God promised to give us this Spirit as a seal or pledge.
- 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5, Ephesians 1:13
Some of the specific jobs of the indwelling Spirit:
- Gives us the ability to love as God does (Romans 5:5)
- Puts to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13)
- Leads us (Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:18)
- Helps with our prayers (Romans 8:26 – 27)
- That we may abound in hope (Romans 15:13)
- Transforms us into the image of Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18)
- Makes us consistent (Galatians 3:2 – 5)
- Strengthens the inner man (Ephesians 3:16)
- Joy during distress (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
- Renews (Titus 3:5 – 6)
- Enlightens (Hebrews 6:4 – 6)
- Makes the church a dwelling place for God (Ephesians 2:22)
How do we know the Spirit dwells in us?
- Keeping His commandments is equivalent ot the Spirit abiding in us (1 John 3:24)
- Loving one another is equivalent to being given the Spirit. (1 John 4:12 – 13)
Do we have any control over the indwelling Spirit?
- We should endeavor to be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)
Jesus, while on earth, talked about asking for the Spirit (Luke 11:13)
- The Spirit had not yet been given in the sense that all Christians have the Spirit (John 14:17, Acts 2:38, Romans 8:9 – 16).
- Jesus’ comment was directed to “the disciples,” but the concepts appear to be generic, not limited to “spiritual gifts” such as those described in Romans 12:6 – 8, Ephesians 3:7, 4:7 – 16, Acts 8:20, 10:45, 11:17, 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4, 9, 28, 30, 31, 13:2, 14:1, 12.
- Jesus had spoken briefly concerning being “born of the Spirit” previously (John 3:5 – 8, 4:23 – 24)
- Prophets of old also had spoken of this concept (Joel 2:28, Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 39:29)
- By the time Luke wrote, teaching about the indwelling Spirit was well known.