Part 4 of 9 

A Greater Intimacy with Christ by the “Spirit of Life” Now In Us

“The Spirit” is the reaching of God to men, personally. Ephesians 3:16 (KJV) That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his (Christ’s) Spirit in the inner man;

Before the “dispensation of grace of God” (Eph 3:2), God’s Spirit of Holiness was only “among” or “came upon” some humans. 1 Samuel 10:6 And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee… Haggai 2:5 … I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

Upon His resurrection and ascension, Jesus returned to breathe upon a few of His Jewish disciples. This was Jesus baptizing or immersing these men in the Holy Spirit who He breathed upon them.           

John 20:22 when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the

Holy Spirit.

This breath of Jesus was NOT the deposit of Christ “spirit of life” as His life deposited into them. This was something different – it was the first deposit of the power Holy Spirit given to them to empower them to “be witnesses” (Acts 1:8), to enable them to preach and offer “the kingdom,” the Messianic kingdom that had been long promised to Abraham’s seed. That kingdom hand only was “at hand” (Matt 3:2) when Jesus of Nazareth spoke of it to the Jews, but now it was now to be offerred by His disciples, but offerred only to that to whom Jesus had instructed them to preach – that is “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 10:5-6 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. This message was not for the Gentile body of Christ.

Jesus’ breathed “upon” them in John 20:22 as a foretaste of Pentecost. Foretelling of Pentecost, Jesus told his Jewish disciples (now 120 of them) they should wait to be clothed upon with the Holy Spirit. Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. The word “endued” here is the Greek enduo, meaning “clothed.”

Question: Do you wear clothing on the outside or inside of you? Outside of course.

This Scripture again speaks of “the Spirit” to come “upon” them, not in them. Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you … So, Pentecost is not the coming of the “Spirit of Christ” to indwell the disciples to be their new life, rather, it is the empowering influence of the Holy Spirit, enduing these disciples with “power” (v8). Power for what? Power to boldly preach the “gospel of the Kingdom” as was long promised to Abraham’s seed – not the Gentiles.

Today, under “the dispensation of the grace of God,” revealed by Christ to the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, for we Gentiles, there is something more for the members of the body of Christ. Now, for the regenerated believer, Christ’s “Spirit of life” comes “indwells them” (Col 1:27), as their very life (Col 3:3). This is in great contrast to the “spirit upon” Jesus’ Jewish disciples at Pentecost.

Notice the words describing “the Spirit” and “Christ” as being “in you,” in the believer.

Col. 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Romans 8:9-10 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ¹⁰ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

“The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2a) is the means by which God literally dispenses the person of Christ into every believer.

Rom 8:11 if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (give life) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.