| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index |

Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
 
《The Indwelling Of The Holy Spirit》
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. Several passages speak of the Spirit given to the Christian...
 a. Jesus promised the Spirit in some way that would be unique - cf.
 Jn 7:37-39
 1) "...Christ is speaking here of what is peculiar to his own
 personal reign and administration." - Robert Milligan
Scheme
 of Redemption
p.283
 2) "He manifestly refers in this passage to something which had
 hitherto been enjoyed by no one
and which could be enjoyed by
 none until after that he himself was glorified." - ibid.
 3) "This
it would seem
could not have reference to the mediate
 agency of the Spirit
through the written word and the ordinary
 workings of God's providence; for through these media the
 Spirit had always operated on the minds of both Jews and
 Patriarchs." - ibid.
 4) This promise also does not have reference to any miraculous
 manifestation of the Spirit
as such had been experienced prior
 to the glorification of Jesus - e.g.
Lk 1:41
67
 b. Peter promised the Spirit to those who repent and are baptized 
 - cf. Ac 2:38-39
 1) "The gift of the Spirit promised in Ac 2:38 was the Spirit
  itself" - David Lipscomb
Queries and Answers
 2) "The expression means the Holy Spirit as a gift" - J.W.
 McGarvey
New Commentary on Acts of Apostles
 3) "Certainly the gift of the Spirit is the Spirit itself given."
 - Moses Lard
Lard's Quarterly
 4) "The gift of the Holy Spirit is not some definite thing the
 Holy Spirit gives
but the Holy Spirit as a gift." - R. L.
 Whiteside
Reflections
 c. Other passages to consider are Ac 5:32; Ro 5:5
 
2. Such promises of the Spirit likely refer to what is called the
 indwelling of the Spirit...
 a. "Since the gift of the Spirit in Acts 2:38 is promised to all
 believing penitents who are baptized into Christ
and since the
 Spirit dwells in all Christians
this is the gift of the Spirit
 which was promised in Ac 2:38. - James D. Bales
The Holy Spirit
 And The Christian
p.13
 b. "...the reference is to that indwelling of the Holy Spirit by
 which we bring forth the fruits of the Spirit
and without which
 we are not of Christ." - J. W. McGarvey
New Commentary on Acts of
 Apostles
p.39 (commenting on Ac 2:38)
 c. "If they would repent and be baptized
receiving and cherishing
 the word of God in their hearts
this Holy Spirit as the
 indwelling guest of the church and the Christian would be their
 portion." - David Lipscomb
Queries and Answers
p.222 (commenting
 on Ac 2:38)
 
[Whether certain passages (such as Jn 7:37-39; Ac 2:38) specifically
refer to the Spirit's indwelling may be debatable. But one thing is
certain
and that is...]
 
I. THE FACT OF THE SPIRIT'S INDWELLING
 
 A. THE SPIRIT DWELLS IN THE CHURCH...
 1. The church is the temple of God
in which the Spirit dwells 
 - 1 Co 3:16
 2. The church is a dwelling place of God in the Spirit - Ep 2:
 21-22
 3. "...God
by means of the Spirit
dwells in the spiritual
 temple
in the hearts of believers. This temple is composed of
 'living stones' (1 Pe 2:5)
has a holy priesthood
and
 spiritual sacrifices." - B.W. Johnson
People's New Testament
 (commenting on Ep 2:22)
 4. "Christians are builded together in Christ
for a habitation
a
 dwelling place of God on earth. He dwells in this holy 
 habitation in the person of the Spirit." - J.W. Shepherd
A
 Commentary on the New Testament Epistles
Vol. IV
p.53
 (commenting on Ep 2:22)
 -- Thus the Spirit dwells in the church as a whole
making it
 possible for the church to be a temple in which God may dwell
 
 B. THE SPIRIT DWELLS IN THE CHRISTIAN...
 1. Necessary to belonging to Christ
to receiving life in our
 mortal bodies - Ro 8:9-11
 a. If we do not have the Spirit
we are not His
 b. If we have the Spirit
He will impart life to our mortal
 bodies
 2. A reason to flee sexual immorality - 1 Co 6:18-19
 a. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
 b. What is said of the church as whole in 1 Co 3:16
is now
 said here of our bodies
 -- Thus the Spirit dwells in each Christian individually
which
 ought to inspire godly living
 
[No Christian disputes the fact of the Spirit's indwelling. What is
often disputed is...]
 
