Austin Bible Church
In the Church Age, the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit prepares a suitable residence in the body of every believer for the permanent indwelling of Jesus Christ as the Shekinah Glory and for the permanent indwelling of God the Father. This all occurs at the moment of salvation. This makes the body of the believer the sanctuary or temple of God. In the Old Testament, the sanctuary was the tabernacle in the tent in the desert or the temple in Jerusalem. 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 1 Cor. 6:19-20.
"Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are." (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, NASB)
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NASB)
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every believer was prophesied prior to the beginning of the Church Age by Jesus Christ. This was impossible before Jesus Christ had ascended and was glorified. John 7:37-39; John 14:16-17;, John 14:20.
"Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39, NASB)
““I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17, NASB)
““In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20, NASB)
In the Church Age, from the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture of the Church, the Holy Spirit permanently indwells every believer at the moment of salvation. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the body of the believer makes it impossible for demon possession to occur. 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:2; Gal. 4:6; Rom. 5:5; Rom. 8:8-9.
"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13, NASB)
"This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" (Galatians 3:2, NASB)
"Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"" (Galatians 4:6, NASB)
"and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5, NASB)
"and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 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." (Romans 8:8-9, NASB)
The indwelling Holy Spirit is the believer’s teacher and mentor in the spiritual life. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to recall applicable epignosis Bible doctrine from the right lobe of their soul and to properly apply it to life’s situations and decisions. 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 that I said to you.” (John 14:26, NASB)
Only when the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit, do these teaching and application ministries function. This is part of God's grace resources for the Church Age believer to fulfill the plan of God for their lives here on earth and to thereby glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. John 16:13-15; 1 Cor. 2:9; 1 John 2:27; Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:22-26.
" "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. " (John 16:13-15, NASB)
"but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."" (1 Corinthians 2:9, NASB)
"As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." (1 John 2:27, NASB)
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18, NASB)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:22-26, NASB)
Anointing is a synonym for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Anointing relates the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to the Church Age believer as a sign they are members of the Body of Christ. 1 John 2:20.
"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know." (1 John 2:20, NASB)
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is one of the permanent ministries of the Holy Spirit at salvation. There are seven salvation ministries of the Holy Spirit - six are permanent, one is temporary. See category on Holy Spirit, Seven Salvation Ministries.
Contrasting Indwelling and Filling of the Holy Spirit
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is permanent regardless of whether the believer is in a state of spirituality or whether in a state of carnality. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit cannot be lost. Sin will not remove the indwelling Holy Spirit in the Church Age. It is as permanent as is salvation. John 14:16-17.
" "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. " (John 14:16-17, NASB)
The filling of the Holy Spirit is temporary and depends on whether the believer chooses to sin or to confess their known sins to God the Father using 1 John 1:9. When the believer has confessed their sins biblically, they are guaranteed of the filling of the Holy Spirit. When we sin, we lose the filling of the Holy Spirit, but not the indwelling of the Spirit.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, NASB)
When the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit and in fellowship with God, their life is a letter of Christ written by the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:3. See category on Filling of the Holy Spirit.
“being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:3, NASB)
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit emphasizes the believer’s body. The filling of the Holy Spirit emphasizes the control of the believer’s soul. When the sin nature takes over the believer’s soul, then the believer sins.
The Holy Spirit is God and God cannot control if there is sin in the life. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can glorify Christ in the Church Age. A relationship with Jesus Christ means a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit indwells the body of every Church Age believer for the purpose of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. However, indwelling alone does not guarantee glorification of Christ. It is potential. When the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit, only then can Jesus Christ be glorified through the production of divine good. This is accomplished by the filling of the Holy Spirit whereby the believer can make use of God's grace resources to understand spiritual truth, to glorify Christ by living the Christian way of life, and to be a witness for Christ. John 16:13-14; 1 Cor. 2:12; 1 Cor. 6:20; Gal. 5:22; Acts 1:8; Eph. 5:18; Phil. 1:20.
“"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (John 16:13-14, NASB)
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God," (1 Corinthians 2:12, NASB)
"For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:20, NASB)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness," (Galatians 5:22, NASB)
" but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." " (Acts 1:8, NASB)
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18, NASB)
“according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” (Philippians 1:20, NASB)
There was no indwelling of the Holy Spirit in earlier dispensations. Indwelling only occurs in the Church Age. No Tribulational or Millennial believer will be indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Believers in the Old Testament were empowered by the Holy Spirit at certain times and was called enduement. Psalms 51:11.
"Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me." (Psalms 51:11, NASB)
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is an absolute regardless of whether the believer is in a state of carnality or in a state of spirituality. All Church Age believers are indwelled by the Holy Spirit at salvation. The filling of the Holy Spirit is also an absolute, but only occurs when the believer’s soul is controlled by the Holy Spirit – in a state of spirituality.