In the Old Testament and in the four gospels of the New Testament, we read about the Holy of Holiest. The Holy of Holiest was the dwelling place of God in the Tabernacle. The Spirit of God; the Holy Spirit dwelled in the Holy of Holiest. No one was allowed to enter the Holy of Holiest, except the high priest. Once every year, the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holiest. However, not without the covering of the blood of animals, which was sacrificed for himself and for the errors and sins of the people of God. In the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit no longer dwells in a building, but in the heart of the new creation. However, these days, the Holy Spirit is not always welcome in the lives of Christians. In many Christian’s lives, the Holy Spirit is banished from the heart and put back in a building. The Holy Spirit is only welcome and may present Himself during church service, but that’s it. Why is the Holy Spirit banished from the heart of many Christians?
The veil was rented in twain
When Jesus died on the cross, and took all the sins and iniquities of humanity upon Himself, the veil that separated the first tent from the second tent; the Holy of Holiest, was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom. The first tent didn’t exist anymore. Now, the way to the Holy of Holiest, the way to God was open, for everyone. Everyone, who would believe in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and would accept Him as Saviour, and Lord would be reconciled with God.
When Jesus was resurrected from the dead, Jesus ascended to the Father. Jesus went with His own blood, into the holy place and obtained eternal redemption for everyone, who would believe in Him.
From the moment that Jesus died and the veil of the Holy of Holiest was rent in twain, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit was not in the Holy of Holiest, behind the second veil, anymore. God assigned another dwelling place for His Holy Spirit, namely in the heart of every new creation, who would belong to the Body of Christ.
Born into the Body of Christ
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature (Galatians 6:15)
From the moment that you become born again and become a new creation, you belong to the Body of Jesus Christ. The only access into the Body of Christ; the Church is through regeneration; being born again. A membership of the local church will not give you access to the Body of Christ.
You are circumcised in Jesus Christ. This means that you have laid down your sinful nature, and buried it through baptism.
The old you don’t exist anymore and therefore you will not be able to walk in sin. Because your sinful nature is dead:
For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, which is the Head of all principality and power: In Whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead (Colossians 2:9-12)
Your spirit is raised from the dead, by the power of the Holy Spirit. You have been given a new heart of flesh. Your heart of stone, which was full of adultery, fornication, (sexual) uncleanness, immorality, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, etc. has been replaced by a new heart of flesh. So that, the Holy Spirit can dwell in you.
Now that you have been given a new heart of flesh and the Holy Spirit dwells in you, the will of God; His commandments are written upon your heart. You have everything you need to walk after His commandments and do His will on this earth, just like Jesus.
The Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of the new creation
The Holy Spirit, Who first dwelled in the Holy of Holiest of the Tempel, behind the second veil, and whom no man could approach, except for the high priest, now lives in the heart of every new creation. Your body has become a temple of the living God and the Holy Spirit dwells inside of you.
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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
When you have become a new creation, you shall not walk after the flesh anymore, but you shall walk after the Spirit.
You shall do what the Word, the Bible, tells you to do. If you allow the Word in your life. Because you decide if you want to walk after the Spirit or after the flesh. Because you can raise your flesh, from the dead anytime you want.
How do you raise your flesh from the dead? By listening to the lusts and desires of the flesh and feeding your flesh and by walking after the flesh.
When you walk after the Spirit, you shall walk in the commandments of Jesus, the Word. You shall do what He tells you to do, instead of doing what your flesh (i.e. senses, feelings, thoughts, mind, emotions, etc.) tells you to do.
Thoughts, feelings, and emotions belong to the flesh and can be deceptive, therefore you can’t rely on them, nor build upon them. There is only one Truth: the Word. Therefore you can only rely and build upon the Word.
The sons of God are led by the Holy Spirit
‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:14)
The Word says, that the sons of God are (constantly) being led by the Holy Spirit. As a new creation; a son of God, you have received the Holy Spirit in full, and not just a part of Him.
You don’t have to go to church to have a meeting with the Holy Spirit. Because when you are born again in the spirit, and speak in new tongues, then the Holy Spirit lives in all His fullness inside of you. You have become a temple of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit dwells in you.
When you meet someone, who has a problem, like a sickness, a mental problem, a family problem, a marriage problem, a financial problem, etc., then you won’t have to send that person to church, in order to get help.
