Indwelling Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ |

Jesus said in John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” It’s the spirit world and the spiritual man that is really important, not the flesh.

Prior to salvation, a lost man has a dead spirit. It doesn’t matter if he attains great wealth or influence in the flesh, his spirit is dead and separated from God. As Jesus said, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36) Upon salvation, there is a total change that takes place–not in the flesh or soul, but in the spirit. They become totally new.

Andrew Wommack Living Commentary

By observation you can see this is not speaking of the body or the soul. If you were tall before you got saved, you will still be tall after you get saved. You don’t instantly change, and all things become new. It’s obvious too that this is not speaking about your soul. If you didn’t know math really well before you got saved, you will still not know math very well after you get saved until you renew your mind. But at salvation, our spirits get “born again.” They become totally new and identical to Christ because it is the Spirit of Christ that has been placed in our hearts (Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:9).

One of the greatest differences between the saints in the Old Testament and those in the New Testament is the indwelling presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Victorious N.T. believers are not living for the Lord, but it is actually the risen Christ living through them. Paul described this beautifully in Galatians 2:20 when he said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

There are over a hundred scriptural references to the indwelling presence of the Lord in the life of the believer. The following is a list of just a few of these:

“And I will put my spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:27). “Even the Spirit of truth…he dwells with you and shall be in you” (John 14:17). “And ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:20). “I in them” (John 17:23). “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9). “And if Christ be in you” (Romans 8:10). “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17). “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 Corinthians 6:19). “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me ” (Galatians 2:20).

All of these scriptures reveal what has happened in you by the Spirit of God. I love the last verse above, Christ lives in me! We try so hard to “live for Christ” instead of letting His nature, character and love live through us. That’s what make the difference for the New Testament believer.

2 Corinthians 5:17 The NIV translates this passage as: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 (TPT)Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.

The new creation that Paul was speaking about is described in Scripture in the following ways:

The new birth (John 1:13 and 3:3), the new creation (Galatians 6:15), His workmanship created in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:10), newness of life (Romans 6:4), a spiritual quickening (Ephesians 2:1 and 5), a spiritual resurrection (Colossians 2:12 and 3:1), a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 36:26 and Romans 7:6), the putting on of the new man (Ephesians 4:24), the inward man (Romans 7:22), the circumcised heart (Romans 2:29), the divine nature (2 Peter 1:14), regeneration (Titus 3:5), etc.

Next week, we will continue this understanding. If this becomes more real to you than your flesh, the change in your life will be so amazing that everyone will notice not only are you different, but they will see the Christ in you!

Remember, you are Loved, you are Righteous and you are His!