December 31, 2023

Christ Dwells in Your Hearts

(Ephesians 3:17)

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim

The Heart

(Ephesians 3:17)

“I have already received forgiveness for my sins, so I no longer need to worry about sin.” Lord, I will handle my problems myself. Please take responsibility just for my journey to heaven.” “Service is good, but I still think one shouldn’t let it consume too much time and energy.”

1. The Heart Where the Lord Dwells
If our hearts are filled with such thoughts, can Christ dwell in us comfortably? Can He carry out His work within us? We are so weak that we lack spiritual discernment and are incapable of defending ourselves against the world’s attacks. Christ desires to come to us and guide us, but if we ignore Him and make Him uncomfortable, how can His work within us ever succeed?

2. The Heart United with the Inner Man
The heart is the place where all e-pressions of our faith originate. Therefore, the condition of our heart is important, and our personality, which is manifested with the heart as the center, is essential for it. When the inward man is overwhelmed by the outward man, the heart is swayed by the outward man, and in such a state, the Lord has no choice but to be neglected. Conversely, when the inward man becomes strengthened, our hearts, which were once devoted to the outward man, become one with the inner man, leading us to obey Christ and trust in Him.

3. The Personality in Whom the Lord Places Trust
All of this process is accomplished through faith. By faith, we receive salvation, move forward to God, and allow Christ to peacefully play His role as our Lord within us. Faith is a relationship of mutual trust. It’s not just us trusting the Lord; we should also enable the Lord to trust our personality. We must make it possible for the Lord to dwell comfortably within us and carry out His work. When we do so, the Lord will also testify to us, as those who dwell within Him.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim