PENTECOST WEEK (PART 7)
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" - 1 Cor 3:16 (KJV)
"What ? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? " - 1 Cor 6:19 (KJV)
On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Father came down from Heaven to Earth as a Person. He is now the Resident, personal Representative of the Godhead on earth. Other times, I refer to Him as the Governor of the Church of the Living God.
Having come from Heaven to Earth, where does the Holy Spirit now live? Two Scriptures gives us the answer:
1) 1 Cor 3:16.
2) 1 Cor 6:19.
To many Christians, these two Scriptures are synonymous, ie, that they mean the same thing. No! Not at all! These two Scriptures are completely different in meaning. The only thing that they have in common is that they both reveal the dwelling places of the Holy Spirit on the Earth.
In the first of these Scriptures (1 Cor 3:16), Apostle Paul asked the Corinthian believers thus:
"Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?" (1 Cor 3:16, NIV)
Paul was talking here about the Church as the corporate temple of the Holy Spirit. See also Eph 2:21-2.
But in the second Scripture (1 Cor 6:19), Apostle Paul revealed that not only is the Church the dwelling place of the Spirit of God, but that the body of each believer is equally the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" (1 Cor 6:19, NIV), he asks.
Like as I said earlier, these two Scriptures are conveying two different meanings. While the first expresses the truth that the Church is the corporate dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, the second Scripture reveals that as a believer, your body is the tabernacle of God the Spirit. These two truths are mind-blowing! They are not only a complete departure from the Old Testament position of God's dealing with man, but the idea that God's dwelling place is in man carries a wide range of spiritual implications. It's a complete fulfillment of "Immanuel", God with us (Isa 7:14); and the age-long delight of the Lord for the sons of men.
"Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men." - Proverbs 8:31 (KJV).
The age-long desire of God had been to dwell in man for so many reasons, prominent among which is for fellowship. Come to think of it: the Administrator of the blessings and the graces of Christ is tabernacled in you, and by implication, has constituted you as the headquarter of His administration in the Earth. This is too wide for comprehension! Whether we talk of the Church as the Body of Christ or the individual believer, the idea that the Almighty God dwells in us 24/7, every day of the month, and for the rest of our lives is remarkable and a very blessed phenomenon.
For instance take a look at Rom 8:11.
"Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, he will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you!" (Romans 8:11, TPT). This Scripture is simply telling us that Christ the Healer is at home in us by His Spirit, to minister healing to our sick bodies always. Hallelujah! This is aside from Him being in us as Comforter, Strengthener, Helper, Counselor, Advocate, Standby and Intercessor (Jn 14:16, AMP). The aim of God doing this is to make you an unstoppable success and an indefatigable champion. Praise the Lord!
PRAYER:
I praise and thank You Father for sending Your Spirit to dwell in me. Blessed be Your Name forever, in Jesus name.