Part I The Bible teaches the Spirit dwells within Christians Part II Properly understand the indwelling of the Spirit Part III How the Spirit’s indwelling occurs. Part IV The indwelling of God is a working, active relationship He has with His people. Part V The Gift Of The Spirit Or A Gift From The Spirit? (Part I) The Bible clearly teaches the Spirit dwells within Christians. No Bible-believer should ever deny this truth. Romans 8:9
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 2 Timothy 1:14
That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
Among Bible-believers, there is much disagreement on how the Spirit dwells in us. Does He dwell in us directly? Indirectly? Through the Word? We must understand the indwelling of the Spirit is not just some impersonal force within us that helps us be better Christians. The Spirit is a personal being and is part of the Godhead just as much as the Father and Son. This becomes obvious when we consider that when Ananias lied to the Spirit, he lied to God. Acts 5:1-4
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
We must understand some attributes of God before we can properly understand how God the Spirit can dwell in us. When the Bible says the Spirit indwells Christians, it is not referring to a physical location (is He in your heart, stomach or liver?). If He physically dwells in your heart, is He in your right atrium? left ventricle? or coronary artery? The indwelling of the Spirit is not talking about a physical location but a working relationship the Spirit has with all Christians. Before we can properly understand the indwelling of the Spirit, we must understand the infinity of God. God Is Infinite: He Is Unlimited By Anything Within Creation 1. God is unlimited in His existence. (He always existed, always will exist) We are immortal because God chooses to have it so. God is immortal because of who He is. 1 Timothy 6:16
Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. 2. God is unlimited in knowledge. (He is omniscient. He knows all things.) 3. God is unlimited in power. (He is the Almighty. He is omnipotent.) 4. God is unlimited in space. (He is omnipresent.) Space, like time, is a product of creation. Created beings are limited by space. We are in physical body and can only be one place at one time.
In the spiritual realm, created beings live differently than we do, yet they cannot be everywhere at once. The angel who appeared to Daniel could not be everywhere at the same time, and he was not all-powerful. Daniel 10:12-14; 20
Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.” 20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come.”
God alone is unlimited by space. He cannot be measured. There is no answer to how big, tall, wide, heavy God is. These types of measurements do not apply to God. 1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!
The omnipresence of God is the reason it makes no difference where we worship. Pagans had an idea of gods who were limited in their location (cp. Baal in 1 Kings 18). Their gods were limited in space just as humans are. God Is Omnipresent – He Is Present To All Of Space At All Times Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. Jeremiah 23:23-24
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. Acts 17:26-28
And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being.
The omnipresence of God shows the futility of Jonah’s attempt to run away from God. Jonah 1:3; 10
3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?" For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
God is everywhere. There was no place Jonah could run to get away from God. Sometimes God becomes present in a different way. In addition to being present to all of space equally, He actually enters space at specific points and becomes present in it for a special purpose. He may make His presence known in the form of a theophany in which He appears in a specific location, but that visible appearance does not limit God to one place. God could make himself known in a million simultaneous theophanies and still be fully present to all the rest of creation at the same time. Some Examples Of The Local Appearances Of God 1. Sinai Exodus 19:11
And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people (see 19:16-24).
2. Leaders of Israel Exodus 24:9-11
Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.
3. Pillar of Cloud Exodus 33:9
And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
4. Cloud in the Temple 1 Kings 8:10-11
And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord,
so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
In all of these appearances of God to men, He was seen in some form at a particular, physical location, but He still remained omnipresent. He still filled heaven and earth. In the Bible, God’s presence or absence is used in a figurative sense to represent either: 1. His attitude of favor or disfavor. 2. His availability for help.
The righteous who are in God’s favor are spoken of as being near to God or being in His presence. The wicked who are in God’s disfavor are said to be far away from God or that He has withdrawn from them. 1. Those in God’s disfavor are “far” from Him. Genesis 4:16
Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. Proverbs 15:29
The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. Psalm 51:11
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Deuteronomy 31:17-18
Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us? And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods. Isaiah 59:1-2
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.
2. God is “near” to those who are in His favor. Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. Zechariah 1:3
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to Me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:7
Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you...
3. Gentiles who were “afar off” are now “brought near” in Christ. Acts 2:38-39
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ.
In all these verses that describe God as near or far away, God’s omnipresence is the same. Acts 17:28 has been true the whole time: Depending on our attitude towards Him, His presence takes on different meanings for us. To the disobedient, He is present, but there is no response or is active by bringing chastening or judgment. To the obedient, He is present and is active in their lives and is a source of blessing. God’s presence is used figuratively to represent God’s availability to help in time of need. Psalm 35:22
This You have seen, O Lord; Do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me. Psalm 71:12
O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
In these verses, the request is for God to help in time of trouble. God is always omnipresent. He is never literally far from anyone, but He helps the righteous and ignores the pleas of the wicked. 1. God expressed His willingness to help through Haggai Haggai 1:13-15
Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, I am with you, says the Lord. Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel, says the Lord; and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work; for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. according to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!
2. The promise of Jesus Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Sometimes when we gather to worship or go to God in prayer we say,
“We come into Your presence.” This does not mean that we were not already in God’s presence before we walked into the building; we are recognizing His presence as we set apart a special time to concentrate on it. 3. Those who seek the Lord in false worship do not find His presence Hosea 5:5-6
The pride of Israel testifies to his face; therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; Judah also stumbles with them. With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the Lord, but they will not find Him. He has withdrawn Himself from them.
4. Those who worship in spirit and truth can find Him anywhere John 4:20-24
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.
5. Through Jesus our High Priest, we can always “draw near” to God Hebrews 10:22
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
We must remember that the infinite God is not limited by space and is omnipresent. His omnipresence provides no comfort or aid to those who refuse to obey; but it is a great source of blessing and comfort to those whose heart is right before Him. When the Bible speaks of God dwelling in us, whether it is the Father, Son or Spirit, it is not speaking of physical location. God is omnipresent at all times whether we are rebellious or obedient. We cannot change God. The indwelling of the Spirit speaks of a working relationship that describes the close active role the Spirit has with those who willingly submit their lives to God’s will. To say the Spirit literally dwells in a physical location in our body is to miss the point. In the same way, those who limit the indwelling of the Spirit to only the influence of the Bible which was revealed by the Spirit miss the point. It speaks of the Spirit’s work in the lives of those who study and obey His Word. (Part II) The Bible speaks of God dwelling in people or places in many ways. We must understand the variety of indwellings the Bible teaches if we are to properly understand the indwelling of the Spirit. God dwelling among Israel in the O.T. 1. God promised to dwell among Israel Exodus 25:8
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. Exodus 29:45-46
I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.
2. The results of God dwelling with Israel Leviticus 26:9-12
For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you. You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the new. I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.
3. God’s dwelling in Solomon’s temple 1 Kings 6:11-13
Then the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: “Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”
God dwelled in Solomon's Temple, yet, "the heaven and heaven of heavens" cannot contain God! The dwelling of God in His Temple does not refer to the physical place where God lives, but the working relationship God has with His people. The dwelling of God in Solomon's Temple represented God's willingness to help all who turned to Him for help. In the same way, when the Bible speaks of God the Spirit dwelling in His Temple (church and individual Christians), it refers to His closeness and willingness to help and be active in the lives of those who trust Him. 1 Kings 8:13; 27; 30; 32; 39; 43; 49 13 I have surely built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever. 27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! 30 And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive. 32 then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. 39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men), 43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name. 49 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause,
A cloud filled the Temple to show God’s presence. Yet God was not limited to the Temple. It demonstrated a favorable relationship with God and Israel as long as they would be obedient. 4. God dwells in His temple today a. Individual 2 Corinthians 6:16
And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
b. The Church Ephesians 2:19-22
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
God is not literally dwelling inside us, but He has a favorable relationship with us. Remember: God is always Omnipresent! 5. The future dwelling of God Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
Words for “Indwelling” in the N. T. There are slight variations of meaning in the words but they basically teach the same thing. They are translated into various English words with similar meaning. Oikeo - “to dwell, inhabit, to dwell in someone or something, to abide in.” Enoikeo - “to dwell in, of God or of spiritual things that take up their abode in or among men; to be present in.” Katoikeo - “to dwell, to inhabit to abide in.” Meno - “To remain in, abide in, dwell in, continue in, to be present, to lodge, often spoken of that which abides or remains within.”
Concepts of Indwelling in the N. T. All of the following passages include the concept of an influencing relationship. 1. Sin dwells in us Romans 7:17
But now, it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells [oikoe] in me. Romans 7:20
Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells [oikoe] in me.
2. Satan dwelled in Pergamum Revelation 2:13
I know your works, and where you dwell [katoikoe], where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells [katoikoe].
