Strengthened the Inner Man  

Scriptures: Ephesians 3:14-21”For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!

At the beginning of this week, while listening to music in YouTube, a certain ad suddenly interrupted the song, with a question “Do you want your life careers be established and strengthened? Then I suggest you need to work it out from inside to outside. Then she begun to tell a story of a woman who had accomplished much in all her studies, got her bachelor degree, masteral courses and doctorate, and yet still struggling to be successful and fulfilled.

When I heard it, I felt sorry and think to myself all those certificates and diplomas probably looks good hanging on the wall, and all those years spent in studying if it does not serve its purpose to accomplished certain results indeed it counts as lost. Then it reminded me of another true story long time ago it was written and published in “Our Daily Bread” about a certain young man newly graduated in Harvard University went back home in India in search of spiritual  meaning and purpose in his life, volunteered himself to work in  a monastery for a certain period of time, together with other volunteers, the  chief monk assigned him in cleaning all the bathroom and toilets, at first he did but later on he complained to the monk and asked him to be reassigned to some office job because of his educational background and insisting he can do much better than cleaning latrines. The monk reply “I know you are capable to do that and much qualified but I am more interested in what you can do in the things that you think you cannot do.” The young man finally understood and learned his lesson, that accomplishments and success is nothing if you failed to understand your true purpose in life and having right attitude in the face of difficulties and challenges of life.Building your success from inside to outside.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” 

As a new creation in Christ Jesus, our definition of our being should be I am a spirit man with a soul and a body. He is one that is born again into God’s family and lives in a Spiritual state,
and no longer just a body, soul and spirit that was old life. – the Natural Man, born into the human family and lives in his natural state without being a child of God. (John 3:1-8)

In the Scriptures Paul admonished and praying for all the believers in Christ Jesus to be strengthened in the inner man. For even he, himself knew and understood the importance of it.

In Romans 7: 14-19 4 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. – the “Carnal Man” being born into the family of God, but lives and behaves as a man in a natural state living according to his carnal or fleshly desires.  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the ]carnal mind is enmity against God. Romans 8:6-7

To have the “inner being”  strengthened by the Spirit is to have our will, thoughts and purposes placed more under His influenced and direction so that the Spirit can manifest His power though us in greater measure. And according to the Scriptures these are the steps to follow.

1. Christ be established His presence in our hearts through faith. Romans 8:9”  But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.

1. Be rooted and grounded in sincere love for God, Christ and others. Mark 12:30-31 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

1. To fully comprehend God’s love together with all the brethren in Christ Jesus. Love that surpasses  knowledge and beyond our  understanding, how wide, how long, how high and how deep!

1. Be filled with the fullness of God, that in His presence we shall all reflect from our innermost being the character and image of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:13 “ Until we all reach UNITY in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 

How to strengthened? With POWER!

• P- PRAY “ For this reason I kneel before the Father….i pray!

Prayer is not just all about laying our petitions and request but also for growth and transformations of our lives.

• O- Obedience 1 Peter 1:22-23 “By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again —not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.

• W- WORD  of GOD “ 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [a]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

• E- Established in Faith – Jude 1:20 “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’ Isaiah 7:9

Colossians 2:6-7 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

• R- Repentant Heart “ Isaiah 57:15 “For thus says the High and Lofty One
  Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:“I dwell in the high and holy place,
  With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,To revive the spirit of the humble,
  And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Remember the tragic story of Samson in the Bible, he was very strong man but because he entered into compromised with Delilah by continuing disregard God’s instructions following his fleshly desires, failing to discern the deceptive intention of Delilah in the name of “love” he finally gave in and spilled the secret of his strength that leads him to his destruction. Judges 16:28 “28 Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!”Samson now with repentant heart and spirit and a renewed faith in God, called on the Lord, and his prayer was answered. The scripture says” he killed many more, when he died than when he lived…thus fulfilling still God’s purpose for his life. That in the end his strength was not just restored but also his name was written not among the dead but among the living and heroes of faith. (Hebrews 11:32)