DOCTRINE OF THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
I.
Introduction.
A.
This doctrine focuses specifically on the position of residence of God
the Holy Spirit in His relationship with believers.
B.
The status quo of His residence with believers from Adam until the
Millennium was interrupted during the parenthesis of the Church Age.
C.
That there is a mechanical and dispensational difference in the Holy
Spirit’s method of operation with believers is made clear in the Gospel of
John:
1.
It was prophesied by John the Baptist.
Joh.1:33
2.
It was ultimately understood by the author John. Joh.7:39
3.
It was taught by Jesus.
Joh.14:17
D.
It is Jesus’ teaching in Joh.14:17 that makes the distinction between
the Holy Spirit’s “abiding” ministry
and “indwelling” ministry: “the Spirit of truth...He abides with you
(present tense of me,nw + prep. para,; “abides/is residing + with/ alongside you”), and will be in you (future tense of eivmi + prep. evn; “will be + in you”)”.
E.
The present tense of “abides” denotes the current state of the Holy
Spirit in relation to the disciples in the Age of Israel, while the future
tense “will be” denotes His future relationship with them in the Church Age.
F.
At no point does God the Holy Spirit change (immutability applied), nor
His functions, but merely His position and base of operations.
II.
The Holy Spirit pre-Pentecost.
A.
A distinction is made between the filling ministry and
dwelling/resident ministry of the Holy Spirit in the OT. Deu.34:9 cp. Jdg.3:10
B.
The mission of the Holy Spirit dealt with the communication and
inculcation of the truth in order for the believer to fulfill God’s directive
will through them. Psa.143:10
C.
In addition, He empowered the believer to execute the Divine will of
God experientially.
D.
God the Father exercised sole authority of the working of the Holy
Spirit with believers prior to the Church Age.
Exo.31:3 cp. 35:31; 28:3; Num.11:17 cp. Joh.14:16, “...I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper...”.
E.
That the place of residence of the Holy Spirit was external to the
believer is seen in Christ’s interpretation of His abiding position “alongside/para,” the disciples, while still
living in the Age of Israel. Joh.14:17,
“...He abides with (para,/alongside) you...”.
F.
One time in the OT, the Holy Spirit’s residence is translated to be
“abiding/dwelling” in nature. Hag.2:5, “As for the promise which I made you when
you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst (~k,k.AtB.
td,m,[o -
dm;['; lit. “to stand” + prep. B; “in” + noun %w<T; “in the
middle/midst/among” + 2nd per. m. pl. suffix); do not fear!”
G.
When the Holy Spirit would come “upon (prep. l[;)” believers, it would
empower them physically to accomplish God’s Divine purpose for them. Num.11:17,25,26,29; Jdg.3:10; 6:34; 14:6;
14:19; 15:14-15; et al.
H.
In this position of residence, the Holy Spirit is seen to “rest” upon
the believer, compared to His position of “standing in your midst”.
I.
The Father could give the Holy Spirit in portions according to the
measure of need for one to fulfill their Divine duties and function of
office. 2Kgs.2:9-14 cp. Joh.3:14 ref. to Christ
J.
The OT believer was to ask for the Holy Spirit in accordance to
fulfilling God’s will for them.
Luk.11:13
K.
The Father could remove the Holy Spirit from any believer that was in
reversionism and facing the SUD.
1Sam.16:14; Psa.51:11 of David’s
prayer in reversion recovery denoting God’s deliverance from SUD.
L.
In summary:
1.
The Holy Spirit operated via the authority of God the Father in all
aspects of His ministry.
2.
The Holy Spirit’s external abiding residence with the believer
encompasses two positions of “standing alongside” and “resting upon”.
3.
His “normal” position among all believers was His “standing/abiding
with” (Joh.14:17) as protection and comfort for the believer (cp. Hag.2:5).
4.
That the Jews coming out of Egypt in Hag.2:5 spiritually pictures the
salvation of the believer (cp. the Feast of Passover), and that the Holy Spirit
in this position is a promise given to them denotes an automatic giving at the
point of salvation for all believers.
5.
The Holy Spirit could assume an exceptional position of “resting upon”
any believer in accordance with their needs physically to accomplish God’s
Divine will.
6.
The Holy Spirit could fill the believer for the purpose of the
inculcation/imparting and assimilation of BD.
7.
That Jesus proclaimed that the OT saint was to ask for the Holy Spirit
is in reference to His filling ministry, which had direct impact upon His
resting ministry.
8.
The actual mechanic was RB (cp. Psa.32:5 with Psa.51, cp.
1Joh.1:9) and then to ask the Father to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
9.
For those believers that maintained RB, the Father was free
to “rest upon” the believer to empower them with any physical capabilities
necessary for their accomplishment of His Divine directives.
10.
Implied in Jesus’ statement of Luk.11:13 is that believers were to keep
both aspects of the Holy Spirit’s ministry before God in prayer in order to
fulfill their own Christian lives.
11.
For believers that went into reversionism, such as Saul, God was free
to remove the Holy Spirit in toto from them, including His “standing” position
with them.
12.
The primary points to be extracted:
a.
The Holy Spirit operated strictly under the discretion and authority of
God the Father.
b.
The Holy Spirit was initially given in a “standing with/abiding
alongside” position to all believers.
c.
To further effectuate His “filling” and “resting” functions, the
believer had to utilize RB and follow up with a prayer request to be
filled.
d.
His initial abiding (and thus other functions) had no permanent future
guarantee of existence due to reversionism of the believer and the Holy Spirit
could be completely removed from any residence with the believer.
e.
His primary residence was external, not internal.
III.
The promise of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
A.
On the eve of the crucifixion, Jesus informed the disciples that He was
leaving them and going away.