(Satan had not personally revealed himself or taken up literal residence, but is speaking of Satan’s presence and influence in the thought and actions of the ones in Pergamum committing sin.) 3. The Word of Christ dwells in Christians Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell [enoikoe] in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. John 15:7
If you abide [meno] in Me, and My words abide [meno] in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
We are to abide in Him as His Words abide in us. John 8:31
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide [meno] in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
How do we abide in His words and have His Words abide in us? It is more than just knowing the Words. John 5:38
But you do not have His word abiding [meno] in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.
They did not accept the Words and let them change their lives. 4. Truth abides in us 2 John 1:1-2
The elder, to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, because of the truth which abides [meno] in us and will be with us forever.
5. We are to abide in the doctrine of Christ
2 John 9
Whoever transgresses and does not abide [meno] in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides [meno] in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
This is not saying that we must be living in a house that has Scripture for wallpaper, but our lives are to be conformed to the teachings of Christ. 6. Joy remains in us John 15:11
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain [meno] in you, and that your joy may be full.
How does someone else’s joy abide in us? We have joy that is like His, it affects our lives. 7. God dwells in the Temple Matthew 23:21
He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells [katoikoe] in it.
Yet: Acts 7:48
However, the Most High does not dwell [katoikoe] in temples made with hands, as the prophet says. Acts 17:24
God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell [katoikoe] in temples made with hands.
God was not literally dwelling in the Temple. His Word was there, His influence was there. Israel could see His presence in the lives of those who submitted to His will. All these passages indicate a close relationship between us and something else. It is a relation that influences our lives. Whether the passage is speaking of sin, the Word, doctrine, Satan, or joy, they all indicate a close relation that affects our lives. The Spirit Dwells in Christians Romans 8:9
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 2 Timothy 1:14
That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
The indwelling of the Spirit is not speaking of the Spirit moving into a literal location inside our bodies. This would be the idea that before we are a Christian the Spirit is not in our bodies, but once we are converted He moves in our bodies. We must remember the Spirit is omnipresent whether we obey or not. Our relationship to the Spirit changes when we obey the gospel. His omnipresence always remains the same. The Bible not only says the Spirit is in Christians, God the Father and Son are also in us, and we abide in them. 1. God dwells in us Ephesians 4:6
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 1 John 4:12
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 1 John 4:15-16
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
2. Christ is in us John 6:56
He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. John 15:4
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. Romans 8:10
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified. Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Ephesians 3:17
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
All of these passages state as a fact that God, Christ and the Spirit are in us, but they do not tell us how or in what sense God is in us. When Paul says that God dwells among His people, he does not mean God literally indwells in a physical location in their body, but that as their lives are full of the revelation of God, their thoughts, words and actions are godly, and God reigns in their lives. The relationship they have with God is so close that it is described as God dwelling in them. The Result of God’s Indwelling 1. Those who have God dwelling in them become Godlike (Godly). 2. Those who have Christ in them become Christlike (Christian). Galatians 4:19
My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.
3. Those who have the Spirit dwelling in them become “Spiritlike” (Spiritual). Romans 8:14
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
We have the Spirit dwelling in our lives when we submit completely to His will. This is not speaking of a physical location. The Spirit is everywhere already. It speaks of a moral and spiritual relationship between us and the Spirit of God. When we are led by the Spirit and filled with the Spirit by submitting to His will, we become the kind of people God draws near to in a loving relationship. These are the ones to whom God becomes a Father and they His children. Conclusion The Spirit doesn’t dwell in anyone by force. We must respond to the Word. Some teach the Spirit comes in and saves us. We never read of a direct influence of this nature. We must respond to the Words the Spirit revealed. Acts 2:40-41
And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
The Spirit didn’t come and take over their lives. He inspired Peter to tell them what they needed to do. The Word is the Sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17) James 1:21
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 1 Peter 1:22-23
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
Those who obey the Word have God dwelling with them. Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
God’s omnipresence is always constant. It takes on new meaning for the obedient. (Part III) The Bible plainly says the Holy Spirit indwells God’s people, but there is much confusion on how the Spirit’s indwelling occurs. Some claim the indwelling refers to a physical location, but physical location cannot apply to the omnipresent God. What physical location is there where the Spirit isn’t already there? Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
