God’s Spirit lives in you!
God’s Spirit dwells within us—transforming our passions and filling us with His power to live out God’s purpose! Jesus said He would ask the Father to send us an Advocate, a Helper—the Holy Spirit. The word ‘Spirit’ in the Gospels is the Greek word ‘Pneuma,’ like breath or wind. He is like the very breath of life in our lungs.
He said in John 14… “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.”
Ready for a short history lesson?
Before the Birth of Jesus
In the Old Testament, before Jesus walked the earth, God’s presence and power were experienced through a place (the Tabernacle then the Temple) and an object (the Ark of the Covenant). Throughout history, it was important for God’s people to know that God dwelt among them and that His presence and power defined every aspect of their lives. Only the High Priest could enter God’s dwelling place—the Holy of Holies—to offer sacrifices.
In the Time of Jesus
John 1:14 says of Jesus,
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus is Immanuel, meaning ‘God is with us.’ The word for ‘dwelling’ in the Greek original language can easily be translated as ‘tabernacle among us.’ What a powerful image this is for our lives today. Much like God was present with His people as they wandered through the desert wasteland hoping to enter into the promised land, Christ was with us in human form.
Today
Today, God’s Spirit dwells within us, amidst the brokenness, difficulty, and crisis as we eagerly wait for what is to come in Heaven.
Hear the words of Paul on this from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
God dwelt with Israel in the Tabernacle (during the wilderness wanderings) and in the Temple as His people worshiped Him daily and offered sacrifices to God. Jesus dwelt with us and represented the fullness of God’s glory to all mankind. He was the substitutionary offering once and for all that led to our freedom. By His grace, we can worship Him with our bodies and lives!
Receive power to live your purpose.
The Holy Spirit fills you with power to live your purpose. He leads you, helps you, strengthens you, comforts you, and produces the right kind of fruit in your life. Paul tells the Christians in Galatians that living in the Spirit and living in the world are opposing mindsets. He says in Galatians 5:19-21,
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Paul here describes the ugly reality of our lives before we were made new by Jesus. He goes on to say that the Holy Spirit gives us something better:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5: 22-13).
What great news—by the Spirit we are no longer slaves to sin and self-absorption. He causes love and goodness to grow within us like fruit in an orchard. Our old instincts lead us to death and destruction, but God’s Spirit leads us into all truth.
—"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future” (John 16:13, NLT).
Let Christ rule in your heart.
In Colossians, the Bible says, “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” Imagine the Holy Spirit as a referee and the peace of Christ is like the whistle that blows when a player is out of line. When we act or even think in ways that are contrary to the nature and character of God, we can feel a shift in that peace—like a whistle being blown in a stadium. And it’s not because He wants to punish you. It’s because He wants to help you. Then you can come to God in prayer and say, “What happened? What caused me to lose my peace? God, will You show me? Was it something I said or did?” And it’s such a mystery, but God will show you! The Holy Spirit will help you live the abundant Christian life.
