthened' is (krataioo), 2901, which is only used 4 times in the NT:

Luke 1:80, "...and the child grew, and became strong (krataioo) in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing to Israel" [referring to John the Baptist]

Luke 2:40, "...and the child grew, and became strong (krataioo) in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him" [referring to Jesus]

1 Corinthians 16:13, "Watch, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong (krataioo)" [referring to being strong in spirit].

Ephesians 3:16, "...to be strengthened (krataioo) [in spirit], with might by His Spirit in the inner man..."

On-Going

The word is in the imperfect active tense, which means the action is on-going. In addition, all of the uses of the word refer to internal spiritual strength, not some type of physical achievement.

The passage goes on to say that this on-going, spiritual strength is with might (dynamis), 1411, [where the English word 'dynamite' comes from]. This is explosive, supernatural spiritual empowerment, by the Spirit of God 'in' (eis), a preposition of motion, meaning the spiritual, on-going strengthening, that is supernaturally powerful, is flowing 'into' the inner man [person], and not just 'in', the inner man, making that individual strong on the inside, or strong in their spirit.

Even as Ephesians 6:10 says, "...be strong [dynamite on the inside] in the Lord, and in the power (kratos) of His might". It is not strength in yourself, but His Spirit, in your spirit, on the inside of you, that grows stronger and stronger. It is not that the Spirit of God, on the inside of us, is weak, but this seems to be speaking of the spirit man gaining the dominance in our lives; ruling our lives, instead of fleshly desires and motivations.

Metaphors

"That you, being rooted and grounded in love..." The scripture uses agricultural and building metaphors to describe an unmovable, permanent state, or condition, where Believers, like a strongly secure plant, are 'rooted' in the ground, positioned to grow, and the foundations of a building, that are 'grounded', stable and strong, capable of having a solid structure built upon and added to the deep unshakable foundation, that allows for the intended construction to take place until completion. Like a plant whose roots go down deep; you're not going anywhere, or the foundation of a building that is solid, wide, and secure from movement, no matter what comes against it; the foundation is not shaken.

Able to Comprehend

The scripture goes on to say, because of this solid, unmovable, strong foundation, fully secure, you will be "..able to comprehend with all saints..".

"Able" is the English translation of the Greek word (exischyo), 1840, which is a compound of (ex), 1537,and (ischyo), 2480, which means 'strength', or 'force', but the preposition intensifies the meaning of 'full' or 'complete strength', or 'full force'. The word is the pinnacle of strength or power, surpassing all other similar synonyms in its use and scope, and it is only used in this passage in all of scripture, in the Old or New Testaments of scripture.

Additionally, 'comprehend' is (katalambano), which is not just understanding, but is used in the OT, in the literal sense, of Israel capturing a city, or enemy army (Josh. 8:19; 10:19: 11:10;19:47), so that there is complete and total conquest; totally taking hold or securing something [or someone], in making that acquisition, your possession.

Spiritual Condition

It would seem that there is a spiritual condition, where our spirit man has complete control, dominated by the Spirit of God, on the inside of us, so that our thoughts and actions, are so much like Jesus, that He is comfortable living in us, because we are just like Him, in word and deed, even as "...the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Act 11:26), because they reminded people of Christ, acting and behaving just like He did, "...because as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).

Paraphrase

"That He would give over to us, according to the riches of His glory, to be constantly and continually, on-going, growing strong in our spirit with spiritually dynamic power, by His Spirit, infused into our inner person; so that Christ will finally become completely comfortable, and at home in our hearts by faith; that we like a strong healthy plant, whose roots go down deep, are unmovable, and like a solid rock foundation, that is unshakeable, in love, we will have total spiritual strength to fully and completely take hold, with all saints, the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, walking totally in the spirit" (Ephesians 3:16-18).

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours