“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16)
As believers in Christ, we all know this truth. We are the temple of God’s Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, for most, it hasn’t sunk in. It’s something they believe but have not acted upon. I can remember dating my wife and inviting her to my home for a visit, but things changed when she moved in and it became permanent. All of a sudden, we were doing things together all the time, which meant my behavior was front and center. Now, plans were made together and agreed upon in advance. Even trips to the grocery store took on a whole new dynamic, realizing that there was more than one kind of milk. It didn’t take long to realize that we had our own way of doing things. We also had different likes and dislikes. Although this joyously turned my whole world upside down, it was well worth the journey. In time we truly became one, and she will always tell you that she is my better half. Today, I would like to speak to you about another full-time resident. This one too must be invited in, to take up residence in your heart for the rest of your life.
Many people will walk the aisle of their church to publicly repent of their sins and ask for forgiveness. They will humbly ask that Jesus Christ will come into their lives to fulfill all of His glorious promises. They may even anticipate the filling of the Holy Spirit at some future date, without realizing that He is immediately available to every believer who seeks Him with his whole heart. The good news is your new Holy Resident will help you clean the place up, which will continue for the rest of your life. The moment He takes up residence, you are the Temple of God’s Spirit. He will be with you every moment of every day as He takes His rightful place upon the throne, in the throne room of your heart. What makes this relationship even more unique is that your Holy Resident not only knows your every action, but He knows your every thought. So, what is your response to all this? Yes, your little world will be gloriously turned upside down, but you will soon discover that it’s well worth the journey. As a preacher of the Gospel, I will give you a few biblical keys that will ensure a blessed relationship and a fulfilled life here on earth.
The first biblical key is to understand the role of the Holy Spirit, which I often refer to as the indwelling Spirit. Perhaps His most significant role is that of a Teacher. The Bible says, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). In a world of blindness, lies, and half-truths, this is good news. When we submit ourselves to Christ through total dependence on Him, then the veil is removed, and we can see. “Once we were blind, but now we see.” We can see and understand all truth. As the Bible was written by men of God, they were moved by the Spirit giving it authority and sufficiency for all of life. Because the words of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit, then He is the one that unlocks its true meaning. As the unbeliever reads the Bible there is a veil over his eyes. However, when a believer reads the Bible, the veil is removed and the words are properly interpreted by the indwelling Spirit. So, our primary textbook is the Bible brought to life by the indwelling Spirit. It’s as though the words come flying off the page with the power to convict. It’s as though the words are sent forth like a firebrand into our seeking hearts.
When I read the Bible, I take my time first putting it into its proper context, then rolling the verse (or verses) over and over again, asking the Spirit of God to give me its deeper meaning. Remembering that the Spirit uses the Bible for all of life, I begin to hide its Words in my heart through prayer and meditation, which in time also leads to memorization. As you put off the old life and put the new life in Christ you will be taught by the indwelling Spirit that His ways are much higher than our ways. This Holy Resident will bring to your memory those beautiful truths from the Bible that are so different from the world. Every encounter with the things of this world will no longer be a solo adventure but the Spirit will be with you, ready to open your eyes to the truth. Every confrontation with other people and their personalities will no longer be a solo encounter but the Spirit will be with you bringing to your memory how you should listen carefully and prayerfully, before responding. The beautiful truth, which I have learned over the years, is the Spirit will give you the words to say, which is especially important while counseling others.
Hopefully, you can see thus far, the indwelling Spirit is with you all the time. The second biblical key is to not ignore or turn a deaf ear to the Spirit’s leading. If we do then we will be led down a path that we don’t want to go down. The Bible says, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit is a perfect gentleman who will never force His will upon you. If you ignore His leading then he, sadly I might add, will step into the other room, and you will be completely on your own. You will be left on your own to experience the full brunt of the consequences of your bad or misguided decision. Don’t blame God. If you would have listened to the convictions coming from Him, you would have stopped what you were doing and started seeking His will in the matter. Believe me, if you ask for the Spirit’s direction and wait upon it, then you will get it. But honestly, dear children, it’s the waiting that you are not much interested in. Most would rather ask Social Media or the internet rather than waiting upon God to speak to them through His anointed Word that’s brought to life by the indwelling Spirit. In time you will learn how to discern the still small voice of the Spirit. The more you learn the Scripture, the greater your discernment will be in detecting the lies of the devil posing as an angel of light.
Finally, there are many more works of the Holy Spirit from the many Spiritual gifts, that are all but ignored by the modern church, to the occasional visions that are given, which never disagree with the Bible. However, I want to conclude with another very important role of the indwelling Spirit, that most don’t think about. The third biblical key is His job is to maintain the Temple for God’s Spirit. He takes care of the residence. The Bible says, “If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (I Corinthians 3:17). God’s temple is holy! Let that sink in. Remember, that God’s Spirit is always with you. If you run with the devil’s crowd subjecting your body (His temple) to things that will darken your soul and defile your body, then this will lead to destruction. It’s a proven fact that street drugs, mind-altering drugs, and many accepted pharmaceutical drugs will damage your mind and body. It’s a known fact if you run with the devil’s crowd that they have a tremendous influence upon you, even if you think they don’t (see I Corinthians 15:33, ESV). Please dear children, just remember this one thing and you will do well. Remember, that the Spirit of God is with you every moment of every day. Welcome your Holy Resident and do everything with Him. This too is a blessed relationship. Amen
Please Join me in Prayer
Good morning Heavenly Father. Thank you, LORD, for sending us our Holy Resident to take His rightful place upon the throne room of our seeking hearts. Thank you, LORD, that no matter what happens in this world, we know that our Holy Resident will never leave us but will continue to teach us and lead us in the way we should go. We pray that you teach your beloved children how to discern the Spirit’s still small voice and His Holy nudges, so that He will not be grieved. We know to grieve the indwelling Spirit will not be beneficial for us, allowing us to face the full brunt or consequences of our bad decisions. We pray that you will encourage your children to prayerfully read and meditate upon the Holy Scriptures until they feel your conviction or a divinely inspired teaching moment. How glorious that is to our souls. We pray that when this happens that they will hide this beautiful truth in their hearts and act upon it as you lead. We cannot imagine living one moment in this evil world without our Holy Resident. We pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).
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