1366. The Mission of the Indwelling Spirit

The Mission of the Indwelling Spirit

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2Co_3:18).

In speaking of the mission of the indwelling Spirit, we wish to say two things.

1. The fact of the Indwelling Spirit. The Lord Jesus met the disciples by appointment on the first day of the week, the doors being shut. He stood in the midst and said unto them: "Peace be unto you" (Joh_20:19). Then He showed unto them His hands and His side.

Then Christ said again: "Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you" (Joh_19:21).

When Christ had thus spoken, He breathed on them and said unto them: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (Joh_19:22).

The gift of the Paraclete was preeminently the gift of the Spirit indwelling.

The Holy Ghost from that day unto this, has indwelt all the children of God.

In Romans, we read: "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (chap. Rom_8:9).

In I Corinthians we read: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (chap. 1Co_3:16).

Again we read in I Corinthians: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God?" (chap. 1Co_6:19).

In James we read: "Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? (chap. 1Co_4:5). None of us need doubt the fact of the indwelling Spirit. "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, father" (Gal_4:6).

2. The Mission of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer as the Paraclete.

We might enumerate a few of the blessings which the indwelling Spirit brings to the believer.

(1) He takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto us. The Holy Spirit does not speak from Himself, but from the Father. He brings us a message in which He glorifies the Son. He takes of the things which concern Him, and shows them unto us.

How blessed it is to have a holy Guest Who is always talking to us of the glories of our beloved, absent, Lord!

(2) He teaches us the Word of God. Christ said: "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name. He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (Joh_14:26).

Surely we need not that any man should teach us, for we have an anointing of the Father, which teacheth us all things.

Our natural man may not know, and cannot understand the things of God, but the Spirit shows them unto us, for He "searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1Co_2:10).

(3) He seeks to conform us to the image of the living Christ. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2Co_3:18).

(4) He sheds abroad the love of Christ within our hearts. "The love of God is shed abroad in your hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Rom_5:5).

How thankful we should be that we have One to dwell within us as we cross the desert sands. Hallowed fellowship!

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR