The indwelling of the Holy Spirit simply means that the Holy Spirit dwells within the believer. He lives within the believer. The believer's heart is His home, where He lives.
The answer is found in Romans 8:9--"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the ______________ of God ____________ in you. Now if any man have not the ______________ of Christ, he is none of His." If a person does not have the Holy Spirit, then he is not His. He does not belong to Christ. He is not a Christian. If I am a saved person, then I have the Holy Spirit. How do I know? I know so because God says so. All who believe on Christ have received the Spirit (John 7:39). Paul said, "The Holy Spirit _________________ in us" (2 Timothy 1:14) and this is true of every blood-bought child of God. According to God's definition (1 Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9; John 7:39; etc.), a Christian is one who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and thus has received the Spirit. There is no such thing as a person who is justified by faith but who has not received the Spirit.
The fact that the believer in Christ has received the Spirit and enjoys His indwelling presence is not based on some subjective and questionable experience. It is based upon the plain statements of the Word of God.
Have you received the Spirit? Let's go back to the basic question, "Have you received the Spirit?" What is the Bible's answer? In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 we learn that the Corinthians, even the carnal Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:1-3), had the Holy Spirit in them: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which [who] is in you, which ye have of [from] God, and ye are not your own?" How could the Holy Spirit have been in them? How did they receive Him? Did they receive the Spirit the moment they believed in Christ?
John 7:38-39 is a key passage. Notice carefully what it says about receiving the Spirit. Those who believe are those who receive. If you have believed on Christ then you have received the Spirit. There is no such thing as a believer who has not received the Spirit. Thus, the key question is not, "Have you received the Spirit?" but it is "Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ?" (see John 1:12). If you have received Christ, then you have the Spirit. There is no such thing as a believer in Christ who does not have the Spirit dwelling within.
In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit would occasionally come upon men to enable them and empower them for certain tasks. Here are some examples:
| Judges 3:10--"And the Spirit of the LORD ___________
___________ him (Othniel, Israel's judge), and he judged Israel,
and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of
Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim."
This judge was empowered by the Spirit of God to win military victories. Judges 6:34--"But the ________________ of the LORD __________ _________ Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi-ezer was gathered after him." The Spirit of God enabled Gideon and his men to gain the victory over the Midianites. Judges 11:29--"Then the Spirit of the __________ came ________ Jephthah..." Again, the Spirit of God enabled Jephthah, another judge of Israel, to conquer the Ammonites. Judges 14:6--"And the Spirit of the LORD __________ mightily ___________ _______, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done." Samson's amazing strength did not come from himself or from body building exercises, but it came from the Spirit of God being upon him. In this case Samson tore a lion with his bare hands. Judges 14:19--"And the ____________ of the __________ came upon him
(Samson), and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of
garments unto them which expounded the riddle." Here is another
example of Samson's feats of strength, enabled by the Spirit of God. 1 Samuel 10:10--"And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of
prophets met him; and the ______________ of God _________ upon him, and he prophesied among
them." Saul was anointed as the first king of Israel (1 Sam. 10:1).
As Israel's king, the Holy Spirit came upon him in a special way. See also
1 Samuel 11:6. Later, however, due to Saul's disobedience (1 Samuel 15),
the Spirit of God left him.
1 Samuel 16:14--"But the ______________ of the LORD __________________ from Saul, and an evil spirit
from the LORD troubled him." This prayer should never be prayed by a believer living today. In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit would come upon men for certain purposes, but He could also depart from men and leave them. Today the Holy Spirit can be grieved (saddened by our sin), but He will never leave: "And ____________________ not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom ye are _________________ unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30). Jesus promised His disciples that after Pentecost (the day the Holy Spirit came to live in His believers), the Holy Spirit would A_____________ with them forever (see John 14:16), and that He would be in them (John 14:17). It would be a permanent indwelling! |
John 14:16-20 is a key passage in showing the uniqueness of the Spirit's ministry in our day. In verse 16 we learn that the Spirit's coming would be permanent, not intermittent. He would not come and then leave, and then come again and then leave again. No, when He came, He would abide with them __________________ (verse 16).
In John 14:17 we have a description of the Spirit's ministry before Pentecost and after Pentecost:
| The Spirit's Ministry Before Pentecost | The Spirit's Ministry After Pentecost |
| "He dwelleth ________
________" (John 14:17) The Holy Spirit was dwelling (living) with the disciples. He was with them. They were enjoying His wonderful presence. He was not absent from their lives. The living God was with them. |
"and shall be _____
________" (John 14:17) This phrase indicates a change in the Spirit's ministry. He was with them, but at Pentecost ("at that day"--verse 20) He would be in them. He would be in His people in a very unique way. |
Not only would the Holy Spirit be in them on that day, but Jesus Christ would be in them also (see John 14:20): "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me and I ____ _______." The Spirit of God makes this relationship possible. Compare John 6:56. This relationship is illustrated by the Vine and the branch relationship (John 15:1-6). The Lord Jesus is the Vine (verse 1) and His believers are the branches (verse 5). We are in Him and He is in us. The branch is in the Vine, connected to Him in a very wonderful way. Also the life of the Vine flows in and through each branch. In John 17:23 and John 17:26 we learn of this unique relationship with the Lord Jesus in His believers in a unique way. "I in them."
