…For he dwelleth with you and shall be in you….
— John 14:17
Today I want to return to that night in the Upper Room when Jesus taught His disciples about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As the disciples sat and listened attentively, Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit had been with them all along, but soon would be in them. As they had ministered at Jesus’ side, the disciples had experienced an atmosphere of the anointing and had temporary moments when the Spirit of God would come upon them. However, they had never experienced the Holy Spirit living inside them.
Up to that moment in history, the Holy Spirit had only taken up permanent residence inside one Person — Jesus. Even the prophets, priests, and kings in the Old Testament never knew this glorious privilege. Under the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit might temporarily come upon people to specially empower them for ministry and service, but this anointing was temporary.
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So when Jesus told His disciples in John 14:17 that the Holy Spirit “shall be in you,” it was a mighty statement! The phrase “shall be in you” is translated from the Greek words en humin, which can only be translated in you. At first glance, this may seem simple, but remember that the Holy Spirit had never before lived inside a human being. This was Jesus declaring that for the first time in human history, the Spirit of God was going to literally come inside believers and abide there! His presence would no longer be temporary or fleeting, as people in the Old Testament had experienced. The Holy Spirit was going to take up residency and dwell inside them permanently — to never move, never waver, and never pack His bags and leave for another location.
Prior to this statement in John 14:17, Jesus had described the Holy Spirit’s role as a “Comforter” (v.16). As we saw in previous Sparkling Gems (June 2-6), this word is the Greek term parakletos, meaning one called alongside them. Now He takes it a step further and affirms that the Holy Spirit would actually live “in” them.
This is a central truth of the New Testament: If you have repented of sin and surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, then you have been born again and the Holy Spirit has come to live inside you. This is why the apostle Paul wrote, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
I like to say it this way — your heart was never meant to be a hotel. God never intended for the Holy Spirit to be your Guest. The Holy Spirit has come to stay as a permanent Resident inside your heart, and He will be with you for the rest of your life. This is yet another reason why you should develop your partnership with Him. He has moved in, taken up residence, and is committed to staying with you until that glorious day when you are ultimately relocated to Heaven itself!
MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father, I thank You that the Holy Spirit is not a temporary Guest, but a permanent Resident inside my heart. Help me to remember this and to live my life in a way that honors His indwelling presence. Help me to live with the constant awareness that He is with me always. I am so thankful that He does not come and go and that He is not a fleeting relationship in my life. Help me to cultivate my fellowship with Him until I come to know Him deeply in my life on a practical level.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I acknowledge and declare that God’s Spirit dwells permanently inside my heart. He will never waver or pack His bags to move to another location. My heart is not meant to be a hotel, but rather a permanent residence for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a temporary Guest — He has come to indwell my heart for the rest of my life! He has moved in, taken up residence, and is committed to staying with me until I am ultimately relocated to Heaven itself!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER
- Have you ever thought about how glorious it is that your heart is not a temporary location for the Holy Spirit, but rather His permanent dwelling place?
- How should the awareness that your heart is the Holy Spirit’s permanent dwelling place affect the way you live your life?
- What kind of condition is your heart in for Him? What renovations do you need to make in your heart to make it more accommodating to Him, considering the Holy Spirit already lives inside you?