Instead of thinking of the indwelling of the Spirit as a physical location, a more accurate concept would be a “working relationship”. When the Bible speaks of God being far from the wicked, it is not referring to God literally, physically being far away from a certain location, otherwise, He would cease being omnipresent. Physical location is not an issue with the omnipresent God, but His relationship with us can change, depending on our obedience or disobedience. God is "far" from us when we sin, and is "close" to us when we obey. His physical presence doesn't change, but His relationship towards us does change. There are several Greek words for dwell or indwell and all have a similar meaning. (There are others, but these are the ones that are used when speaking of God, along with their normal meanings.) Oikeo “to dwell” (from oikos, “a house”), “to inhabit as one’s abode” Katoikeo “to settle down in a dwelling, to dwell fixedly in a place” Enoikeo “to dwell in” Meno “to abide, remain”
Vine's Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words When we understand the passages that speak of various dwellings, we can better understand the passages that teach the Holy Spirit dwells within Christians. One of the most constant themes in all of them is the idea of influence. This is one reason I use the phrase “working relationship” to describe the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is not teaching that the Holy Spirit physically lives in our heart (is He in the right atrium or left ventricle?), but He has a relationship with us by which He works in our lives, and it is such a close, personal relationship, that it is described as the Holy Spirit is living in us. Indwellings in the Bible 1. Sin dwells in us. Romans 7:17
But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. Romans 7:20
Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
Sin is obviously not a person, but it still dwells in us. This does not refer to a specific physical location where sin dwells, but the constant influence it has on our lives. 2. We can abide in darkness. John 12:46
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
“Abide” is translated from meno, which is translated “dwell” 12 times in the KJV. “Darkness” is used as a metaphor for sin. Sin dwells in us, we can dwell in darkness. Either way it is not talking about physical location, but the influence on our lives. 3. We are to abide in the light. 1 John 2:10
He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
Where in the light do we abide? Once again, this passage is not speaking of physical location but our manner of life. Just as "darkness" is a metaphor for sin, "light" is a common metaphor for righteousness. This passage speaks of our relationship with righteousness and its affect on our lives when we love our brother. 4. Righteousness will dwell in the new heavens and earth. 2 Peter 3:13
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
This passage is not speaking of a particular location for righteousness, but describes its affect on the new heavens and new earth. Righteousness will be the controlling force at that time. 5. Both Christians and Satan dwelled in Pergamos. Revelation 2:12-13
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
It is easy to understand how the Christians dwelled in Pergamos. How did Satan dwell there? If he was dwelling in Pergamos, did that mean that no one else in the world had to worry about him at that time? No, but Satan's influence was so strong at Pergamos it is described as him dwelling there. This is the same idea pictured by Pergamos being described as where “Satan’s throne is”.
6. The Word of Christ is to dwell in us. Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Where is the word of Christ to dwell in us? Is it to dwell in our arm or our leg? That obviously is not the meaning in this passage. Instead, it is speaking of the influence the word of Christ is to have in our lives. a. Some Jews in the first century did not have God's Word dwelling in them. John 5:38
But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.
b. We must do more than just believe the word, we must let it influence the way we live. John 8:31
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
c. We abide in Christ, and His words abide in us. John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
Where in the Word of Christ do we abide? Where in us does His word abide? The meaning is obviously not physical location but rather the influence that both Christ and the Word have on our lives. 1 John 2:14
I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. 1 John 2:24
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
7. The truth dwells in us. 2 John 1-2
The Elder, to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, 2 because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever.
Where does the truth abide in us? Is it our stomach, liver? lungs? It’s almost silly to suggest any of these places because that is obviously not what is being considered in this passage. We must have the truth abiding in us; the truth must guide us and influence us in everything we do. 8. We are to abide in the doctrine of Christ. 2 John 9
Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
Where in the doctrine of Christ do we abide? When reading this passage, most people would never think of asking such a question, because physical location obviously has nothing to do with the meaning of this verse. We abide in the doctrine when we follow it and let it influence our lives. 9. Faith dwells in us. 2 Timothy 1:3-5
I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Genuine faith influenced Lois, Eunice and Timothy to live like they did. 10. The love of God abides in us. 1 John 3:17
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
The meaning of this passage is simple. When the love of God abides in us it influences the way we treat other people. 1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
This is the language of a close working relationship. When we love as we should, we are close to God and he works in our lives. John 15:9-10
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
When we abide in the love of Christ He will always be close with us and work in our lives just as He was always pledged to the Father, and the Father worked in His life. 11. Christ’s joy remains in us. John 15:11
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
[“remain” is from meno – abide, dwell] 12. Jesus said God dwelled in the Temple. Matthew 23:20-21
Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.
