One of the most consequential misunderstandings a believer can carry is the idea that the Holy Spirit arrives at church, that the anointing comes when the songs fill the room, and that the presence of God departs when the meeting ends: that He comes and goes.
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV)
Imagine a medieval king sending an official royal document to a distant province. The king would press his signet into wax and leave his distinctive mark on the document. That seal communicates something important, which is that the document comes under the king's authority.
Now, think about what Apostle Paul says in Ephesians:
Ephesians 1:13-14
New King James Version
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
A royal seal was not merely a mark of ownership; it also served as a guarantee concerning what the king had declared. The Spirit with whom we have been sealed is the guarantee of our inheritance. The Greek word for “guarantee” here is arrhabōn, which means a down payment, deposit, or pledge.
When the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee, it means that God has given you the Holy Spirit as a guarantee and assurance of what is to come. Once you believe in the gospel, the Spirit of God comes to live in you and seals you as God's own.
One of the most consequential misunderstandings a believer can carry is the idea that the Holy Spirit arrives at church, that the anointing comes when the songs fill the room, and that the presence of God departs when the meeting ends: that He comes and goes.
The Apostle Paul says:
1 Corinthians 6:19
New King James Version
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
The Holy Spirit is in you. He is already there. He is there at 6 a.m. on a Monday when nothing feels spiritual. He is there in the traffic. He is there in the difficult conversation. He is there in the moment when a decision must be made, and no one is watching. He is there in the ordinary moments of your life.
John 14:17
New King James Version
17 The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
Jesus is saying of the Spirit, “He dwells with you and will be in you.” The shift from “with” to “in” showed that while the Spirit dwelled with the disciples through Jesus' ministry, He would permanently indwell in the believers from Pentecost onward. Christ's physical departure did not mean that God's presence would be withdrawn from His people. The Spirit would come, and He would abide.
John 14:16
New King James Version
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.
Forever. He is not a temporary visitor. This is why you need to distinguish between the presence of the Holy Spirit and your awareness of His presence.
Sometimes you become deeply aware of God's presence: in worship, in prayer, or when something in the Word becomes intensely real to us. But there will also be ordinary days. There will be Mondays when nothing feels particularly spiritual. There will be moments when you pray and do not feel anything. There will be moments when you feel far from God. There will even be moments when you make mistakes. But your feelings do not determine the reality of God's promise. He is already here.
And the lavish nature of God's grace is evident in all of this. In Christ's death, your sins were forgiven, and you were brought into God's dwelling place by grace, not by your works. God did not wait for you to become worthy before making you His dwelling place. He did it by grace.
Now that you know this, what should be your response?
As Apostle Paul was reminding the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 6:19, he said, “...do you not know…?” This should be your disposition every day: to live in the consciousness and awareness that the Spirit of God lives in you. This should affect every aspect of your life. You carry the presence of God within you and bear the fruit of His Spirit.
God has made you His dwelling place. Therefore, it should be your duty to respond rightly to this reality. The Holy Spirit is not merely with you in moments of worship; He is in you in every moment. You are never without Him.
Prayer
Thank you, Father, for your Holy Spirit. Thank you for making me your dwelling place. All the days of my life, I live in this consciousness that I am your dwelling place, in Jesus name. Amen.
