The Immeasurable Privilege of The Indwelling of the Spirit
The most important fact about a believer is that they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. It’s more important that what we do vocationally, how we perform academically or in athletics, it’s more important than our martial status or the size of our financial portfolio. It’s who we are. Our identity, if we are in Christ, is one who belongs to God. And how do we know that we belong to God? We have the Spirit. Paul outlines this logically in Romans chapter 8, often called the most important chapter in all the bible. He writes, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact that Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:9-11)
To consider the theological and practical richness of our union with Christ and indwelling of the Spirit is inexhaustible. However, I want to meditate briefly on three important benefits and privileges of the reality that we have the Holy Spirit living in us.
Access to the presence of God
Central to life under the Old Covenant in Israel was the mobile tabernacle and eventual permanent temple in Jerusalem. It was the place where a holy God promised to dwell with his unholy people. The civil and religious life of God’s people revolved around intricate ceremonial legislation and regulations. What is often missed when contemplating those ceremonial laws is that beauty of the fact that God was going into great detail to provide and explain how a rebellious and spiritually adulterous people can access His presence. He had promised the patriarch Abraham that he “would be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17:7) Remarkably, because of the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ and his promise to send his paraclete to apply the work of that redemption to His elect, the very temple of God is now the heart of every believer. Astoundingly, Jesus told his disciples that it was better for them (in every sense) that he go away and send the Holy Spirit. How can that be so? How could they, and by application all of us, know and love Christ better if he is in heaven rather than on earth? The answer is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the person of the trinity who gifts us with regeneration and makes us alive in Christ through faith. We would not be saved and reconciled to God were it not for the Holy Spirit. We know Jesus Christ more intimately and powerfully than his earthly disciples did because of the indwelling of the Spirit. We don’t have go to Jerusalem to meet with God. Thanks to the Spirit, we have divine access to the Trinity any time and any place. The temple of God through the Holy Spirit is our very own bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19) Years ago, when I was living and ministering in another state, I was invited to a dinner at the Governor’s mansion. It was an honor to be invited and attend the residence of the state’s chief executive. And yet such an honor pales in comparison to the King of heaven and earth taking up residence in our own hearts.
Guarantee of our resurrection
Paul in Romans 8 suggest an enormous rationale for our assurance and hope in eternal life. That same spirit who now lives in us, Paul says in v. 11, is the same spirit who raised Christ from the dead. That same Spirit who was present at Jesus’ baptism and temptation, who caused the conception of Christ in his virgin mother’s womb, and whose power brough him back to life three days after his crucifixion is the one who will raise us also. If the Spirit accomplished that for the Son, will he not also accomplish the fruit of that salvation for which the Son suffered and died (our own resurrection to eternal life)? So, as a Christian I can rest well knowing that one day the Holy Spirit of God will raise my flesh from death and crown me with glory and everlasting life, just as He has done to our elder brother. I don’t have to look to my actions to find comfort and hope. I don’t put my faith in my faith. In fact if I’m looking at myself at all, I’m looking in the wrong place. The Spirit of Christ is the only guarantee we need. And he is willing and able. He “who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
Enabling power to mortify sin and please God
Earlier in v. 8 of Romans 8, Paul utters a startling and somber truth that anyone who is in the flesh cannot please God. No matter how noble our efforts, or civically recognized our behavior and contributions to the welfare of this world and others, apart from the Spirit of life, we will never do anything that pleases the Lord. But the fact that as Christians we have the Holy Spirit, our capacity to please our heavenly father has changed. As Paul says “the Spirit is life because of righteousness”. The indwelling spirit has broken the bonds of slavery to sin, and instead made us slaves to Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews writes a benediction asking the Spirit of God to “equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ..” (Heb. 13:21) Left to ourselves, we cannot do anything of spiritual good or benefit. Our efforts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) But thanks to the Holy Spirit now living inside of us, we are equipped for any good deed and work. This after all, is our very purpose in life. We were created in Christ Jesus for these very good works (Ephesians 2:10). But we could never glorify God or enjoy Him forever, if he had not sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to bring not only his cleansing forgiveness in justification, but also his enabling power to defeat sin in our sanctification.
These great truths not only assure us of our past and present salvation, but also flood our hearts and minds with hope that our glorification is just as secure. Thanks to God tabernacling among us, we have access to His presence, a guarantee of our future bodily resurrection, and are equipped to die to sin and live to righteousness.