The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

1. I don’t know of anyone who says that the Spirit does NOT indwell the Christian.

2. I believe the Bible when it says that the Spirit indwells the Christian.

3. Let’s examine a few passages that teach just that.

4. Romans 8:9-16

1) Paul has just completed a discussion of those who are carnally minded.

2) He says regarding these that they are “in the flesh.” This description means that they have chosen to live in a way contrary to God’s will. (Compare John 2:15-17 “Love not the world?.”)

3) This is a “spirit” which is NOT of God.

a. This is the spirit of the world (1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have not received the spirit which is of the world, but the Spirit which is of God.”).

b. 1 John 4:4 implies that the spirit that is of the world is Satan. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

c. Satan is in the world through sin in the lives of individual people.

4) However, in contrast to these, those who live according to God’s will are described as being in the Spirit — notice IF the Spirit of God dwells in you. Being in the Spirit is conditional upon the Spirit of God being in us.

5) John 15:4-7 is a good parallel passage to this thought. Jesus says that being in Him and He being in us is conditional upon His words being in us. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

6) The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are the same spirit.

7) This Spirit raised up Jesus from the dead.

8) This Spirit will also raise us up from the dead.

9) Vs. 13 says that we, through the Spirit, can mortify the deeds of the body.

a. Is this passage teaching that the Holy Spirit deals with sin for us? On the contrary, we know from other clear teaching of scripture that we must deal with sin and temptation as lead by the word of God and that it is our choice to answer or refuse the call of sin.

b. David said, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11) Who gave the word? The Holy Spirit gave the word. Therefore, the Holy Spirit–through the word–is responsible for helping us overcome sin.

c. Thus it is through the Spirit–as His word lives in us–that we are able to mortify sin in our life.

d. Would it be such a challenge to live the Christian life if every time we were tempted the Holy Spirit just literally and personally stepped in and took away the temptation?

5. 1 Corinthians 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

1) Paul is writing to the Corinthians to advise them to flee fornication.

2) In motivating them to give up this sinful practice he compares the body to a temple.

3) Just as God dwelt in a temple under the Old Covenant, so also the Holy Spirit dwells in each Christian as a temple today.

6. Galatians 4:6 “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

7. It is clear from the scriptures that the Holy Spirit dwells in the Christian.

1. We find the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

2. These are listed in contrast to the works of the flesh.

3. Paul is trying to encourage the Christians in Galatia not to walk after the flesh.

4. How were they to do this? They were to walk after the Spirit.

5. Read Galatians 5:16-25

6. One of the fruits of the Spirit is “faith.” Romans 10:17

7. We learn how to have the fruit of the Spirit from God’s word.

8. A good parallel passage to this is 2 Peter 1:3-8.

9. These attributes come from a knowledge of God’s word as it is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.

10. Thus, as we display these attributes in our life, it is said that we are displaying the fruit of the Spirit.

1. Notice that the idea of something dwelling in our hearts can be used in a figurative way in the Bible.

1) The Corinthians lived in the heart of Paul–2 Corinthians 7:3 “I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.” Did the Corinthians literally and personally live in the heart of Paul?

2) Also notice 2 Corinthians 3:12 “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”

3) In Acts 14:17 Paul references the great blessings that God has sent us, “Filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Does food literally fill our heart?

2. We use the word “dwell” in a figurative way today.

1) A father dwells in his son. “I can see your Father living in you.”

2) A mother dwells in her daughter. “I can see your Mother living in you.”

3. How does Christ dwell in us?

1) The scriptures teach that Christ lives in the Christian.

a. 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

b. Galatians 4:19 “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.”

c. Colossians 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

2) However, we see that when Christ’s words dwell in us that it is Christ dwelling in us.

a. John 15:4-7 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

b. Christ lives in us through His word.

4. How does the Father dwell in us?

1) The scriptures teach that God the father lives in the Christian.

a. 1 Corinthians 14:25 “And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.”

b. Ephesians 4:6 “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

2) It is equally apparent to us that when the Bible says that God’s word works in us that God’s is working in us.

a. Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

b. 1 Thessalonians2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

c. The Father works and lives in us through His word.

5. How does the Holy Spirit dwell in us?

1) The Bible certainly teaches that the Spirit dwells in the Christian.

a. Romans 8:9-16

b. 1 Corinthians 6:19

2) It is not a hard step to make that when the words of the Spirit dwell in someone it can be said that the Spirit is dwelling in someone.

a. Ephesians 5:18, 19 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”

b. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

3) Notice also some clear passages of scripture.

a. Galatians 3:2 states, “. . . . Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

a) Paul is not asking here but presenting a rhetorical question.

b) The implication is that they received the Spirit by the hearing of faith.

b. Ephesians 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your heart through faith . . . .”

4) The Bible certainly teaches that the Spirit dwells in the Christian as the word of God lives in the Christian.