One of the most amazing things about being a Christian is that, after repenting and receiving God’s forgiveness for our sin, we are born again of the Holy Spirit and He makes us His dwelling place. That is why we receive justification and sanctification instantaneously when God redeems us. His Holy Spirit, representing His holy nature, lives in us. We are His temple, so we must be clean and holy for Him to live in us. In today’s lesson, we pick up where we left off in the last post – sanctification as the third pillar of our salvation – and delve deeper into what being temples of the Holy Spirit means. Listen, and be amazed at the amazing grace God gives us by making us His dwelling place!
Here are some Bible passages used in this lesson for you to study, and some reflection questions to answer.
Sanctification as the third pillar of our salvation: Hebrews 10:10
Being temples of the Holy Spirit: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 2:19-22
The presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit made visible: Acts 2:42-47.
A couple of questions to consider:
1. To what degree am I aware that the Holy Spirit resides in me 24/7?
2. How should that impact the way I conduct myself in private and in public?
3. Ask God to reveal anything that is hindering the Holy Spirit in developing godly character in you, confess it, and invite Him to take control in those areas.
Stay tuned! Next week we’ll tackle a subject that can be confusing for some: How holiness is both an instantaneous state given to us by the grace of God and a process being worked out in our inner being by the Holy Spirit.
[Photo credit: Objective Calvary on Unsplash]