Christ in the Heart
A Sermon on Ephesians 3:17
Originally preached Jan. 13, 1957
Scripture
17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Sermon Description
The indwelling of Christ in the hearts of believers that Paul speaks of in Ephesians 3:17 is not referring to Christians receiving Christ in their hearts at salvation. In this sermon on Ephesians 3:17 titled “Christ in the Heart,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says it is Christ manifested in the hearts of those who already believe. This kind of manifestation of Christ is fundamentally different from what happens in regeneration when the believer becomes united to Christ in faith and the Holy Spirit. This is a continual indwelling whereby Christ is always present throughout the life of the believer by comforting and guiding them. This is one of the most important truths of the Christian life, for in it is seen all the working and striving as a result of Christ who Himself is working in and through the believer to accomplish all these things. When the Christian understands who Christ is and what he has done for them, it is vain and fruitless to fight sin and temptation with one’s own strength and power. This comforting truth presented by Dr. Lloyd-Jones both humbles and encourages by showing just how weak people are on their own. It shows how great Christ is who indwells and empowers the Christian to live as He has called them.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon examines Ephesians 3:17 - "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith."
- The sermon first establishes the context of the verse. It is part of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians, who are already believers.
- The sermon focuses on the meaning of the word "dwell" which means to settle down and be at home. This suggests an intimate, permanent presence of Christ.
- The sermon compares this verse to Revelation 3:20, addressed to the church of Laodicea. Although they are believers, Christ is standing outside and knocking, wanting to come in and have intimate fellowship.
- The sermon emphasizes that this indwelling of Christ is not the same as conversion or justification. It goes beyond that to a deep, intimate knowledge of Christ.
- The sermon highlights that "heart" refers to the center of one's being - the mind, will, and affections. Paul is praying that Christ may dwell in the center of their lives.
- The sermon asks whether we truly know Christ personally, as Paul did. Do we have a conscious fellowship and enjoyment of Him?
- The sermon says that when Christ dwells in our hearts, He controls everything. We can say as Paul did "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."
- The sermon explains that this indwelling is not just Christ's influence, but His actual presence in us, as mysterious as that is.
- The sermon shows that this is received by faith - faith reveals it as a possibility, believes it is a reality, and claims it personally. Faith leads to prayer for this intimate knowledge of Christ.
- The sermon concludes by encouraging us to pray for this, that Christ may manifest Himself to us and dwell in our hearts.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions on Christ Dwelling in Hearts by Faith (Ephesians 3:17)
What is the difference between Christ being in a believer and Christ dwelling in a believer's heart?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there's a profound difference. All Christians have Christ in them in some sense (as he cites 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobate"), but the apostle Paul is praying for something deeper for the Ephesians who are already believers. The key is in the word "dwell" (katoikēsai in Greek), which includes a prefix meaning "down" and suggests "to settle down in and to be at home." It represents Christ not just being present occasionally but taking up permanent residence, becoming the center and control of one's entire life.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain Revelation 3:20 about Christ knocking at the door?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Revelation 3:20 ("Behold, I stand at the door and knock") is widely misunderstood and misused. He emphatically states it is not addressed to unbelievers as commonly used in evangelism, but to Christians in the Laodicean church who are already believers but in a poor spiritual condition. These are Christians who have life but in "a very poor and immature condition." Christ is knocking at the door of believers' hearts, seeking a deeper relationship and centrality in their lives that they haven't yet experienced.
What does it mean for Christ to manifest Himself to believers?
Lloyd-Jones explains that when Christ manifests Himself to believers (referring to John 14:21-23), He becomes "real to us as a person." This is more than just believing facts about Christ or experiencing His general influence. It's a personal, intimate knowledge where Christ becomes "as real to us as any other person—more so." He quotes Hudson Taylor's prayer: "Lord Jesus, make thyself to me a living, bright reality, more present to faith's vision keen than any outward object seen, more dear, more intimately nigh than e'en the sweetest earthly tie." This manifestation leads to conscious fellowship with Christ.
How is this dwelling of Christ in the heart made possible?
According to the sermon, this deeper experience of Christ is made possible "by faith." Lloyd-Jones explains that faith works in three ways here: First, faith reveals this possibility to us (many read scripture without realizing this experience is even available). Second, faith enables us to believe this is a reality and not just a phrase. Third, faith leads us to personally claim and pray for this experience, saying, "I don't know Christ like that, and I want to know him, and it's possible, and I'm going to ask for this." Without faith, one will dismiss this teaching as impractical or irrelevant.
Is the indwelling of Christ just a metaphor or something more real?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones insists this indwelling is not merely metaphorical but profoundly real. He states, "It doesn't just mean that he is present through the spirit. It doesn't mean that he is present in the sense that he is influencing us and giving us of his graces... No, it goes beyond it. It means that he himself, in some mystical sense that we cannot begin to understand, really does dwell in us." He compares it to how Paul says our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit—not just influenced by the Spirit but actually inhabited by Him.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.