In Colossians 1:26 Paul speaks of a M_______________ which had been hidden for ages. Neither Abraham, David, Isaiah or Daniel knew anything about this mystery. Not even John the Baptist knew of this mystery. It was a secret locked up in the loving heart of God and not made known until God wanted to make it known. Is God making known this mystery now to His people (Col. 1:26)? _______ In verse 27, Paul reveals what this mystery is. It is something very glorious because he speaks of "the ________________ of this mystery" (verse 27). It is also something very precious because he speaks of "the ____________ of the glory of this mystery" (verse 27). He then identifies this mystery as "C________________ in ________, the hope of glory" (verse 27). The word "you" is in the plural. Christ is in His people. God is indwelling, not a temple made with stones, but a body of believers. He also indwells each believer's body individually (1 Cor. 6:19). My heart is Christ's home!
| We never read about Old Testament believers being indwelt by the Spirit of God. However, in the coming kingdom age, under the provisions of the new covenant, God's people are promised a very unique relationship with the Spirit of God, something which Old Testament Jews never had: "And I will put my _________________ within _______" (Ezekiel 36:27). "And shall put my ___________________ in you" (Ezekiel 36:14). Compare Ezekiel 39:29 and Isaiah 44:3. |
The temple is where God dwelt and manifested His awesome presence in a most unique way.
a. The Tabernacle
"Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the ____________ of the LORD ___________ the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the _____________ of the LORD _____________ the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:34-35).
God manifested His presence in the tabernacle. God was in the midst of His people, and they all knew it. They could see the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (the Shekinah glory). The "Shekinah glory" refers to the visible manifestation of God's presence. God was in His sanctuary. God was in His holy place.
b. Solomon's Temple
"And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the _____________ (Shekinah glory) filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the _____________ of the LORD had _______________ the house of the LORD" (1 Kings 8:10-11).
The tabernacle was a moveable temple; it could go from one place to the next place. Solomon's temple was a permanent temple in Jerusalem which would never be moved. It was one of the most spectacular buildings ever erected. God again manifested His presence from the most holy place in the temple. "I have surely built thee an house to ____________ in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever" (1 Kings 8:13). God dwelt in Solomon's temple, but many years later the glory of God departed from the temple because of Israel's disobedience and idolatry. Ezekiel chapter 10 tells the sad account of God's glory departing from the temple (see especially verses 4 and 18; see also Ezekiel 11:22-23).
c. The Rebuilt Temple
Solomon's magnificent temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, in 586 B.C. Later a remnant of Jews returned to the land and rebuilt the temple under the Jewish governor Zerubbabel and the Jewish high priest Joshua (the prophets Haggai and Zechariah also had their ministry at this time). The account of the rebuilding of this temple is found in Ezra, chapters one to six. This second temple was not nearly as magnificent as Solomon's temple, and some of the old men, who still remembered Solomon's temple, W__________ as they saw the foundation of Zerubbabel's temple; they knew it would be an inferior building in many ways (Ezra 3:12). Unlike the tabernacle and Solomon's temple, we are never told that the rebuilt temple was filled with God's glory. The glory did not come to this temple until Jesus Christ came to the temple in the first century. Malachi the prophet predicted that the Lord would suddenly come to His _________________ (Malachi 3:1). The Lord Jesus was full of glory (John 1:14), but most of the time when Jesus walked this earth His glory was veiled. Three of His disciples were privileged to see a full display of His glory on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9).
The Lord Jesus was rejected as Israel's King and crucified outside of the gates of Jerusalem on Calvary's cross. Four decades later, in 70 A.D., the rebuilt temple (which had been enlarged and greatly beautified by Herod the Great--John 2:20), was destroyed by the Roman army. Since that time, there has been no Jewish temple on earth. But as we shall see, God does have a temple on earth today, which is indwelt by His Spirit.
d. The Tribulation Temple
At some future time the Jews will again build a temple in their land and will once again offer animal sacrifices which have not been offered since the first century. In Daniel 9:27 we learn about a seven year period which will begin with a treaty that the Antichrist will make with Israel for seven years. In the middle of this seven year period, the Antichrist will break this treaty and will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings (Daniel 9:27). At this time the Antichrist ("the man of sin," "the man of lawlessness," the first "beast" of Revelation 13) will desecrate the temple by exalting himself and claiming to be God and forcing people to worship him (see Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, Revelation chapter 13). There is no indication in Scripture that God's glory will ever fill this tribulation temple.
e. The Millennium Temple
During the thousand year kingdom of Christ, there will be a magnificent temple described in great detail in Ezekiel chapters 40-48. In Ezekiel 43:5 we learn that "the G_________________ of the LORD _______________ the house (the temple)." God manifested His presence in this temple in a very special way. God would dwell in the midst of His people (Ezekiel 43:7)!
f. Will There be a Temple in the Eternal State?
