I was reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan last evening when I came across the following phrase concerning the indwelling of God's Spirit.
"You've probably heard this truth a hundred times, but have you marveled at it? Would you be willing to take thirty seconds right now just to dwell on the fact that God is in you?...This is the Spirit of God choosing you and me to be His dwelling place. That means that as I write, the Spirit of the living God is inside me...As you face tragedy and pain. As you buy groceries. As you walk your dog. As you make decisions. As you live your life, the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you."
I sat still marveling at this question being asked. "God is in me. God is in me. God is in me. God dwells in me!", I thought. What greater Christmas gift could I receive than God taking up residence? My mind, my heart, every part of my being seemed to be crying out, singing even. That does sound weird even as I write this. Every part, though, was singing. My heart, my mind, my bones, my flesh, my eyes, my head moved to the rhythms of this heavenly dance, the hair on my body stood as if it was reaching out for the unseen glory as I was overcome by being not just known by Him, but a temple in which He has taken residence permanently. Forever. I can't stop thinking about this. I've always known this, but it suddenly became so real in that instance. Since then I've searched His word over to hear and know even more clearly what it means to be a dwelling place of God the creator, the healer, the Saviour, the almighty when I bumped into Romans 8:9-11.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But 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.
As Christians, we are different because "the Spirit of God dwells in you." Look right in the middle of verse 9 to see this: "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you." This is the very presence of the Spirit of God dwelling in us.
The word "dwell" is important. It´s more than "be there," like you might be in a restaurant or in a train station or in a car or in a store. "Dwell" (oikeo) comes from the word "house" (oikos). And so the implication is that the Spirit of God is not present in you as if you were a stopover. He has taken up residence here. This is where He lives. This is His home. You are His home. The implication is nearness and familiarity and influence. If someone makes your house their home, they will be near you a lot. They will become familiar with you and you with them. And they will have an influence on you and the way you live. Know this about yourselves, Christ-followers: the Spirit of God dwells, makes his home, in you. If you are not becoming very familiar with Him, and seeking Him, and communing with Him, and being influenced by Him, something is profoundly wrong. Do not ignore Him or grieve Him or resist Him.
What greater Christmas gift could the risen Christ give you than the Spirit of God to dwell in you?