II. THE NATURE OF THE SPIRIT'S INDWELLING
 
 A. THE ISSUE DEFINED...
 1. Is the Spirit's indwelling literal
personal?
 a. Does the Spirit literally dwell in the Christian?
 b. Does He somehow personally reside in the body of each
 Christian?
 2. Is the Spirit's indwelling mediated
through the Word only?
 a. Does the Spirit figuratively dwell in the Christian?
 b. Does He dwell in the Christian only in the sense that the
 Word abides in us?
 -- I understand the Spirit to literally and personally dwell in
 the Christian
 
 B. ARGUMENTS FOR A LITERAL
PERSONAL INDWELLING...
 1. Primary support for such a view - 1 Co 6:18-19
 a. Note the metaphor used by Paul
 1) The body of the Christian is the "temple" of the Holy
 Spirit
 2) Just as the body is a tabernacle for our spirit (cf. 2 Co
 5:1-4; 2 Pe 1:13-14)
 3) So also the body is a dwelling place for the Spirit of
 God
 b. Note the prepositions used by Paul
 1) The Spirit is "in" the Christian
 2) The Christian has the Spirit "from" God
 c. Note the line of reasoning used by Paul
  1) Paul argues from the indicative to the imperative
 a) From a statement of fact or condition to a command to
 be obeyed
 b) Because the Spirit dwells in them (statement of fact)

 they need to flee sexual immorality (command to be
 obeyed)
 c) Paul argues that because the Spirit is in them
they
 need to obey the Word
 2) Through-the-Word-only advocates argue from the imperative
  to the indicative
 a) This view argues that a Christian must obey the word
 (imperative) in order for the Spirit to indwell
 (indicative)
 b) I.e.
one must flee fornication (heed the Word) so the
 Spirit will dwell in them
 c) Exactly opposite to the line of reasoning used by
 Paul!
 -- Through use of metaphor
prepositions
line of reasoning

 Paul depicts the Spirit as dwelling in the body of the
 Christian
 2. Other passages for such a view
 a. God has sent the Spirit "into" our hearts - Ga 4:6
 1) Note this occurs because we are His sons; i.e.
something
 beyond simply hearing and obeying the Word of God
 2) The effect is one of producing endearment in our
 relationship to God - cf. Ro 8:15
 b. God strengthens us by "His Spirit in the inner man" - Ep
 3:16
 1) God is at work in us as we work out our salvation - Ph 2:
 12-13; 4:13
 2) One way He does this is by His Spirit in the inner man 
 - Ep 3:16
 3) With the Spirit as His instrumental agent
God is "able
  to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or
 think
according to the power that works in us" - Ep 3:20
 -- The plain and simple reading of the Scriptures lead me to
 believe that the Spirit's indwelling is literal and personal
 
[I find arguments against a literal
personal indwelling of the Spirit
unconvincing
and may address them in another study. But let's conclude
this lesson by reviewing some of...]
 
III. THE BENEFITS OF THE SPIRIT'S INDWELLING
 
 A. WE ARE SEALED BY THE SPIRIT...
 1. We have been "sealed" by the Holy Spirit of promise - Ep 1:13;
 cf. 2 Co 1:21-22
 2. The word "seal" (Gr. sphragizo) - "mark (with a seal) as a
 means of identification...; so that the mark which denotes
 ownership also caries with it the protection of the owner (see
 Re 7:3)... This forms a basis for understanding the symbolic
 expression which speaks of those who enter the Christian 
 fellowship as being sealed with or by the Holy Spirit" - Arndt
 & Gingrich
p.796
 3. "The word "seal" is used in several important senses"
 a. "A seal authenticates a document and proves its genuineness
 (e.g.
notary public seal or seal of an official on a
  document)"
 b. "It is a mark of ownership (e.g.
seals on ancient jars

 brands on animals)"
 c. "It is a mark of security (e.g.
railroad cars closed and
 sealed; medicine bottles)"
 -- Ferrell Jenkins
The Finger of God
p.19
 4. "It is our conviction that when a person obeys the gospel he is
 given the Holy Spirit. In this way God seals the person."
 a. "In effect God says 'This person belongs to me; let everyone
 take note."
 b. "The other side of the coin is that the Christian greets
 this reception of the Spirit as a guarantee (earnest or
 pledge) of eternal inheritance." (see point B
mac)
 -- ibid.
p.19
 -- Though not expressly stated
giving us His Spirit may be how
 God's "seals" or "marks" us as one of His own - cf. Ga 4:6
 
