Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Eph. 3:16)
The word of Christ refers to the revelation He brought into the world, which is Scripture. Peace and thankfulness, as well as unity, love, and all the required virtues, flow from a mind controlled by Scripture. Dwell is from enoikeō and means “to live in,” or “to be at home.” Paul calls upon believers to let the Word take up residence and be at home in their lives. Plousiōs (richly) could also be translated“abundantly or extravagantly rich.” The truths of Scripture should permeate every aspect of the believer’s life and govern every thought, word, and deed. The Word dwell-s in us when we hear it (Matt. 13:9), handle it (2 Tim. 2:15), hide it (Ps. 119:11), and hold it fast (Phil. 2:16). To do those things, the Christian must read, study, and live the Word. To let the word of Christ richly dwell is identical to being filled with the Spirit (cf. Eph. 5:18). The Word in the heart and mind is the handle by which the Spirit turns the will. It is clear that these two concepts are identical because the passages that follow each are so similar.
In Mark 4 verses 1-9, Jesus describes the condition of man’s heart when it comes to the Word of God hitting it as a seed that is hitting the soil. Some of the seeds falls on hard soil, rocky soil, and then of course the soil that is soft and ready to yield an abundant fruitful life of obedience to the Lord – and the seed that has been planted. I find that sometimes within my own heart, there resides all of these soils if you will. There are times when I hear from God -from my own personal study – scripture that speaks directly to me. It takes root and grows and yields fruit in my life. Other times it is swept away or just forgotten because of my own sinfulness and lack of “Letting” the Spirit of Christ richly dwell within me. Sometime it is the business of my life and the concerns that it brings… that chokes it out of me.
But I am thankful that I can say that the Lord is in control of all of that. Since HE is is the tiller of the soils (through the trials that He faithfully brings and delivers me in the midst of them) that I find my heart is ready to receive the Spirits Control. This is why he so often afflicts me with all kinds of various issues and problems. It is so that I can be ready to receive the seed of spiritual growth and Christlikeness. This is what it is all about! It is not about my personal comfort – wealth – or lack of problems. It is about me becoming more like Jesus with each passing year. This is the real proof of eternal Salvation within me. I am not as I was. I am always changing within, and being MADE by God to conform to His image.
Lord – Here I am. Do with me as you will. I want to be tender and ready for the word implanted – and I want to be disciplined to do my part in letting you richly dwell within me.