"THE INDWELLING SPIRIT!"

“But you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Roman 8:9).

“Once more we are reminded that to be “in the flesh” does not refer to being in the physical body. It is the contrast with being “in the Spirit.” These are antithetical one to the other. Yet the Spirit does dwell in or abide in the body as in a living organism. “Do you not know that your body is the sanctuary of the indwelling Spirit, and the Spirit is God’s gift to you?” (I Cor. 6:19). We must abide in the body to provide a temple for the Holy Spirit, but we dare not be “in the flesh”, that is, on the lower level of the human nature. That is the plane in which sin rules as a tyrant and moral anarchy is the order of life.
“Thus, the Spirit is said to dwell or abide in us. This is not a brief stay by a passing friend, but tenantry for life, or so long as we permit. The proof that we are living on the higher plane of spiritual existence is the indwelling Spirit. God moves into a meaningful personal relationship with us on the upper level and rules over our life! The dominance of sin is broken! It has no more claim upon the members of our body! We are set free by the grace of God!”

(W. Carl Ketcherside – Adapted).

Through the indwelling of the Spirit of God Jesus Christ comes to live and rule in our lives. The body we lived in before conversion is still the body we live in as Christians. But it must be cleansed, remodeled, and brought into submission and conformity to the will of the new King. If we are to enjoy to the fullest the blessings of faith and the glory of Heaven we will want to be thoroughly new creatures in Christ!
The Spirit of Christ is in us to carry out this great renovation project, the bringing us to completeness, maturity, and perfection. He provides for us, according to the promises of Scripture, the comfort, encouragement, power, joy, incentive, conviction, companionship, love, fellowship, wisdom, and every essential personal quality (“the fruit of the Spirit”) contributing to our perfection and our happiness. As sin is eliminated in us, holiness and godliness replaces it!
What a great gift – the presence of God, the reigning of Christ, the indwelling Holy Spirit! May we ever cherish it!

Larry Atkin, Preacher