368. The Dwelling Places of God

Ever since the Fall, when Satan made humanity his dwelling place, God has tried in every possible way to find a home for Himself in the hearts of men. He has succeeded in finding room in one or another God-fearing soul, but He has never found much room because of the weakness of the flesh. Paul wrote to the Corinthians asking them to enlarge their hearts because they were constricted. The apostle found it difficult to find room in their hearts.

It is written about Judas, “Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it, and, let another take his office.” Acts 1:20. God’s office and the dwelling places of God belong together.

It is the work of the Spirit of God to build us up to be a dwelling place of God. Read Ephesians 2:19.

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

We see by this that each one of us is a dwelling place of God, and that we grow up together with the others to be a holy temple in the Lord. The unity of these residents in the Lord is clearly evident. This is the unity of fellowship in the Lord, whether we are alone or together.

By the Fall sin came into the body, soul, and spirit. Therefore it is written in James 4:5-6:

“Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’? But He gives more grace.”

Our human spirit has also, by the Fall, come under the law of sin and death. Satan has corrupted the spirit that God blew into Adam’s nose when he became a living soul. God is sorely jealous for our spirit. Therefore He gives us a great and powerful grace during our fight for liberation from Satan’s power and dominion.

We are under the influence of the last Adam who became a life-giving Spirit. It is Jesus Christ, the High Priest, who has been given the task of making our human spirit alive. He suffered death according to the flesh, but was made alive according to the spirit. Jesus Christ is now doing this same effective work in us.

In this way we are made to be a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The angels who did not take care of their high position, but abandoned their own dwelling places, are kept captive. He keeps them in everlasting chains, under darkness until judgment on that great day.

We see here that the fallen angels abandoned their own dwelling places. The will of God is for both angels and humans to remain in their dwelling places. That is why God jealously desires the spirit He caused to dwell in us. For when God comes into the spirit of a person, they are not only kept and protected, they are made alive.

Why is God so zealous to make our spirits alive? Why should we be a dwelling place of God in the Spirit? God must have a reason for this.

It is because God is love, and He wants to bring out our best potential. It is more clearly explained in Revelation 21.

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.’”

On the new earth the people who have become a dwelling place of God will dwell among the people. These dwelling places of God belong to the city, the New Jerusalem, which descends from heaven. “And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light.” Rev. 21:24. These are the saved nations who have not attained to becoming dwelling places of God, but have invoked the name of the Lord and have been saved. But the will of God (walking in God’s will, which is our sanctification) is an unfamiliar thing for these nations, whereas the will of God is well known for those who are the dwelling places of God. They have trained themselves to walk in the light as He is in the light. Thus the blood of Christ can cleanse them from all sin and make them dwelling places of God.

“He who overcomes shall inherit all things.” Rev. 21:7.

This salvation is unspeakably great and glorious, so let us strive to attain as much of it as possible, while we still walk as pilgrims and strangers here on earth.