God’s Adopted Family. 3
We are indwelt by His Spirit.
Reading: Galatians 3:26 - 4:6
When we come to this part of our adoption, we find that the analogy fails, when we use it to compare with that of earthly adoption. The reason for this is that earthly parents may wholly and without reserve love the adopted child. Nevertheless, they are to a certain extent unable to impart their spirit to that child; but when God adopts, He imparts to us the Spirit of His Son.
Before we came to Christ and experienced the new birth, our spirits were dead. They were unable to respond to anything of God and life etc. Yet at the new birth, we find that our spirit is brought alive, we are able to comprehend and experience the things of God.
Before we were slaves to self and sin, bound by the fear of the unknown and the bands of constraint brought upon us by sin and death.
Romans 8:15; "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption (son-ship) by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father.""
No longer to be caught up in things from which we are unable to break free, we are now able to ABIDE in Him The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, who proceeds out of the Father and Son; Indwells all who are Children of God.
1 Corinthians 3:16; "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
1 Corinthians 6:19-20; "...do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were brought with at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."
We have become the temples of the Holy Spirit. Everyone here who has owned Christ, as they’re personal Lord and Savour. Everyone who is born again of the Spirit of God, is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
When Solomon open and consecrated the first temple in the Old Testament, 1 King 8, & 2 Chronicles 5 + 7, according to the instructions of God. God came down to indwell that structure, such was His Presence that the priests were unable to minister, as His glory in the form of a cloud, was seen.
When we are indwelt by the Spirit of the living God, all of man and of this of this world should go, as we submit to His indwelling. So less of us is seen and more of Christ will be seen by all. As John the Baptist said;
John 3:30; "He must increase, but I must decrease."
As we have already seen in previous studies, only those who are born again of the Spirit of God, are the children of God. As the children of God who are forgiven, cleansed and redeemed so that we might conform to the image of Christ. We have been brought alive so that we might have true and complete communion with the living God, empowered to point others to Him and His great salvation.
We are indwelt by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Lord God the Holy Spirit, so that we are enabled to be holy, pure, willing children of God, conforming to His will.
What a privilege!!!! Our Lord gives us the Holy Spirit, so that we might be able to conform to His will.
So not only does He save us, He changes us, and enables us. No wonder we can call and cry "ABBA FATHER!" This in itself is an expression of the witness of the Holy Spirit to our spirits, that we are children of God, prince and princesses with Jesus.
As we live daily for our Lord, we set our minds on the things of God. The setting of our minds to the things of the Spirit, we find we have life in an ever-increasing capacity. Why is this so?
Romans 8:6; "To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."
This is life to the maximum, simple because we are in God; we are able to enjoy all things given by God to man to the maximum, because we learn how and when to enjoy them in God. We have peace beyond all understanding, because all is to be known in God. The unknown is dispelled, because we know we are secure in Him Who is the giver of all good things to His own.
We are indwelt by the Spirit, to life and to be co-heirs in Christ Jesus.
