Q: how does the Holy Spirit dwell in a body that still sins? —Richard
A: Our Creator allowed free sons and daughters to be exposed to a fallen world where randomness and suffering would influence their perceptions. Like the father of the prodigal in Luke 15, He loves us in spite of our sin and longs for our redemption.
God isn’t responsible for our sin, but gave us existence, self-awareness, and freedom. Although God didn’t create evil, freedom made evil possible. As Creator, only God was capable of undoing the damage that evil would do through the Fall.
The death of God’s Son, followed by His resurrection, introduced something entirely new into our fallen world—atonement and redemption. In the person of His Son, God became a human being, accepting the penalty for our sins and forgiving us (Romans 8:1-6; Hebrews 10:12-17). Our relationship with God has been restored (1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 4:4-7; Hebrews 2:11-15;7:25).
Apart from the forgiveness we received from God through the atonement, the Holy Spirit would NOT be able to indwell us. But because we are forgiven, He does. We have been reborn, and although we still are under the influence of our fallen nature, our hearts have aligned themselves with Jesus and have begun a process of transformation under the direction of the Holy Spirit that will ultimately bring us wholly in harmony with our Holy Creator.
The Bible doesn’t tell us how a Holy God can indwell fallen and sinful creatures. Neither does it explain how God’s omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Spirit could indwell a human being in the incarnation. How God’s love reaches us is a mystery, but is a fact confirmed by the testimony of the Spirit Himself (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:11-14). —Dan Vander Lugt
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daisymarygoldr on January 25, 2014 at 4:16 pm
The Bible tells us how a Holy God can indwell fallen and sinful creatures. Through Jesus Christ who gave His life for us, we are made right with God, cleaned and made holy by God’s Spirit. This is how sinners are washed and consecrated to be the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in us. (1 Corinthians 6:11).
The Holy Spirit does not dwell in a body that still sins. Those who have God’s life in them can’t keep on sinning. When people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil and do not have God living in them (1 John 3: 9-10).
timeijs on July 10, 2017 at 11:15 am
Good afternoon,
I am not sure as to what you are trying to say in your message. In your first sentence you say a Holy God would be able to indwell fallen and sinful creatures, but the rest of your comment seems to state the opposite.
Or are you trying to say one can be both “washed and consecrated to be the temple of God” and “fallen and sinful” at the same time?
Biblically, this is certainly not the case, as stated in the Bible passage you quoted at the bottom of your comment as well as a big variety of other passages throughout the Bible. Some examples:
Romans 6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
1 Corinthians 6:19, 20
19 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? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Also read the full chapter of First John 3. It is ridiculous how many can read that and still believe it is possible to continue to commit sin. If you would like to discuss this more thoroughly please let me know, I’d love to 🙂
Enjoy your day