4.  Ephesians 3:14-19

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 

16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 

18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

                Here Paul prays to the Father a prayer that we can prayer for others and ourselves. 

                Notice, the Holy Spirit is not just an active power, but the Holy Spirit gives us power.  He gives us power in our inner being.  This power in our inner being is one of the results of being marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit. 

           Because we are marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, our inner being (our character) will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, and we will have the power to live the Christ-like life.

            Notice that Paul prays for Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith.  If Jesus Christ was not the Infinite, Personal, God, He could not dwell in ALL of our hearts through faith.  Some talk of Christ as a Mighty God, but not Almighty God.  They are polytheists, they believe in more that one God.  As Christians, we believe in One God, who is in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The three Persons of the Trinity are one in substance, but three Persons, with unique, individual, personalities and responsibilities to each other and for us.

            In essence, Paul prays for the Holy Spirit to dwell in our inner being.  By dwelling in our inner being, the Holy Spirit will give us power in our inner being when we need power.  The Holy Spirit as the third Person of the Trinity is a Person who will indwell us, intercede for us, and give us power.  As God, the Holy Spirit indwell all believers, everywhere, at all times.

            In essence, Paul also prays for Christ to dwell in us, in our hearts, in the center of our being.  He prays for the Holy Spirit and Christ to dwell within us.  Only as God can they both dwell within us at all times and everywhere and in every true believer.

              There is much to say about these verses, but look at verse 19:  Paul prays for us "that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and when Christ indwells our hearts, we can be filled with all the fullness of God.  When we are filled with all the fullness of God, we "have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge"  We will have love of Christ and knowledge, but the love of Christ surpasses knowledge.  We will not have the fullness of God in us or understand the mystery of Christ until we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and have Christ dwelling in our hearts.

BASED ON THE FULLNESS OF GOD INDWELLING US,

PAUL TELLS US WHAT WE ARE TO DO

IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.