The Holy Spirit

Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God?

1 Corinthians 6:19

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17. If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19. Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; 20. for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.

Attention to Context

• 1 Corinthians 3:16 is talking about Christians (plural / collectively) being a temple of God

• 1 Corinthians 6:19 is speaking about the body of the individual Christians being a temple of the Holy Spirit

ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION

• The Nicodemus Perspective – John 3

vs. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

vs. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

Does the Holy Spirit indwell Christians?

• Everyone agrees that He does

• The scriptures reveal that He does indeed indwell Christians

• A Different Question: HOW does the Holy Spirit indwell Christians?

Some Assert

• “The Holy Spirit dwells in the Christian in the SAME way that the Father and Son dwell in the Christian”

• WHERE in scripture do we learn this? Is there a passage?

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The Same Way?

• Jesus (God, the Son) became flesh and blood and dwelt among us– Hebrews 2:14, John 1:14

• Do the Father and Holy Spirit have to become “flesh and blood” because that is the way Jesus dwelt among us?– Of course not.

Understanding HOW – not so critical

• can you explain HOW you own spirit dwells in your body?

• do you know WHERE your own spirit is located inside your body?

• can you explain WHAT your spirit does for you – apart from the physical activity of your organs, brain, muscles and various “systems” that comprise the human organism?

• when you die, HOW does your spirit exit the body? Through the nose, ears, mouth, elbow or big toe?

The Bible reveals to us where God dwells

• The Father is in heaven – Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray

ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

• The Son has returned to heaven– Luke 24:51 And it came to pass, while he

blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven

• So WHERE is the Holy Spirit?

• John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me:

• John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you.

• John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.

• John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever, 17. even the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you. 18. I will not leave you desolate: I come unto you.

• John 14:26-29 But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you. 27. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. 28. Ye heard how I said to you, I go away, and I come unto you. If ye loved me, ye would have rejoiced, because I go unto the Father: for the Father is greater than I. 29. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe.

• John 7:37-39 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. 38. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. 39. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified

Where is the Holy Spirit?

• Some have suggested that the Holy Spirit is “back in heaven”.

• Where is the scripture that teaches such?

• IF it is true, it will be revealed in scripture.

• Lacking a scripture that says that the Holy Spirit has returned to heaven, we accept what is revealed in the NT: the Holy Spirit abides HERE... in the church, in Christians.

WHERE does the Holy Spirit dwell in Christians?

• The answer of scripture is “in the body”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; 20. for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body

HOW GOD DWELLS IN THE CHRISTIAN

• Since the Father and Son are in heaven, they dwell in believers through relationship

• 1 John 4:12 No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth (KJV dwelleth – Greek meno) in us, and his love is perfected in us:

1 John 4:15-16 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth (KJV dwelleth – Greek meno) in him, and he in God. 16. And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth (KJV dwelleth – Greek meno) in love abideth (KJV dwelleth – Greek meno) in God, and God abideth (KJV dwelleth – Greek meno) in him.

3306. meno, men'-o; a prim. verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):--abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own

HOW do the Father and Sondwell in Christians?

• some say “representatively”

• other says through “relationship”

• everyone agrees that the Father and Son do NOT indwell the bodies of Christians

• can we take the next step in our investigation and learn HOW the Father and Son dwell in Christians

They dwell in believersTHROUGH the Holy Spirit

• 1 John 4:12-13 No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us: 13. hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

• 1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

• Ephesians 2:21-22 in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; 22. in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit

WHERE THE HOLY SPIRIT DWELLS

• 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19. Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; 20. for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.

Romans 8:9-11 But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth (Greek – oikeo – to occupy a house) in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth (Greek – oikeo – to occupy a house) in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth (Greek – enoikeo – to inhabit) in you.

– 3611. oikeo, ay-keh'-o; from G3624; to occupy a house, i.e. reside (fig. inhabit, remain, inhere); by impl. to cohabit:--dwell. See also G3625.

– 1774. enoikeo, en-oy-keh'-o; from G1722 and G3611; to inhabit (fig.):--dwell in.