Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
As a new Christian one of the most shocking revelations I had was that God in the person of the Holy Spirit, lives inside of me! When I heard this I was shocked! At the time I knew very little about the Bible. Most of what the sermons I had heard in my life were more about being nice to others because Jesus was and how he loved us. Both true, but there was a lot more milk than meat in these teachings. I didn't know the Bible so I looked it up. Did God really live in me? And it was true – it is true.
It was still pretty hard for me to accept. How could a holy God – pure, righteous, without flaw live in me? But he does. He lives inside of every believer. But think about this for a moment - the fact that the Creator of the universe, the all-knowing righteous and holy beyond measure God would live in us is an expression of his great love. That he would lower himself to live in me - amazing!
So What Happened?
We all are familiar with the story of the creation and fall of mankind. God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden and said, "Don't eat the fruit." Of course they did and they, their descendants and all of creation fell. Sadly, as descendants of Adam and Eve we inherited their sinful nature (Gen 3).
Every person who has ever lived, except Jesus was born separated from God. We were spiritually dead because of our inherited sin-nature. But praise God, when we were born-again God came to live inside of us in the person of the Holy Spirit. He joined with our spirit and our spirit became alive. We are now one with Christ in our spirits. (Another absolutely mind-blowing truth!) We are now one with him in the spirit – our spirit is joined with his Spirit (the Holy Spirit). God, in the person of Holy Spirit lives inside of every believer. And another mind bending truth - because our spirits are joined with the Holy Spirit our spirits are perfectly righteous – without sin (Ephesians 4:24). Our spirits are “re-born” - literally "reconceived" with the seed Greek "sperma" of God.
Of course when we were born-again our minds and bodies were not reborn. Our body remained as it was. We still thought the way we thought. That's why we must renew our mind with the Word to change the way we think - to think like God.
Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Rom 12:2 CENT)
In the Old Testament (before Jesus' resurrection) believers were temporarily “filled with the Spirit” (Micah 3:8, Luke 1:41) or the “Spirit was placed upon them” but this was only temporary. Eventually, when the Spirit's work was complete he would leave. You can hear David's cry for mercy and for God's presence to not leave him after committing adultery and murder in Psalm 51. He pleaded for the Holy Spirit not to be taken from him:
Do not cast me away from thy presence, And, thy Holy Spirit, do not take from me
(Psalm 51:11)
But the New Testament believer does not need to pray this prayer because Jesus said he will never leave us (Romans 8:37-39). The Holy Spirit is in every Christian permanently! Every Christian has the Holy Spirit in permanent residence joined with in them in their spirit. God giving us his Spirit is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy:
I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you; I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes and carefully observe my regulations. (Ezekiel 36:26-27 NET)
When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection he gave them the Holy Spirit by breathing on them and they were born-again.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:21-22)
In Greek the Word for breath and spirit are the same – "pneuma". Jesus “breathed” the breath of God upon them (the Holy Spirit) into each of the disciples and they were born-again.
So what does this mean to the everyday life of the believer?
The Holy Spirit enables us to live the Christian life as we yield to him. We do not live the Christian life in our own strength, but in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hold firmly to the true words that I taught you, as the example for you to follow, and remain in the faith and love that are ours in union with Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, keep the good things that have been entrusted to you.
(2 Timothy 1:13-14 GNB)
In our own power (striving, trying to be good, etc.) we cannot live the Christian life but the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to live the victorious Christian life. The same Spirit that lived inside of Jesus, the same Spirit that raised him from the dead lives inside of every believer – you and me!
If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you. (Romans 8:11 GNB)
We should also note that the Holy Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies. The Greek word for life in this verse comes from the word “zoe” which roughly translated means “the life of God”. The Holy Spirit gives us and is the life of God within us. God is not only with us, he is in us. Every believer has the God living inside of them in the person of Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a gift from God the Father and Jesus.
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)
I'm sure every Christian has considered how wonderful it would be to have been with Jesus as he walked upon the earth. To talk with him, touch him, hear his teaching, see and experience his miracles would have been amazing. But Jesus said it was better for him to go and to send the Holy Spirit. Why would it be better for Jesus to go?
Jesus could only be one place at a time in his time on earth. Because he was limited to a physical body he could not minister to everyone. He could only minister to those who were with him. Not everyone could talk with him. But when the Holy Spirit came into us when we were born again we can now talk to him 24/7. He is no longer limited to a physical body – he is in every believer! He can guide and teach us all the time. He can work through us. He is only limited by what we allow him to do through us. I believe that is part of what Paul was telling us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. We glorify God in our body by letting Holy Spirit work through us.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Cor 6:19-20 ESV)
What are the benefits of Holy Spirit living inside of us?
The Holy Spirit is now at work for us to do His will and good pleasure.
...for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13)
This means that it is the Holy Spirit giving us direction on our affairs, prompting us when we do wrong, correcting our missteps, pointing us back to Scriptures in the Bible and revealing Jesus to us, etc. The Spirit of God is ever at work in us and through us.
He prays for us and with us.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
(Romans 8:26)
The Holy Spirit guides our prayers. When we pray in tongues he is praying the will of God to God – a perfect prayer!
He gives us his fruit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23)
All of these fruits exist in us right now! He gives us peace, joy, love, etc. They are already ours. We only need to believe that we have them and they will be manifested in our lives.
He comforts us.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)
We all have times where we need help, comfort and guidance. The Holy Spirit is available to give us the help, comfort and guidance that we need. What a blessing that we can talk to him and receive help at any time!
He gives us power.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
When Jesus ascended into Heaven he sent the Holy Spirit as his presence within us. This enables every believer to continue his ministry - evangelism and healing, etc.
When Jesus came to earth he was the presence of God upon the earth. He came to reclaim that which Adam and Eve had relinquished to the devil in the Garden of Eden. When he returned to Heaven he sent Holy Spirit to be the presence of God upon the Earth resident within every believer. Because Holy Spirit lives within us he is the presence of God upon the earth. We are now the hands, feet and voice of God upon the earth.
Amazing! The thought that the Creator of the universe – the One who knows every particle of every atom in the universe – would choose to live in me!
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God chose to live within us so that we could continue Jesus' work upon the earth.
He is our ability to live the Christian life.
He is our ability to hear God's voice.
He is our ability to speak the truth of God's Word.
He is our ability to know how to pray.
He is all knowing and gives us wisdom for every situation.
He loves us so much he lives inside of us.
I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you; I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes and carefully observe my regulations. (Ezekiel 36:26-27 NET)