Concerning the eternal city, the new Jerusalem, we read, "And I saw ____ ________________ in it; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the _________________ of it" (Revelation 21:22). God's glory will be there in its fullest manifestation (Rev. 21:23), so that there will be no need of a temple. Compare Revelation 21:3 (God dwelling with His people).
g. God's Temple on Earth Today
In Matthew 16:18 the Lord Jesus predicted that He would build a special building: "...and upon this rock I will _____________ my ___________________, and the gates of hell (Hades) shall not prevail against it." When Jesus spoke these words, the building of this church was yet future. He said, "I will build (future tense)." He did not say, "I am building." This building project would begin on the day of Pentecost.
In 1 Peter 2:5 we learn that God's building would not be made out of brick or concrete, but made from "lively S_______________" or "living stones." It would not be a physical house, but a "S_______________________ house" (1 Peter 2:5). Believers in Christ will be the building blocks of this amazing structure!
This building is also mentioned in Ephesians 2:19-22. In verse 21 it is called a building, but it is also called a "H____________ T________________ in the Lord." God inhabits this temple through the S___________________ (verse 22). The Holy God is in His Holy Temple.
In 1 Timothy 3:15 the church of the living God is called "the H__________________ of __________." It is God's house because He lives in it and dwells in it.
There are two key passages which speak of the Holy Spirit indwelling God's temple which is the church: 1) 1 Corinthians 3:16—"Know ye not that _____ are the _________________ of God, and that the _________________ of God _____________________ in you." The words "ye" and "you" are both plural, referring to all the Corinthian believers. God dwelt in His believers, in His church, in all the believers. 2) 1 Corinthians 6:19—"What? Know ye not that your ___________ is the temple of the ____________ ________________ who is ______ you, whom ye have of (from) God, and ye are not your own." In this passage we learn that the individual body of every believer is God's temple, and the Holy Spirit dwells within every child of God.
If someone should argue that not all believers are indwelt by the Spirit, he should be reminded that even the Corinthians, who had serious problems with carnality (1 Cor. 3:1-4), were told, in the two key passages cited in the previous paragraph, that the Holy Spirit lived in them. If a person does not have the Holy Spirit, then he is "none of His" (Romans 8:9). This means if he does not have the Holy Spirit then he does not belong to Christ. That is, he is not a Christian. Everyone who has received Christ by faith (John 1:12), has the Holy Spirit also. "But this spoke he of the __________________ , whom they that ______________ on him should ________________; for the Holy _______________ was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:39). The Holy Spirit would be given later, on the Day of Pentecost. John 7:39 teaches that those who believe on Christ will receive the Holy Spirit.
First, just the very thought itself ought to transform me. God is in me! The living God lives in me! God dwells in me. I am God's home and God's temple! What an awesome thought! Every day I should remember this fact: "Christ ______________ in me" (Galatians 2:20). See the words to the hymn Christ Liveth in Me, by Daniel W. Whittle.
Second, this fact ought to encourage me to live the Christian life. The Christian life is a supernatural life. It is an impossible life to live. It is an impossible thing to live as a saint, to walk in holiness, to work worthy of my high calling and to be filled with the Spirit. I need not get discouraged. A supernatural Person lives within me to make the impossible possible! I cannot, but He can! I am unable, but He is able. I have no might or ability, but my eyes are upon Him! I can live the Christian life because of that P________________ that works in me (Eph. 3:20).
Third, this fact makes it possible for my life to be a blessing to others. Read John 7:38-39 carefully. God's desire is that my life might overflow to others. Out of my innermost being shall flow rivers of ____________ _____________ (John 7:38)! The Holy Spirit is in me to make this possible. I can be a refreshing believer to all who know me, overflowing with His life.
Fourth, this fact will help us to enjoy true Christian unity: "Endeavoring (making every effort) to keep the unity of the ______________ in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3). When I realize that the same Spirit who lives in me also lives in each and every child of God, I begin to appreciate the unity that I have with others who are born again. When I am with a fellow believer, I can enjoy a oneness with that person because we both have the Holy Spirit living in us.
Fifth, this fact ought to produce Holy living. What is the leading characteristic of God's house (Psalm 93:5)? ______________________ The Holy One lives in me, and I ought to be holy as He is holy (compare 1 Peter 1:16). I must not do anything that will G_____________________ the Holy One that lives in me (Ephesians 4:30).
Sixth, it ought to change my conduct in the church. The word "Bethel" means "house of God." In Genesis 28, Jacob was awed by the presence of God: "Surely the LORD is in this ________________ and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful (awesome) is this place! This is none other but the _____________ of ________" (Genesis 28:16b-17). Jacob named the place "Bethel" or "house of God." In 1 Timothy 3:15 I learn that the church is the house of God; yet how often do I forget that God is in His people? This truth ought to make a huge difference in how I conduct myself.
Seventh, the unsaved ought to know that God is in the midst of His church. Read carefully 1 Corinthians 14:24-25. What impressed this unsaved person the most about the church (verse 25)? ___________________________________________________________ When believers are well fed, then they will be healthy; when they are healthy, the life of Christ will be manifested and God will make Himself known!
Eighth, this fact ought to give us victory over Satan because "greater is he that is _____ _______, than he that is in the world (Satan)" (1 John 4:4).
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