Who is living in you? What a significant question to ponder.
What does it mean to have Jesus, the Word, dwelling within us? What an amazing thought. And Gal. 2:20 tells us it is so.
“I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up for me.”
I have been crucified with Christ – this is a solution to all of our spiritual ills. Wherever we need to grow, this will help us. It is the “I” that is our problem. This is part explanation by Paul but also part wonder and how that affects his, and our, behavior. This is a figure of speech – how do we know? – Paul is still alive. This is an ellipsis. It’s not about me who lives, it is about something greater, namely, Christ lives in me. That is his emphasis.
Our goal must be Christ lives in me. And while we live in the flesh, we live by faith in the Son of God. What an incredible verse to live by. It is the solution to all of our spiritual ills.
The social media generation that has risen can cause an “it’s all about me” mentality.
John 15:4- abide in men and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me.
Rom. 8:10- and if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Gal. 4:19- my children with whom I am again In labor
Eph. 3:17- so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love …..
Col. 1:27- this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Indwell…. A term of Relationship, fellowship, a partnership term, surrounds, envelops, encloses, fills, “under the influence”, bearing the image of.
We come together on the Lord’s day in part, to hone the image of ourselves into His image. This pursuit will have an exceeding impact on our lives, in our world.
Let His love Indwell… filter and frame every thought and action toward others based on their ultimate welfare in every way, gracious, not giving what they necessarily deserve.
Sometimes when this love indwells, indictment is necessary. That doesn’t mean we run roughshod over someone. But when you care about the ultimate welfare of a person, you may need to indict them of their sin.
We are also indwelt by God. John 14:23- anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode (home, ESV) with him. Relationship. Partnership. We will come to him… isn’t that rich language? Isn’t that amazing?
Ok so what about the indwelling of the HolySpirit? It’s the same thing, a relationship, a partnership, about the nature of His work.
So even with all of these passages we’ve read on the indwelling of Jesus, why so much emphasis on the Holy Spirit? Maybe because the Spirit’s work among believers in the first century was quite visible, tangible, Powerful, undeniable.
Indwelling of Holy Spirit:
1. He is working in the believers transformation
2. Facilitating the impact of the word
3. Deserving the praise for growth.
God’s indwelling…. Our need! A great blessing! A life of worship, goodness and purpose.
2 Cor. 13:5- test yourself… examine yourself… Jesus Christ is in you- unless you fail the test.
Sermon by Tony Mauck
