Basic Theology: Indwelling - Indwelling in the New Testament

Indwelling in the New Testament

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The major difference between the Spirit’s roles in the Old and New Testaments is apparent. The New Testament teaches the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

When we place our faith in Christ for salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. The Apostle Paul calls this permanent indwelling the “guarantee of our inheritance”.

Ephesians 1:13-14, In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

We find the fact of His indwelling anticipated, but it was our Lord Himself who spoke fully about this in,

John 14:26, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

John 16:7-11, Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

John 16:13-14, However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

Notice the following important truths in 

John 14:16-18, 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.


1. The Holy Spirit is a Person

Notice the four persons referred to in John 14:16.
“I” “He” “You” “He”.
Read chapters 14, 15 and 16 and note all the pronouns used in reference to the Holy Spirit. Also notice, in the five references given above, the actions which are ascribed to Him which could only be ascribed to a person.


2. The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person

In John 14:16, the three Persons of the Godhead are mentioned “I” “Father” “Comforter”. He is God, one with the Father and the Son.


3. The Holy Spirit Indwells Every Believer

The last two words in John 14:17. He indwells every Christian, there is no such thing as a believer who is not indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

John 7:37-39, On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Acts 2:38-39, Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Romans 5:5, Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 8:9, But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

1 Corinthians 6:19, Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Galatians 3:2, This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Galatians 4:6, And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”


4. The Holy Spirit Abides in Every Believer

Holy Spirit has come in to stay, John 14:16. In Old Testament times He came and went!

Judges 6:34, But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.

Judges 16:20, And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

1 Samuel 10:6, Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 1 Samuel 16:14, But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.

Psalm 51:11, Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

But now He comes in to abide with us forever.


5. The Holy Spirit indwells to Supply Christ’s Presence

As to His bodily presence, the Lord Jesus is in Heaven (Hebrews 9:24); but by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit He is also within every believer (John 14:17-18). This is “the mystery”!

Colossians 1:27, To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

John 14:23, Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

1 Corinthians 2:9-14. The youngest and humblest believer has the Heavenly Instructor within.

It may be helpful to compare the following relationships which God is pleased to sustain towards His children.

He is ABOVE us
Deuteronomy 4:39,
Ephesians 1:20-21,

He is BENEATH us
Deuteronomy 33:27,

He is BEFORE us
Exodus 13:21-22,
John 10:4,

He is BEHIND us
Exodus 14:19,

He is AROUND us
Psalms 34:7,
Psalms 125:2,

He is WITH us
Isaiah 41:10,
Hebrews 13:5-6,

He is WITHIN us
Galatians 2:20,
Colossians 1:27,

RECOGNISE His Presence within us (1 Corinthians 6:19)
RESPOND to His Presence within us (Ephesians 5:18)
RELY upon His Presence within us (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

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