God Dwells With US!
God With Us • Sermon • Submitted
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· 18 viewsThe relationship with God, disrupted by sin yet established through Jesus Christ, which provides the only proper basis for true human fellowship. God’s desire for fellowship with humanity is made known through his calling of a people to be his own and to reflect his holiness and love.
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14 And the Word became flesh and took up residence among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth.
14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 1
took up residence The Greek verb used here literally means “to dwell in a tent” and likely alludes to the OT tabernacle as God’s dwelling among His people (see Exod 33:7–11; note on Exod 27:21). Through His Son, God is taking up a post among His people just as He had done for ancient Israel.
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ”
23 “Behold, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
God came down as a babe in order to dwell with His People
God came down as a babe in order to dwell with His People
16 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham.
The Presence of the Holy Spirit
The Presence of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirirt is part of the Godhead and is God as well
The Holy Spirit was present and active in creation
The Holy Spirit was present and active in creation
2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
The Holy Spirit is present everywhere
The Holy Spirit is present everywhere
7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
He is equated with God’s presence
He is equated with God’s presence
11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
God Dwells in the Temple Which are God’s People
God Dwells in the Temple Which are God’s People
The whole church as God’s temple “house” here alludes to the temple. The church does not offer animal sacrifices but “spiritual sacrifices” of praise and service.
The whole church as God’s temple “house” here alludes to the temple. The church does not offer animal sacrifices but “spiritual sacrifices” of praise and service.
21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.
22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
The Holy Spirit indwells believers
The Holy Spirit indwells believers
Believers are described as the temple of the Holy Spirit:
Believers are described as the temple of the Holy Spirit:
19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,
22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
Results of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in believers
Results of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in believers
The Holy Spirit guarantees life
The Holy Spirit guarantees life
11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Strength is received
Strength is received
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
Preaching and public testimony is aided
Preaching and public testimony is aided
20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said.”
The fruit of the Spirit is displayed
The fruit of the Spirit is displayed
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
The Effects of the Holy Spirit’s Presence in the Church
The Effects of the Holy Spirit’s Presence in the Church
He convicts of sin
He convicts of sin
7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.
10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.
11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
He gives direction
He gives direction
28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements:
He transforms experience
He transforms experience
19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.
He encourages
He encourages
31 The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.
He sanctifies
He sanctifies
18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
13 As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth.
The Holy Spirit’s presence has observable effects
The Holy Spirit’s presence has observable effects
3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
He brings blessing and fellowship
He brings blessing and fellowship
14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
He brings freedom and peace
He brings freedom and peace
17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
He brings life
He brings life
10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.
11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Guidance of the Holy Spirit
Guidance of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit gives guidance to groups and individuals facing challenges, decisions and difficulties. Such guidance, however given, effectively specifies the will of God in situations of choice within the biblically established guidelines of righteousness.
Knowing divine guidance is associated with the presence of the Holy Spirit
Knowing divine guidance is associated with the presence of the Holy Spirit
7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
The Holy Spirit guides the church in its corporate decisions
The Holy Spirit guides the church in its corporate decisions
2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”
The Holy Spirit’s guidance of believers
The Holy Spirit’s guidance of believers
The Holy Spirit guides individual believers
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
In an Isolated Tribe
I’ve shared this in Unseen Footprints before, but it’s worth telling again. It comes from a missionary named Ben Staggs about his first visit to the Boshu people, an extremely isolated group in Ethiopia’s Me’en territory. On arrival, Ben and his team were welcomed by a local named Golon Kabule. ‘We sat down and spoke a bit,’ Ben says, ‘explaining that we had come to tell them of “God’s talk”. I described who God is, what He is like, and where He lives.’
But Golon interrupted. ‘We must follow Christosi,’ he said, using the Me’en word for Christ. Astonished, as Christ’s name hadn’t even been mentioned, Ben asked where Golon had heard that name. Golon explained that Christ had appeared to him in a dream, told him it was he who had given Golon his life, blood and bones, and that Golon was to follow him. Christ then said that in just five days someone would come to tell him about following that path.
Ben and his team had landed on the fifth day.
He guides through the word of God, spiritually understood and kept before the mind
He guides through the word of God, spiritually understood and kept before the mind
21 “And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!
He guides in prayer
He guides in prayer
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
He guides through spiritual gifts
He guides through spiritual gifts
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.
9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.
10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.
11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
He guides in Christian living
He guides in Christian living
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
He guides in witness and evangelism
He guides in witness and evangelism
11 But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.
He guides in ministry
He guides in ministry
6 Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.
7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there.
22 “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me,
He guides into a knowledge of truth
He guides into a knowledge of truth
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
The Holy Spirit and Assurance
The Holy Spirit and Assurance
The Holy Spirit assures believers of their standing in Christ and their eternal salvation.
The Holy Spirit assures believers that they belong to God
The Holy Spirit assures believers that they belong to God
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”
FTII: 44. A New Coat for an Old Blanket
A New Coat for an Old Blanket
An Indian and a white man, at a gospel meeting together, were both brought under conviction of sin by the same sermon. The Indian shortly thereafter received Christ as his Saviour and was led to rejoice in pardoning mercy. The white man for a long time was under great distress of mind, and at times was ready to despair. At last he too was brought to see the way and to rejoice in the forgiveness of his sins.