Joh.13:33,36; 14:2; 16:16-17
B.
He tells the disciples that He is not leaving them as orphans. Joh.14:18
C.
This depicts one that has lost his parents and that lacks protection
and guidance and is quite helpless.
D.
In spite of the disciple’s dependency upon Jesus during the incarnation
and fear of loosing Him, He informs them that they do not need His personal,
bodily presence in order to function in the A/C.
E.
He promises to send them another Helper. Joh.14:16
F.
The terms Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit include:
1.
Advocate: stressing the fact
that the Holy Spirit will continue in the world to be the protector and
defender of these men, just as Jesus has been.
Joh.14:16
2.
The Spirit of truth: teaching
the fact that He only deals in the realm of that which is objective
verity/fact.
a.
He will teach the things of God/Christ. Joh.14:26 cp. 16:14-15
b.
He will provide guidance.
Joh.16:13
G.
Jesus explains to these men that it is truly in their best interest for
Him to go to the Father and for the Holy Spirit to come to them. Joh.16:7
H.
He teaches that this new relationship is permanent and eternal. Joh.14:16b
I.
Although the Holy Spirit had been present with these men all along and
they had benefited from His ministrations, He was about to change His base of
operations.
J.
This change came about after, and due to, the resurrection and
ascension of the God/man. Joh.7:39
IV.
The Holy Spirit in the Church Age.
A.
Again, a distinction is made between the indwelling and filling
ministries of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age.
B.
Believers are never commanded to be indwelled, as it is assumed as a
given, but are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Cp.
Eph.5:18
C.
The action of His indwelling is automatic at the point of faith in
Christ for salvation Ph1.
Gal.3:2,5,14
D.
Believers in various churches are informed that the Holy Spirit
indwells them. Rom.8:9,11; 1Cor.6:19;
Gal.4:6; 2Tim.1:14; 1Joh.2:27; 4:4
E.
Further proof that all believers are indwelled is that the lack of the
indwelling indicates an unsaved state.
Rom.8:9b; Jud.19
F.
There are exceptions to this rule as follows:
1.
The believers on the day of Pentecost, since they became believers in
the Age of Israel. Act.2:1ff cp. 1:9
2.
The Samaritans of Act.8:14-17 did not receive the Holy Spirit at the point
of salvation in order to demonstrate to both the Samaritans and the Jews that
they were on equal footing in the Church Age.
3.
Cornelius and his family (Gentiles) did not receive the I/HS at faith
in Christ as an object lesson to Peter and other Jews that Gentiles were equal
to the Jews during the Church Age.
Act.10, esp. vss.34ff,44ff
4.
The group of disciples that had believed under Apollos, but were not
fully instructed about the change of dispensation. Act.18:24ff-19:1-6
a.
Their experience is the last of the exceptions.
b.
It demonstrated the veracity of Paul’s message as an Apostle as well as
the reality of the change of dispensations.
5.
These exceptions were used by God to wean the Jewish believers away
from their dispensational past.
6.
They are proof of equal footing for all believers in the POG as taught
in Gal.3:28
7.
The Pentecostal types and those that espouse any sort of “second
blessing” of the Holy Spirit misinterpret the exceptions and make them the
rule. Cp. 1Cor.13:8-11
8.
The book of Acts is a record of the transition period from the Age of
Israel into the Church Age and is not to be taken as the norm for the entire
dispensation.
G.
At the point of faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up primary residence
internally and resides in the body of Christ (the Church) in general and in the
body of each believer in particular.
1Cor.3:16; 6:15,17
H.
It is His indwelling that represents the positional victory over, while
breaking the tyranny of, the STA.
Gal.5:16; Rom.8:15-16
I.
The mechanic for His filling ministry is RB only. 1Joh.1:9
J.
The difference between the abiding ministry in the age of Israel and
the indwelling in the Church Age include:
1.
The indwelling is an internal residence compared to external in His
previous abiding with the OT saints.
2.
The indwelling is permanent and eternal in the CA compared to no
guarantee of a permanent abiding in the Age of Israel.
3.
While perpetuation of carnality (reversionism) continues to lead to
destruction of the body and SUD in the Church, there is no loss of the
indwelling.
4.
With the indwelling, His filling ministry is automatic upon application
of the mechanic of RB compared to having to ask after RB
pre-Pentecost.
5.
The authority of His ministry was transferred from the Father to the
Son. Joh.14:16; 16:7c
6.
What makes this very personal and eternal residence of God with
believers possible is due to the reality of salvation executed historically
through Christ’s glorification to include His death, resurrection and
ascension. Joh.7:39
7.
His “resting upon” ministry in the OT is now assumed through the
distribution of the spiritual gifts to believers at the point of His
indwelling. 1Cor.12:11
K.
The Holy Spirit performs many functions/ministries to include:
1.
A convicting ministry towards unbelievers. Joh.16:8-9
2.
Baptizing believers into the body of Christ at the point of
salvation. 1Cor.12:13
3.
Distribution of spiritual gifts at the point of salvation. 1Cor.12:11
4.
A filling ministry for believers (Eph.5:18) through which He:
a.
Comforts the believer.
Joh.14:18
b.
Is a witness with the believer’s human spirit that we are God’s
children. Rom.8:16
c.
Guides believers. Joh.16:13
d.
Teaches the believer BD and helps the believer to recall the
doctrine. Joh.14:26
e.
Is a companion to the believer.
Joh.14:17
f.
Intercedes on behalf of believers.
Rom.8:26
5.
His indwelling is synonymous with His sealing ministry and is the
guarantee and down payment for the resurrection body. 2Cor.1:21-22; 5:5; Eph.1:14; 4:30
L. His indwelling is also
called an anointing. 1Joh.2:20,27