How God Strengthens the Human Heart

The love of Christ extends to the most unlovable and unlovable-feeling parts of us. Perhaps our belief in God’s love has lessened or been stifled from growth because we begin to accept the world’s values about good and bad personal traits or characteristics. Do we reflect God’s view about what traits and characteristics are of worth? We must test the assumptions we have formed, remembering that the world has been known to call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).

Perhaps our feelings of being unlovable come from the sins that we hate that have been a part of us. If so, do we think our sin is more powerful than the grace of God? Do we disagree with Paul that where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more, such that — in love — Christ’s righteousness could take hold of us (Romans 5:20-21)?

We must not be caught thinking that God’s plan for salvation is ineffective for forgiving our sins, healing our wounds, granting corrected sight, or setting us on the path of righteousness. We ought not dishonor our God by entertaining doubts about His capabilities.

As we look to the ways God’s love has so evidently changed our brothers and sisters in Christ around us and continues to do so, we begin to comprehend together with the saints the reaches and riches of His kindness and His steadfastness toward us.

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In Christ dwells the fullness of God, and we are being rooted and built up in Him (Colossians 2:9-10; 2:17). Our aim as believers is to together be able to house the full measure of the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19) as the holy temple of His Spirit. We are being built into this holy temple on this earth, and we will fully be glorified—we will fully attain the measure of His fullness — in His presence one day.[1]

In this goal, believers are unified in the great love of God in Christ. As we commune with one another in love, trusting and obeying God in this, God delights to root and ground us more and more. He is wanting to bless us with His uniting love, to reward those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). We must seek God in our inner beings — after all, Paul is actively praying for a great strengthening in the hearts of the Ephesian believers. And we must trust His work in us, which we could never perform in ourselves, according to His power.

We can know that He is desirous to do this work of love in His people — according to His richness of glory, not limited by the starting or natural capacities or frameworks of our hearts or relationships.[2] As we come to a knowledge of the truth and as His love is our grounding, we will be filled with Him.

We learn from Paul to continually expand our thoughts from our power to His. The work of strengthening believers in love is for His honor and glory (Ephesians 3:21); so, it must be a work greater than us. Given that His strengthening comes out of the riches of His glory (Ephesians 3:16), how great is that strength He will give to His people who are committed to attributing the glory to Him!

Let us not be surprised when the work of His hands, then, is indeed far more than we ask or think; this is the certain hope we have. Being built by the Spirit on this foundation that Paul’s prayer sets, God strengthens the human heart.

[1] Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

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Lianna Davis is author of Keeping the Faith: A Study in Jude and Made for a Different Land: Eternal Hope for Baby Loss. She is also a contributor to We Evangelicals and Our Mission with Cascade Books. Lianna is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She lives in Illinois with her husband and daughter. You can learn more about her writing at her website.