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Sermon #4085

The Heart Prepared

A Sermon on Ephesians 3:17

Originally preached Jan. 27, 1957

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Scripture

Ephesians 3:17 ESV KJV
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (ESV)

Sermon Description

When Scripture speaks of believers being indwelt by Christ Jesus, it is referring to a real experience, not simply an emotional reaction. In this sermon on Ephesians 3:17 titled “The Heart Prepared,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones brings this foundational truth to bear because it is something all believers should experience as they grow in maturity, faith, and understanding of Christ. There is no special indwelling only for ministers and preachers, but this is something all Christians can and should experience. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that this is not an experience of faith, as opposed to true and tangible experience. He looks to many ordinary saints throughout the many centuries of the church as testament to this truth. We see men and women who had a real, life-altering experiences of this indwelling. However, like all aspects of the Christian life, it is not something humans do apart from the grace and power of God. For it starts with salvation and conversion, and is a part of the ongoing work of sanctification in the lives of believers. This great truth should encourage all Christians to seek growth in Christ and to come to know Him more and more as they live in faith and love.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The apostle Paul offers this prayer for all members of the Ephesian church, not just certain people.
  2. This passage shows the greatest thing that can confront a human being and the possibilities for a Christian in this life.
  3. To know if Christ dwells in us and how to enjoy this privilege, we must understand how to arrive at this position.
  4. The testimony of Charles Wesley shows what it's like to have Christ dwell in the heart. Christ was his all in all, his everything in every circumstance.
  5. This relationship with Christ is experiential, not just theoretical knowledge held in the mind. Wesley found complete satisfaction in Christ.
  6. This experience of Christ dwelling in the heart is essential Christianity and what we are offered. We must manifest this in our lives to attract others to faith.
  7. The question is whether this is our experience, if Christ is like that to us. If not, we are poor Christians.
  8. The apostle says Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, but faith does not mean "take it by faith" or auto-suggestion. We deal with a person, not an influence.
  9. Wesley's hymn shows he experienced Christ, he didn't persuade himself with no feelings. We see Christ dwelling in the heart throughout church history.
  10. This experience is not simple or just "letting up the blinds." Many who knew Christ dwelling in their heart did not find it simple but sought Him desperately.
  11. We must see this possibility and be persuaded it can be for us, not just exceptional people. It is for every Christian, no matter how ordinary. It depends on Christ, not us.
  12. Hebrews 11 shows faith is active, not passive. We must see, be persuaded of, embrace, and confess the promises of Christ dwelling in our hearts.
  13. We must recognize, be arrested by, and desire this teaching. We must hunger and thirst for righteousness to embrace the promise.
  14. We must keep this constantly in our minds, read Scripture and the experiences of saints, remind ourselves of Christ's personal relationship with us, and ask if He is real to us.
  15. Certain things are incompatible with Christ in our hearts and must go: sin, worldliness, self. We must cleanse ourselves from these.
  16. We must deny ourselves, crucify the flesh, and follow Christ. He will not dwell in our hearts until we do.
  17. We must realize our dependence on Christ and pray for His strength and mercy to prepare our hearts for Him.
  18. We will face discouragement and difficulties, but must persevere. Christ will manifest Himself to those who come to Him.

Sermon Q&A

Understanding Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Teaching on Christ Dwelling in Our Hearts

What does it mean for Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith means a deep, personal, experiential relationship with Christ that transforms every aspect of our lives. It's not merely intellectual assent or theoretical knowledge, but a living reality where Christ becomes our "all in all." As he explains: "When Christ dwells in the heart, you notice the intimacy of the relationship. You notice the fullness of the satisfaction. Christ is his all, and in all is his everything. Whatever his circumstances and conditions, here is always the answer." This relationship provides complete satisfaction regardless of our circumstances.

Is the experience of Christ dwelling in your heart meant for all Christians or just special ones?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphatically teaches that this experience is meant for every Christian, not just a select few. He states: "The apostle offers this prayer for all the members of the church at Ephesus, not for certain people only, but for all." He strongly rejects the notion that some Christians are excluded from this possibility: "We must at all costs avoid that utterly false dichotomy which the Roman Catholic Church and other forms of Catholicism indulge in. When we divide people into saints and those who are not saints, every single Christian is a saint." He emphasizes this is "the common experience of the most ordinary as well as the extraordinary" believers throughout church history.

What is wrong with the "take it by faith" approach to experiencing Christ in our hearts?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones criticizes the approach where people are told to "just take it by faith" without any real experience. He calls this "completely wrong" and "dangerous to the soul" because it's merely "self-persuasion" or "auto suggestion." He explains: "When a man like Charles Wesley writes that hymn, he's not persuading himself, he's writing his experience." Lloyd-Jones rejects the idea that "it's quite simple" to just "open the door" to Christ without any struggle or real transformation. He warns that many people have "taken so much by faith that they've got nothing. It's all talk, it's all words," rather than "a reality in experience."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define true faith in relation to Christ dwelling in our hearts?

Using Hebrews 11:13 as his framework, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that true faith involves four progressive elements:

  1. Seeing: "I must recognize this thing. I must recognize the teaching and not just dismiss it. I must be arrested by it."
  2. Being persuaded: Believing this experience is possible for you personally, not just for special types of Christians.
  3. Embracing: Actively desiring and seeking this experience - "hungering and thirsting" after it as described in Matthew 5:6.
  4. Confessing/acting: Making practical changes in your life that demonstrate you've embraced this truth. "Their whole life and outlook was determined by this and was controlled by this."

What practical steps does Lloyd-Jones recommend for experiencing Christ dwelling in our hearts?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines several practical steps:

  1. "Keep this matter constantly in our minds" through Bible reading, meditation, and studying the experiences of other saints.
  2. Remove things incompatible with Christ: "If Christ is in our hearts, well, then certain things cannot and must not be in our hearts."
  3. Remove self: "Self and Christ cannot dwell in the heart at the same time. If he is to occupy, I must go out."
  4. Take active steps to separate from worldliness: "Come out from among them and be ye separate."
  5. Persistent prayer: "We've got to realize still our utter dependence upon him."
  6. Perseverance: "Going on with it, persisting like this" despite discouragements and setbacks.

What role does the Holy Spirit play in Christ dwelling in our hearts?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that the Holy Spirit's work is foundational to this experience. He emphasizes that we must start with verse 16: "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man." He explains, "Without that we can do nothing. That is ever, always the starting point." However, he cautions against passivity, citing Philippians 2:12-13: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God that worketh in you both the will and to do of his good pleasure." We must actively respond to the Spirit's work rather than passively waiting for something to happen.

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.