“Christ in you, the hope of glory”
When I ask you where God’s presence is, what do think of? Heaven? Out there in the universe? In church? What about in our homes? What about in ourselves? Here is the truth: God is everywhere simultaneously present. (Ps139:7, 8; Jer 23:23, 24; Acts 17:27; Col
Let’s take a look at the general pattern of the presence of God through the Scripture. In Genesis 3 we see God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day. Here Adam and Eve spoke to Him face to face. Then they sinned against God and He ejected them from the garden. His presence now seems more remote. A few people experience Him, Moses and the burning bush, Jacob wrestles with God, the priests at the dedication of the temple, David manages to get a hold of God as a shepherd boy, but by and large the presence of God is just out there somewhere as far as the average person notices. It is like this for several thousand years. Then Immanuel (God with us) is virgin born, God incarnate, and we are back to face to face with God again.
However, now humankind has a different situation. We were created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27, Jam 3:9) but now we are riddled with sin, in fact, our very nature is corrupted. We carry within us the results of sin—a nature that cannot please God (Rom 8:5-8; Eph 2:3; 1 Cor 2:14).1 So Jesus dies on our behalf and promises to send the Holy Spirit. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17. Now God has given us Himself to live in us. When Holy Spirit gives birth to our spirit (John 3:6; Tit 3:4-7), we are “saved” or given eternal life (John 3:16). “…God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12. So when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we become children of God and His Spirit dwells in us. So we have these two natures, our sinful nature and the spirit, at war within us.
“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit your put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Romans 8:9-14.
So His Spirit is at work IN us to help us put to death the misdeeds of the flesh and live according to His righteous ways. So how do we deal with this battle within? I believe Romans 12:1-1 gives us a clean starting point, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” How do we be transformed by the renewing of our minds then? Here are some scriptures to show us the battle within and the way out of it:
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by it deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Eph 4:22-24.
“Rather clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Rom 13:14.
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law….But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Gal 5:16-18, 22-25.
“…since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator….but Christ is all and is in all.” Col
We need to allow His Spirit to be at work with in us. Let’s look at this from another angle. If we try to diagram the Trinity and man’s relationship with God we can see easily the resemblance between the Trinity and our relationship with God.
Trinity Man &
(Godhead) God
Father Father
\ \ \ \
\ Son \ Son
\ / \ /
Holy Spirit Man
(indwelt by Holy Spirit)2
He has given us Himself and all He has as our inheritance. He has invited us into the circle of relationship in the Godhead. Seems too incredible to believe doesn’t it? Here are some scriptures which attest to the truth.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak of his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take form what is mine and make it known to you.” –Spoken by Jesus in John 16:13-15
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3
“The Spirit himself testifies that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…” Rom 8:17
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:3-4
So it is Jesus tells us, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
We are not alone. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us and He lives right inside us making the things of the Father known to us. Let us lean on Him and allow Him to work in us.
Oh Sovereign Lord, Maker of all that is, help us to become aware of your great presence within us! Help us to live as the new creation you have made us. (2 Cor 5:17). Help us to rely upon your Spirit within us to help us put off the old sinful nature and be clothed with Christ and the new spiritual nature He has given us when we believed in Him. Help us to remember we are never alone for you are always with us. Help us to live as if we know you are always with us watching our every action. Teach us how to rely on your Spirit for power to do what is right, for you paid such a high price to make us your co-heirs and give us the kingdom (Luke12:32).
Footnotes
1 Some of the following Scripture references gleaned from “Regeneration.” Life in the Spirit Study Bible. Grand Rapids , MI
2 Tackett, Dell. The Truth Project. (Colorado Springs , CO
