9.6 God the Holy Spirit came to live inside you

Something else happened in the born again experience. Just as God’s breadth of life gave life to Adam in the Garden of Eden, the Spirit of life came to live in us. It was the life of God in us that caused us to be born again in the likeness of God. It was His life that gave us eternal life.

We must realize that the believer under the Old Covenant did not have the Holy Spirit within him. The Holy Spirit was only upon a small group of people. These were the kings, prophets, priests and artisans. The Holy Spirit anointed these people for the work of ministry. But we must understand that they did not have the Holy Spirit in them. They did not experience being led by the Holy Spirit from within.

Jesus looked forward to the time after the cross when he prophesied about the coming of the Holy Spirit upon those who would believe in Him. That refers to you and me.

(John 7:37-39)
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

And then on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 disciples in the upper room. They not only received the Holy Spirit in them, they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Then Peter rose up and preached to the multitude with this newly endowed power of the Holy Spirit. The people experienced conviction in their hearts. Think about the Peter who had just denied Jesus earlier, and see the power of the Spirit at work.

(Acts 2:37-39)
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Peter told the people about this great promise – that if they believed in Jesus – they too could receive the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Today, you have this promise; you have this gift. You have the privilege to live the Spirit-filled life; to be led and empowered by the Spirit.