Stephen and Paul said God did not dwell in the Temple. Acts 7:47-48
But Solomon built Him a house. 48 “However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: Acts 17:23-24
As I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
God did not literally, physically dwell in the temple, but it represented His working relationship with Israel. This can also be seen in Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple. Solomon said the Temple was built to be a dwelling place for God. He also said God dwelled in heaven, but he also said "the heaven of heaven" could not contain God. Solomon understood that God did not literally, physically dwell in the Temple he built, but it represented God's working relationship with Israel. 1 Kings 8:13
I have surely built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever. 1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! 1 Kings 8:30
And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive. 1 Kings 8:38-39
Whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: 39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act… (also 1 Kings 8:42-43, 48-49)
13. God dwells in us. 2 Corinthians 6:16
And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
How is God going to dwell in us and walk among us at the same time? These phrases do not refer to God's physical location, but his relationship with His people. Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 1 John 4:4
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 not only speaks of the working relationship God has with His people, it also speaks of the working relationship Satan has with the world. 1 John 4:12
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 1 John 4:15-16
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:15
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
14. Jesus dwells in us and we in Him. (abide is from meno - to dwell) John 15:4-6
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 1 John 2:6
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:28
And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 1 John 3:6
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 1 John 3:24
Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 1 John 4:13
By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. John 6:56
He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. Romans 8:10
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Colossians 1:27
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 3:11
There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Ephesians 3:14-19
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
15. The Spirit dwells in us. John 14:16-17
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. Romans 8:9-11
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not 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 who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? Why would he have to remind the Corinthians of this truth? Nothing miraculous has been taking place in their lives. Everything seems normal. But there is something now different about them that was not true before they became Christians. 2 Timothy 1:14
That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
The Bible uses the language of indwelling more in connection with the Father and Son than it does with the Holy Spirit, yet most of the controversy of indwelling centers on the Holy Spirit. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all have their roles. They all work with us and influence us. One of the great comforting doctrines of the Bible is that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all actively work in our lives in such a close way that the best way to describe this working relationship is that they dwell within us. This does not describe the physical location of God anymore than when Solomon said that God dwelled in the Temple in Jerusalem, but it does describe a very close working relationship God has with His people as He walks with us and we with Him. (Part IV) The indwelling of God is not speaking of a physical location of God, but a working, active relationship He has with His people. What will God do for those whom He indwells? This lesson is not complete, but gives some of the activity God’s Word tells us God will do in behalf of His people. These passages include the work of God the Father, Son and Spirit. 1. God helps us pray Romans 8:26-27
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Jesus, our High Priest also makes intercession for us. Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.
2. God can bring unity Romans 15:5
Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.
We know we should be united by the teaching of the Word. If we follow the Word we will be united. Yet Paul prayed for God’s help in addition to the Word. God can use fighting between brethren as a form of chastening in an effort to get us to repent. Isaiah 9:21
Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.
When there is turmoil among churches as there was in Israel during Isaiah’s time, it should cause us all to reexamine our ways to see where we have so horribly gone wrong, and allow it to lead us to repentance. In Isaiah’s time, God continued to punish Israel because they refused to properly respond to His chastening.
3. God fills us with joy, peace, and hope a. God’s activity Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
b. The activity of the Spirit 1 Thessalonians 1:6
And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.
c. The influence of the Word Which is it? Do we have joy from God or from reading the Word? We need to accept all the Scripture. It is both God and His Word working together. 4. God provides deliverance, acceptance by others, safe travel Romans 15:30-32
Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
All these things are not provided by the Word, but through a relationship those who obey the Word have with God. We dwell in Him and He in us. God is active in the lives of new Israel as He was in the lives of old Israel. Psalm 33:18-19
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Psalm 34:15-17
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
5. God gives wisdom a. Our responsibility 2 Timothy 3:15
From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
b. God’s help James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
It is a combination of both. How does God step in our lives and cause us to think wiser? He is helping those who want to be wiser. The lack of discernment in the church today indicates that many are neither studying or praying as they ought. We freely give ourselves over to our God and He will help us. 6. God provides strength 2 Timothy 4:17-18
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom... Ephesians 3:14-16
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.
