The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is
the permanent presence of the Holy Spirit
in the life of every believer
from the moment of salvation.
Unlike the Old Testament,
where the Spirit came upon people
temporarily for specific tasks,
the New Testament teaches that
the Holy Spirit takes up residence
in every person who trusts in Jesus Christ.
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would dwell with and in His followers:
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)
The Apostle Paul confirmed this reality:
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9)
The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 1:22).
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit means:
This indwelling is not based on feelings or experiences but on the promise of God and the finished work of Christ.
It is important to distinguish the indwelling from other works of the Holy Spirit:
Every true believer has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but not every believer is continually filled with the Spirit.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is one of the greatest privileges of the New Covenant. It means that God Himself lives in every believer. This presence is the guarantee of our salvation and the source of power for holy living and effective service. Believers are called to honor God with their bodies because they are temples of the Holy Spirit.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.