Part 4 of 12

Believers Need to Intimately Know the Indwelling “Spirit of Christ”

The Apostle Paul uses the terms “the Spirit” and “the spirit” ninety times in his thirteen epistles. Actually, punctuation and capitalization in our Bibles were added by the translators as they do not appear in the oldest manuscripts except for the names of God. These terms are among the most misunderstood by Christians. Correctly, the term “the spirit” with the lower case “s” always refers to the human “spirit of man” (Zech 12:1). Most often when Paul uses the term “the Spirit,” as seen with the “S” capitalized, he is not always referring not to “the Spirit of God” or “the Spirit of Christ” alone, but rather he often is referring to what may be called “the intermingled Spirit” – that is the human spirit of the believer that is indwelled and intermingled with the resurrected “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” These two have become forever “one spirit” (1Cor 6:17). “The Spirit” referred to here below is “the intermingled Spirit,” as also seen in what might be called “the Spirit” chapter of Romans 8 (see verses 8:4, 5, 9-10, 13, 14, 23 and 27).

Galatians 5:25 (NIV) Since we live by (have life in) the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

As we see in this study series, “the Spirit” is most vital to the practical daily life experience of the Christian. In Gal 5:25 (above) the Apostle Paul is telling the Galatian believers the Christian’s life and walk is to be conducted in accord with (“in step with”) and according to “the intermingled Spirit,” which is where we find “the supply,” which is “of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Philipp 1:19). Christians must ultimately come to know personally and experientially, “the Spirit of Christ” (Rom 8:10) who dwells within them if they are to live by and in accord with His indwelling “Spirit of life.”

Also in Galatians 5:25 we should note the words “we” and “us.” These refer to the individual believer himself as an individual soul-self; as one who has received “the Spirit of Christ” and now needs to walk in accord with “the intermingled Spirit” that he possesses by Christ’s resurrected “Sprit of life” in union with his human spirit (1Cor 6:17). Christ lives in believers as their new life (Col 3:4a) and nature (2Peter 1:4).

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I (as a soul-self) live; yet not I, but CHRIST LIVETH IN ME: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

“The Spirit” is hid by the body and soul. God is the “one spirit”; then it is nothing less than the fullness of the “one God and Father of all,” now as “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” who indwells believers.

Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ ONE GOD AND FATHER of all, who is above all, and through all, and IN YOU ALL.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and MY FATHER will love him, and WE WILL COME UNTO HIM, AND MAKE OUR ABODE WITH HIM.

I am always amazed at how supposed mature Christians are surprised when I show them the above verses. They most often don’t realize that God is absolutely “one” and that both the “Father” and “Christ” dwell within them. I believe one problem that prevents many Christians from seeing that Godhead in its entirety literally indwells believers stems from the traditional teaching of the “Trinity.”

The word “Trinity” does not appear in the Bible; it was first used by Tertullian (155-230 AD). Not until the fourth century did the teaching of the Trinity become part of church dogma. Common “Trinity” dogma says God consist of three individual persons who are one, seeming to suggest they are nearly “three individual gods.” This “three gods” idea leads many to falsely consider the “One Lord” and “One God” who is the “One Spirit” of Ephesians 4:4 as though He were “three individual eternal Gods” who are simply agreeable and closely related in purpose. This traditional inference of the Trinity creates more questions than it answers in many Christians’ minds. They seem to slice and dice the Triune Godhead, trying to assign differing duties to the three persons of the Triune Godhead as though they were not really “One.” Yet, Paul tells us in very clear literal terms that there is but “one God and Father” and “one Spirit.”  

The dogma of the Trinity as three individual persons leads many to consider God fragmented, distant, and away up there. Yet Paul writes of “the Spirit” who is “the Spirit of God” and “the Spirit of Christ” as being the “one” who abides within the believer – not being fragmented or “away up there.”

Romans 8:8-9 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ But YE ARE not in the flesh, but IN ( UNION WITH) 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.

Let’s now compare the terms “Trinity” and “Triune God.” The “Trinity” is typically defined as “a union of the three (individual) persons of the Godhead.” Thus some describe the structure of the Godhead as “three distinct personalities” that are individually deserving of reverence. On the other hand, “Triune” is defined as “three in one,” I believe this refers to “three states of the one God.” First God is the “invisible God” ( Col 1:15) who “is spirit” (John 4:24); then we note God incarnated in Jesus of Nazareth as “the Son of God” and “Son of man.” Today we each may come to know Him as “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2a). The idea of “three individual persons” prevents believers from seeing God as He now is; as The “One God”… who is in Jesus Christ, who now is “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:9), in whom even now dwells “the fullness of the Godhead.” (Colossians 2:9).

We must admit that unanswerable questions persist about the Triune God. Ultimately, only faith can help us to see and accept the truth of the Triune Godhead – “Triune” meaning “three literally being in and one with Jesus Christ simultaneously.” As we ponder the unanswerable we should consider these verses and their implications. They confirm the union of the Father and Son.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a CHILD is born, unto us a SON is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The MIGHTY GOD, The everlasting FATHER, The Prince of Peace. We know this “child” is “the son” Jesus Christ, who was and is at the very same time “the mighty God” and “the everlasting Father.”

Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be RULER IN ISRAEL (THE CHRIST); WHOSE GOINGS FORTH HAVE BEEN FROM OF OLD, FROM EVERLASTING.

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHICH IS IN THE BOSOM OF THE FATHER, he hath declared him.

John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify Me (Jesus) with Your own self (the Father), with the glory which I had WITH YOU BEFORE THE WORLD WAS.

Given Isaiah 9:6 (above), we could then conclude that the “child” who is “the Son,” who was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane the night of His betrayal and death, was also “the Father” in heaven hearing that prayer. It’s no surprise that He is also called “wonderful.” Yet, this is the fact of the inerrant Scripture.

I cannot entirely explain such “three in oneness” in natural terms, but I can accept its truth… by faith. How could one accept the prophetic truth of Isaiah 9:6 except by faith? But then neither can I fully explain in natural earthly terms how it is that, as believers, “the Spirit of Christ” who indwells you also indwells me, and at the same time Christ, who now is “that Spirit,” is simultaneously seated at “the right hand of God” (Rom 8:34, Heb 12:2). These are the wonders of “the Spirit.”

The point is that, due to common misunderstandings of the Triune God and the unwillingness of many to simply accept the truth of the “three literally in one” by faith, many believers miss out on knowing the fullness of “the Spirit of Christ” that dwells within them as their new and eternal life. The fact is that Jesus now is “the Lord” and “that Spirit.”  2Cor 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit. The Jews, in Hebrew, called God “Adonai,” rendered “Lord” in the Bible, with a capital “L” followed by lower case letters.

We can say the believer’s union is with God the Father who eternally existed in union with the Son (John 1:1-2, 8:58, 17:5, Micah 5:2), who now may be personally experienced in and through “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2a) within the believer’s own spirit.