It is good, of course, to invite a person to church. But you have what this person needs, namely the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is able, and the Holy Spirit wants to help every person on this earth, if the person allows Him. And you must also allow Him to work with and through you.
The Holy Spirit shall grant power to the words, that you speak over this person’s life or situation. You will work together; you are one team and together you witness of Jesus Christ; the Word and give glory to Him.
You have not received the Holy Spirit, to have a pleasant feeling. But you have received the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of Jesus Christ, to bring the good news to the people, to distribute life, to set the captives free, and to heal the sick. You have received the Holy Spirit, to serve Jesus Christ and to serve people.
The Holy Spirit banished from the heart
But what happens today, is that many hearts are filled, and polluted, with the things of the world, and the ‘self’ still sits on the throne. There is no room anymore for the Holy Spirit and therefore the Holy Spirit is banished from the heart.
The Holy Spirit is suffocated, by the lusts and desires of the flesh, and by the things of the world.
Many Christians fill themselves, with the things of the world, instead of filling themselves with the Word of God.
They seek the things of this world instead of seeking the things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father.
Because of that, the Holy Spirit has been given His old place back, namely a building, made by the hands of man.
We don’t want the Holy Spirit constantly with us, because that would mean, that we should listen to Him and keep His commandments all the time. It means that we must live after His will instead of our own will. It means, that He will confront and correct us and reveal things or habits in our life that we should remove.
No, we don’t like that. We’d rather have the Holy Spirit in the church; in a building, far away from our hearts, so that we can keep living our own lives. Only during Sunday service, and weekday services, the Holy Spirit is allowed to show up.
Is the Holy Spirit causing pleasant feelings?
Many methods, and techniques, are used to ‘evoke’ the Holy Spirit, such as loud music, singing songs, and repeating the chorus over and over again. Singing songs like ‘Holy Spirit fill this room’, ‘Holy Spirit rain down’ etc. to awaken the emotions. By using these methods, the Holy Spirit is invited for an hour or two, so that people can be touched, and experience pleasant feelings and emotions and enter some kind of ecstasy.
But as soon as the service is over, the Holy Spirit has to leave. Because the Holy Spirit is not allowed to come with us, to our homes.
As soon as the service is over, it’s time to pick up our daily life, and doing what we want to do. Because imagine, that the Holy Spirit hinders you in something you want to do. That’s out of the question! Therefore we leave the Holy Spirit, where we want Him: in the church, in a building. Just like in the Old Covenant, and the rest of the week we live like there is no God and when we go to church we quickly repent and want the Holy Spirit to give us some nice feelings again.
You are a son of God 24 hours a day, seven days a week!
But that’s not how it works. You are a new creation; a son of God 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Holy Spirit is therefore 24 hours a day, seven days a week present in you. At least, that’s how it should be. If you don’t banish the Holy Spirit out of your heart.
The Holy Spirit is a Person, and not a force, to create a pleasant feeling or emotion. God has given you His Holy Spirit, so that you can do the work that Jesus has commanded you to do.
The Holy Spirit is your Comforter, and the Holy Spirit is there, to guide you into all truth, to teach you, to correct you, so that you will grow up into the sonship of God, and walk after His will; His commandments.
God is not created to please and to serve you,
but you are created to please God and to serve Him
Let us, therefore, be careful, with the way we speak about the Holy Spirit, and how we treat the Holy Spirit. When you sing in church, songs about the Holy Spirit, and ask the Holy Spirit to descend from heaven, you don’t acknowledge, that the Holy Spirit already lives inside of you. You compare the Holy Spirit with a feeling. But God is Spirit and not a feeling.
By comparing the Holy Spirit with a feeling, and by singing that He has to come down from Heaven, you indirectly say that, what you have isn’t enough for you. You indirectly say, that you’d rather have a pleasant feeling and manifestations in the natural realm, including your flesh.
But the Holy Spirit has not come for that purpose, nor has Jesus Christ died, for that purpose. He didn’t come to entertain you, but to guide you into all truth.
God has given His Holy Spirit, to dwell in the new creation and not in a building made by hands. That was His place in the Old Covenant. We live in the New Covenant. God has given His Spirit, so that we can serve Him and exalt Him.
Give the Holy Spirit His place back. The place, which belongs to Him; your heart; your life. Let the Holy Spirit be your Comforter, and let Him guide you into all truth, teach you, correct you. Submit yourself to the Holy Spirit, listen to Him, and work together with Him. Only then shall you grow up, and walk as a son of God.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
