Having Run of the House

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love (Eph 3:17).

Ever live out of suitcase?  You know, hop from city to city.  Move night after night.  From hotel to hotel.  No place to call home.  Restricted to just your room.  Well, Paul prays that we'll allow Jesus to unpack His bags and move into our lives.  He asks our heavenly Father to let His Son make Himself at home among His followers.  "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love" (v17).

Does Jesus have run of your house?

Let's back up just a minute.  The apostle has turned things around.  Over and over and over he's written how the followers of Jesus are "in Christ."  He uses one form or another of this idea 28 times in this letter.  He wants us to know that when we place our trust in Jesus, we're in Him.  When His heavenly Dad looks down, He doesn't see sinful me.  He sees His sinless Son.  That's what smart dudes call justification.  But the man from Tarsus says that while that crazy justification thing is going on on the outside, something just as crazy is going on on the inside.  Jesus is moving in.  He's unpacking His bags.  

The apostle invites Father God to allow Jesus to "dwell in your hearts" (v17).  He uses the Greek verb katoikeo, which means to live in, settle, inhabit, always be present and be at home.  This is a compound word that means "through out (kata-) the home (-oikeo)."  In other words, to make yourself at home.  Matt the Apostle uses the same verb when he writes that Jesus "lived (Gr. katoikeo) in a city called Nazareth" (Mt 2:23) after his family returned from their visit to Egypt.  Joe and Mary move back to the little Galilean village and made it their home.  They moved in.  They unpacked their bags.  

When we place our trust in Him, Jesus moves into your life.  Paul is praying that we wouldn't place any restrictions or limitations on Him when He does.  He's unpacked His bags and is here to stay.  He shouldn't be limited to His room or a certain part of the house.  He should have the run of the place.  He can go anywhere He wants.  The apostle is telling his friends in Ephesus to place no conditions on Christ.  Allow Him access to EVERY part of your life.  He's there pull off the most incredible flip you've ever seen.  You won't recognize the place once He's done with it.  But first, you've got to give Him access to all of your life.

Does Jesus have the run of your house?

But there's a problem.  I admit it.  When Jesus moved into my life, I didn't give Him access to every place in the house.  I put limits on where He can go.  There are locked doors.  Rooms with restrictions.  Closed closets.  They are filled with the sin that I simply don't want to throw out quite yet.  You wanna know the silly part?  Jesus knows what's in there!  As a matter of fact, He has a much better idea of the garbage, junk and filth I'm hiding than I do.  And it breaks His heart.  He knows the damage that my hidden sin does to me.  He wants to clean it up.  But that won't happen until I open those doors and let Him in.

Does Jesus have run of your house?

You allow Jesus the run of your house "through faith" (v17).  This is trusting in who He is and what He's done.  We place our faith in the truth that He's lived the perfect life that we've completely failed to live.  We place our faith in the truth that He died the brutal death for sin that we should have died.  We place our faith in the truth that He rose to the new life that we don't deserve.  This isn't about the strength of my faith.  It's about the strength of the object of my faith.  I place my trust in "the Rock of my salvation" (2Sam 22:47; Ps 89:26).  

By trusting Jesus "through faith" (v17), I'm also trusting Him with my deepest, darkest secrets.  I'm trusting Him with the filthiest, messiest closets.  I'm trusting Him with my most embarrassing and shameful sin.  I'm trusting that He won't laugh when He opens the door.  I'm trusting that He won't humiliate me when He sees what's in there.  My Savior promises that He would NEVER do that.  "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1).  No shame.  No embarrassment.  No disgrace.  No condemnation.  You can trust Jesus when you open the door.

Does Jesus have the run of your house?

When we trust in Jesus, He moves into our lives in the same way that every bit of God "was pleased to dwell (Gr. katoikeo)" in Jesus (Col 1:19).  This idea is so stunning that the apostle calls it "this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27).  And He's not alone.  As a matter of fact, every member of the Godhead has unpacked His bags if you're saved.  Just moments ago, Paul told the Ephesians that he's praying that they'll know the dynamic power of "His Spirit in your inner being" (Eph 3:16).  Just before He died, Jesus told His crew that when you express your love for Him through obedience to His commands, "My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (Jn 14:23).  That's because the Trinity is inseparable.  Where One goes, the other Two are right there.

The Father.  The Son.  The Spirit.  All Three should have the run of my house.

But there are still so many locked doors in my life.