There are two different dimensions in which the Holy Spirit abides with us: the Holy Spirit upon and the Holy Spirit within.
Psalm 51:11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
The ‘Spirit upon’ is the dimension of the Holy Spirit that rests upon a believer; It is basically the power for fulfilling or doing the work that God has called him/her to do.
We see this pattern in the Old Testament: the Holy Spirit never dwelt in the hearts of those men and women of God because they had not yet been born again. In other words, their spirits could not host God because man, by birth, is a sinner.
The challenge with the ‘Spirit upon’ is that this dimension of the Holy Spirit’s manifestation can be lifted from a man without his knowledge. That is why David cried out to the Lord, “Take not Your Holy Spirit from me.”
Psalm 139:7-8 [7]Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? [8] If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
God is omnipresent: He existed from the day of creation, and He is everywhere. The benefit that the New Testament brings to us is that when we give our lives to Jesus, the Holy Spirit indwells us (takes residence inside our hearts) to enable us to live the Christian life, experience transformation and the miracles of salvation. We instantly become new creations, and the old things pass away.
The first gift that a believer receives after giving their life to the Lord is the gift of righteousness, which opens them up to all the other functionalities of the Holy Spirit in a man’s life. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
2 Timothy 2:20-21 [20] But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor…
Being a vessel of honour or dishonour is a choice. Are you in this house as a vessel of honour or one of dishonour? The good thing is that if you cleanse and rid yourself of those things that grieve the Holy Spirit—such as bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, and the like—God can still use you as a vessel of honour.
Our functionality in this Kingdom has a lot to do with our level of sanctification: how much God can do with and through us is linked to our degree of alignment with the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 1:26
God created us in His image and likeness for us to be like Him and to represent Him on the earth, and by the Holy Spirit living within us, He is continually working on our lives and changing us to become more like Jesus, which is the primary purpose of redemption.
Many times, we struggle because we still want to be in control of certain areas of our lives. But when we fully surrender to God, He can work in us and through us. Our prayer is that the Lord will show us mercy, help us trust Him completely, and lead us into a life of full submission to the Holy Spirit.
Further study
Ephesians 4:30
1 Thessalonians 5:19
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Acts 17:28
Romans 8:29
STAY BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVOURED, WE LOVE YOU.
PASTOR BEN OCHOLA.