Some time afterwards, meeting his red brother, the white man said, “How is it, brother, that I should be so long under conviction of sin, while you found comfort so soon?”
“Oh, brother,” replied the Indian, “me tell you. There come along a rich prince. He propose to give you a new coat. You look at your coat, and say, ‘I don’t know. My coat pretty good. I think it will do a little longer.’
“The rich man then offer me new coat. I look at my old blanket. I say, ‘This rag good for nothing.’ I fling my blanket away and take the new coat. Just so, brother, you try to keep your own righteousness for some time. You think it good. You don’t like to give it up! But I, poor Indian, had nothing. I glad at once to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my righteousness.”
Sinner, are you like the white man, trying to hold on to some fancied goodness in yourself? Have you not discovered that what God says of you is true?
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags …” (Isa. 64:6a).
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
Throw away the old blanket of your own righteousness. It isn’t fit for the holy presence of God. Take Christ, and you will then be able to sing:
“Clad in this robe, how bright I shine!
Angels possess not such a dress;
Angels have not a robe like mine—
Jesus the Lord is my righteousness.”
—Echoes of Grace
Apostolon, Billy. Fifty-Two Invitation Illustrations. Preaching Helps Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1972.
The Holy Spirit assures believers that they have been born anew
The Holy Spirit assures believers that they have been born anew
The true sign of belonging to God is not any outward mark on the body, but the regenerating power of the Spirit within.
29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
The Holy Spirit assures believers that they are God’s children
The Holy Spirit assures believers that they are God’s children
6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”
The Holy Spirit assures believers that God loves them
The Holy Spirit assures believers that God loves them
5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
The Holy Spirit assures believers that Jesus Christ lives in them and they in him
The Holy Spirit assures believers that Jesus Christ lives in them and they in him
13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.
The Holy Spirit assures believers that God’s power is within them
The Holy Spirit assures believers that God’s power is within them
4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.
5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of the believer’s standing in Christ
The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of the believer’s standing in Christ
Spiritual gifts alone are not a sufficient basis for assurance.
15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.
18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.
20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
The Holy Spirit is the first installment of the believer’s inheritance in the kingdom of God
The Holy Spirit is the first installment of the believer’s inheritance in the kingdom of God
21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us,
22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
The Holy Spirit assures believers of their final victory in Christ
The Holy Spirit assures believers of their final victory in Christ
11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
The Holy Spirit as Our teacher
The Holy Spirit as Our teacher
Having instructed God’s people in the OT and Jesus Christ’s disciples in the NT, the Spirit of truth continues to reveal the truth of God to believers.
The Spirit teaches the ways of God
The Spirit teaches the ways of God
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.
The Spirit teaches about the salvation which is to come in Jesus Christ
The Spirit teaches about the salvation which is to come in Jesus Christ
10 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you.
11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.
The Holy Spirit as Our Counselor
The Holy Spirit as Our Counselor
The Holy Spirit is the one who comforts, advises and strengthens Christians, drawing them closer to Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit is Counselor in addition to Jesus Christ
The Holy Spirit is Counselor in addition to Jesus Christ
1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.
The Spirit is another Counselor
The Spirit is another Counselor
The word “another” means “another of the same kind”. After the ascension, the Spirit is to assume the ministry of Jesus Christ.
The word “another” means “another of the same kind”. After the ascension, the Spirit is to assume the ministry of Jesus Christ.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.
17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
The Counselor comforts and reassures believers
The Counselor comforts and reassures believers
Peter is reassured about going to the house of Cornelius;
Peter is reassured about going to the house of Cornelius;
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.
17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.
The Counselor strengthens and equips the church
The Counselor strengthens and equips the church
The Jerusalem church is strengthened in the face of opposition;
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
31 The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.
The Counselor teaches and instructs believers
The Counselor teaches and instructs believers
The Spirit reminds the disciples of Jesus Christ’s teaching
26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.
The Counselor helps the church in its mission
The Counselor helps the church in its mission
The Spirit testifies to Jesus Christ and helps the church to do likewise
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The Counselor convicts the unbelieving world
The Counselor convicts the unbelieving world
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.
10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.
11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
The Counselor draws believers closer to Jesus Christ
The Counselor draws believers closer to Jesus Christ
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
Manser, Martin H. Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser, 2009.
AMG Bible Illustrations: Immanuel
Immanuel
Two missionaries were captured and imprisoned in the same cell but forbidden to speak to each other. Christmas came. One of the missionaries, shivering and silent, sat on the floor covered with hay. As he was playing with bits of hay around him, he thought that he discovered a silent way of communicating with his friend. He spelled out the word Immanuel. As soon as his friend saw the word, immediately he lit up with joy. They were captives, but they both believed that God was with them and that ultimate triumph would be theirs. This Christmas let us find a variety of ways of showing to others that God is indeed Immanuel, God with us.
AMG Bible Illustrations. Bible Illustrations Series. Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2000.