 B. WE HAVE THE SPIRIT AS AN EARNEST...
 1. The Spirit is given as an "earnest" (KJV) of our inheritance 
 - Ep 1:13-14; cf. 2 Co 1:21-22
 a. Translated "guarantee" (NKJV)
 b. Translated "pledge" (NASB
NRSV)
 2. The word "earnest" (Gr. arrabon) - "first installment
deposit

 down payment
pledge
that pays a part of the purchase price in
  advance
and so secures a legal claim to the article in
 question
or makes a contract valid...in any case
[arrabon] is
 a payment which obligates the contracting party to make further
 payments." - Arndt & Gingrich
p.109
 3. Vine points out that the word is closely connected to the
 modern Greek word for engagement ring - Expository Dictionary of
 New Testament Words
Vol. II
p.11
 4. "The Holy Spirit is God's earnest (down payment) to the
 Christian as assurance of the complete promised inheritance."
 a. "There is no comfort here for the advocate of the
 impossibility of apostasy."
 b. "The Christian can 'grieve' the Spirit (Ep 4:30)."
 c. "We can forfeit the down payment and not receive the
 inheritance."
 -- Ferrell Jenkins
The Finger of God
p.19
 -- Receiving the Spirit is an indication that we are the children
 of God
and joint-heirs with Christ of the inheritance of which
 the Spirit is an "earnest" - Ro 8:14-17
 
 C. WE ARE STRENGTHENED BY THE SPIRIT...
 1. God strengthens us by His Spirit in the inner man - Ep 3:16
 2. It is by the Spirit we are able to put to death the deeds of
 the body - Ro 8:13
 3. The Spirit helps in our weaknesses - Ro 8:26a
 -- The Spirit serves as God's instrumental agent by which He
 imparts strength and support to the Christian
 
 D. WE ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT...
 1. Necessary if we are to be the sons of God - Ro 8:14
 2. Necessary if we are not to fulfill the lust of the flesh - Ga
 5:16
 3. Necessary if we are not to fall under condemnation of the law 
 - Ga 5:18
 -- How the Spirit leads
we shall examine more closely in the next
 lesson
 
 E. WE BEAR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT...
 1. The fruit of a person led by the Spirit includes love
joy

 peace
longsuffering
kindness
goodness
faithfulness

 gentleness
self-control - cf. Ga 5:22-23
 2. We can be filled with peace and all joy in believing
 and
 abound in hope by the power of the Spirit - Ro 15:13
 -- Producing such fruit is contingent on setting our minds on the
 things of the Spirit - Ro 8:5-9
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Exactly how the Spirit indwells the Christian may remain a mystery...
 a. Many understand the indwelling as literal
with the Spirit
 personally abiding in the Christian
 b. Others view it as figurative
the Spirit dwelling through the Word
  only
 -- I used to hold the latter view; I now lean strongly toward the
 former
 
2. Whatever the exact nature of the Spirit's indwelling
we must be
 careful to not...
 a. Grieve the Spirit
by whom we sealed for the day of redemption
 b. Anger the Father
who has given us His Spirit as a pledge of our
 inheritance
 -- Which we can do by continuing in willful sin - cf. He 10:26-31
 
3. Whatever the exact nature of the Spirit's indwelling
we must be
 careful to...
 a. Bring glory to God
by producing the fruit of the Spirit
 b. Walk after the Spirit
being strengthened by the Spirit
 -- Which we can do by being led by the Spirit
as we set our minds on
 the things of the Spirit - Ro 8:5-14
 
In our next study
we will look more closely at how the Spirit leads. 
In the meantime
don't forget that the Spirit is given to those who are
the sons of God (Ga 4:6).
 
Have you considered how one becomes a child of God? - cf. Jn 3:5; Ga 3:
26-27; Ti 3:5; Mk 16:16

－－《Executable Outlines》