Doctrine of the indwelling of Christ

John 14:20"In that day [when you behold Me and clothe yourselves with Me] you shall know that I am in My Father [perfect relationship], and you in Me [union with Christ - perfect relationship], and I in you.

 

/“I in you” is a reference to the indwelling of Jesus Christ. At the moment of salvation your body is made a temple of God for the permanent indwelling of the deity of Christ.\

 

The Lord has now introduced to them for the first time that God the HS will indwell them and He will indwell them. Their heads must be spinning.

 

/The doctrine of the indwelling of Jesus Christ: John 14:20 is the first prophecy of the indwelling of Jesus Christ. \

 

In the OT Christ appeared as a man. He appeared in the pillar of cloud and fire and in the burning bush. He also indwelt sacred buildings.

 

/1. But during the Church-age Jesus Christ is invisible and for the first time in history He indwells the body of every born again believer. \

 

Christ can be seen by the individual believer through doctrine and execution of the plan of God for his life.

 

The indwelling of Jesus Christ is unique to the Church Age. The Church Age is the dispensation of the royal family of God, therefore it has certain unique features which include the fact that God the Holy Spirit and God the Son and God the Father indwell every believer. These are unique and never occurred before in history.

 

/a. Christ prayed in His last “inner room” prayer that He would indwell each Church-age believer. \

 

John 17:22 "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one;

 

John 17:23I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.

 

/b. Two of the purposes for the indwelling of Christ are mentioned: 1. Unity in the body of Christ that Christ is revealed. 2. A sign to you that God the Father loves you just as He loved Jesus Christ.\

 

Unity exists in the body when the truth of the indwelling Christ is realized. When the Father looks at you (which He does continually) He sees His Son. When we behold each other we must do the same, but only understanding of this doctrine can accomplish it.

 

Believers in reversionism do not see Christ in fallen believers. Reversionistic believers only see how others affect themselves and are self-absorbed, self-deceived, and always self-justifying.

 

However, the positive believer sees TLJC in his fellow believer, no matter at what stage of spiritual growth they might be. This is our sign of Royalty, that the King is in us and always will be, and that is a guarantee of royalty forever.

 

This does not exclude separation when it is warranted. Just because a positive believer does behold Christ in another does not mean that separation from that believer is necessary in certain cases.

 

/1 Cor 5:11

But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler —  not even to eat with such a one. \

 

This of course means those who have this lifestyle. We all sin in some or all of these areas. If we could only associate with the sinless we’d all be eating alone.

 

John 17:24"Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world.

 

John 17:25"O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that Thou didst send Me;

 

John 17:26and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them. "

 

/c. In every believer there is always the potential to love with the love of Christ since Christ indwells every believer. \

     

/2. The indwelling of Jesus Christ is a part of the mystery doctrine of the Church and He is to give you the confidence that you will attain to the riches of God’s glory, COL 1:25-29. \

 

Christ has earned the assets that He possesses as King of kings and Lord of lords. Since we are fellow heirs with Him due to our union with Him and since He indwells us, He is there to always give you the confidence that when the time comes and you have achieved the capacity through doctrine that the escrow blessing given to you in EP will be conveyed. This should give you great joy and comfort. There will never be a circumstance that will cause Him to leave you.

 

COL 1:25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

 

/ “stewardship” - oikonomia[oikonomia] = originally meant the management of a household or the administration of the property of others. Dispensation of the Church-age.\

 

Paul was made a minister of the mystery doctrine for the Church-age. It’s mystery lies in the fact that it was never revealed before Christ began to reveal it in the upper-room. Therefore the stewardship or dispensation of God is unique.

 

/A dispensation is an historical period of time from divine viewpoint. Gentiles, Israel, HU, Church, Tribulation, Millennium.\

 

The church is unique to all of them.

 

COL 1:25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

 

COL 1:26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested [revealed] to His saints,

 

COL 1:27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

 

/What is God’s will? That the saints know the mystery of the Church, which is Christ in you, the confidence of a life blessed by God.\

 

That blessing includes both spiritual and material blessing. It is your assets that you have through your union with Christ as a fellow heir.

 

/Portfolio of invisible assets:

Primary assets: EP/EO under election and predestination

Secondary assets: Volitional, production, undeserved suffering, spiritual gift, association, escrow.\

 

/ “hope of glory” - confident expectation of secondary assets in the future. While Christ is in the believer the potential still exists.\

 

It is the job of the PT to emphasize this again and again.

 

COL 1:28And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete [mature] in Christ.

 

/ “admonishing” - noutheteo [noutheteo] = admonish, warn, or to exhort. The warning is to communicate what is at stake concerning the indwelling Christ.\

 

COL 1:29And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

 

The riches which God has given to you have a source. The source is God’s glory. You have both the riches and the Source of the riches indwelling you.

 

/Jesus Christ as the Shekinah Glory indwelt the Tabernacle and Temple not only as a guarantee of Israel’s security, but also of their prosperity and blessing.\

 

/Jesus Christ now indwells you as a guarantee of your security, riches, and fantastic blessings.\

 

If Jesus Christ indwelt a building in the age of Israel, how much greater is the indwelling of Christ in the body of every believer in the Church Age?

 

However, it cannot be accomplished by the indwelling of Christ alone. His mind must be metabolized in your heart.

 

The Shekinah Glory could leave the Tabernacle or Temple when Israel was in reversionism, but He will never leave your body. But the riches of God’s glory will not be enjoyed unless He is at home in your heart [breadth, length, height, depth].

 

If He is not at home the believer has no impact from the indwelling of Christ. His indwelling serves as motivation to the positive believer, but to the negative believer, it is as if He left, even though He never does.

 

Hence the purpose of discipline in a believer’s life.

 

REV 3:19 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent [change your priorities].

 

REV 3:20 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him [in the soul = fellowship, not the body, He’s always in the body], and will dine with him, and he with Me.

 

REV 3:21 'He who overcomes [takes hold of the purpose for the indwelling Christ], I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. [dine close to Him forever]

 

REV 3:22'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "

 

/Christ indwells us for the purpose of fellowship. He desires to be at home in your heart.\

 

/EPH 3:17

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, \

 

 

 

/John 15:5

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. \

 

/1 John 1:6

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; \

 

Christ indwells us for the purpose of motivation.

 

/Knowing He indwells us gives us a very strong and powerful motivation to keep advancing through the Christian way of life on to adulthood and through all categories of undeserved suffering. \

 

/“Christ in you, the hope of glory” further speaks of capacity. As believers, we must have capacity before blessings, even logistical blessings; otherwise we can’t handle the blessings.\

 

If you understand the doctrine of the indwelling of Christ, you will have the capacity to enjoy your logistical grace blessings without being destroyed from lack of capacity.

 

/This doctrine of the indwelling of Christ is vital to you for security, a guarantee, motivation, and capacity.\