7. God perfects, establishes, strengthens and settles us 1 Peter 5:10
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
If it is just the Word, why wait for the experience of suffering? God knew it would be good training. 8. God can keep us from stumbling Jude 24-25
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
How will God do this? a. Our responsibility 2 Peter 1:10
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.
b. God’s part 2 Peter 2:7-9
and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.
c. Both us and God are involved in our faithfulness 1 Corinthians10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
9. God gives comfort a. God’s Word b. Paul prayed for God to bring comfort in addition to the Word 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
If reading the Bible was all there was to it, then Paul would have had no reason to say this. 10. God helps us increase in love a. God can help us increase in love for one another 1) Paul’s prayer 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13
And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
2) God’s command 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10
But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more.
3) Result of Paul’s prayer and God’s command 2 Thessalonians 1:3
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other.
b. God can help us increase in our love for Him 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
We learn to love because we learn of the love which God loved us. This is done through the Word.
Paul still prayed that God would help them love even more. Romans 5:5
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 11. God can open doors Colossians 4:3
Praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains. 2 Thessalonians 3:1
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you.
Who is asking prayers for doors to be opened? The one who is willing to give his life going out to teach the gospel. We can pray all day long for doors to be opened but we must do our part also. 12. God can enable us to have proper speech a. Paul’s request Colossians 4:3-4
Praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
b. God’s command Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
We know we are commanded to speak properly and must choose to obey that command. If that is all there is to it, then why did Paul ask the Colossians to pray for him? 13. God can help us be bold Ephesians 6:18-19
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. Who requested this prayer? a. In Jerusalem Acts 9:27-29
But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
b. In Antioch Acts 13:45-46
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
c. In Iconium Acts 14:3
Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
d. In Ephesus Acts 19:8
And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
When Peter and the other Christians prayed for boldness in Acts 4, Peter and John had already spoken with such boldness that the rulers and elders marveled. They took their stand and God gave them more. All of this is done by the two-fold relationship of us giving ourselves over to God’s Word and God working in our lives. Hebrews 6:4-5
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come...
How do we know if we have a true relationship with God? Matthew 7:16-20
You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such there is no law. Jude 17-19
But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
There have always been too many who know the truth but do not have a relationship with God. Knowledge of the truth is essential, but so is humbly submitting to God in all we do. Our relationship with God begins at baptism Acts 2:38
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
We maintain our relationship with God by turning from sin and living holy lives. Numbers 35:34
Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel. 1 Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
God entered the Temple during the days of Solomon, and dwelled in the Temple in the presence of Israel. Because of the sin of Israel, the days eventually came when He abandoned the Temple, He could not dwell in their impurity (Ezekiel 10). Today, the Israel of God (the church) must live holy lives for God to dwell in us. He will not live in spiritual filth. How do we quench the Spirit? If we live in sin and rebellion against God, we violate the holiness of God and will cause Him to not work in our lives. We must want the Spirit. Luke 11:13
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
Years ago, when I first became a Christian, I asked a well known preacher about the meaning of Luke 11:13. He talked for what seemed to be way over an hour to explain why it didn’t mean what it says. Through the years, I have come to believe Jesus meant what He said. We need to pray for the Spirit to work in our lives. Many have not because they ask not. It can be seen by the great lack of the fruit of the Spirit that exists in too many congregations. We must live holy lives to have the Holy Spirit live with us. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.??I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
God is our Father, we are His children. He has an active role in His children’s lives. He will work in our lives if we will obey His Word. Come out and be separate! Obey the Word. Be baptized into Christ. Become a new creature so the Father, Son, and Spirit can dwell in us and we in them. (Part V) The Scriptures often speak of the indwelling of the Spirit, but it also speaks of God and Jesus dwelling in us. These terms speak of the relationship we have with God. We have this relationship as we are directed by the Word, which is the Sword of the Spirit. The Spirit speaks through the Word but it does not become the Word. In the same way, the Spirit spoke through the prophets in the Old Testament, but the Spirit did not become the prophets. Many passages say what the Word does, the Spirit also does. The Spirit never circumvents the Gospel in dealing with man. There is no record of anyone ever being saved by the Spirit without having to obey the Word. The Spirit and the Word are not the same thing. Just because the Scriptures say the Word does something does not cancel out the activity of the Spirit. Some assemble charts to prove that whenever the Bible speaks of the activity of the Spirit, it is actually speaking of the influence of the Word revealed by the Spirit in our lives. Does this chart prove that the activity of the Spirit and Word are identical? | 
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