In view of Romans 8:9, must you be born again to have the Sprit dwell in you?
We read in Romans 8:9, “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.” Yes, this verse makes it plain that we must be born again in order to have the Spirit dwell in us. To be born again is to have new life in Christ and to be born into the family of God. We are given the gift of new, eternal life when we repent of our sins and trust in the Lord Jesus as our Savior. The Apostle Paul said in Acts 20:21, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” We also read in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
There are some who teach that the Holy Spirit comes to indwell a believer at a later time than at the moment of conversion. They teach that a certain level of spiritual growth must be attained before the Holy Spirit comes to indwell the believer. However, Romans 8:9 states clearly that if you do not have the Spirit, then you are not saved. In other words, you receive the Holy Spirit the moment that you are saved. This truth is confirmed by Ephesians 1:13-14, which state: “in whom ye also have trusted, having heard the word of the truth, the glad tidings of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, ye have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance to the redemption of the acquired possession to the praise of his glory” (JND). Having believed, or the moment that we trust in Christ, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit who indwells each believer is a wonderful gift. He is spoken in Ephesians 1:14 as the “earnest” or down payment of our inheritance in Christ. We will experience the full manifestation of our spiritual inheritance in heaven, but the Holy Spirit gives us a taste of our inheritance even now. The Holy Spirit is a Comforter, teacher, and helps us to remember the things of Christ. We read in John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Notice in this verse that the Holy Spirit is spoken of as “He.” This shows that the Holy Spirit is a person. He is not merely a force or energy.
The Holy Spirit is a real person who is God. We read in Acts 5:1-4, “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.” In verses 3 and 4 lying to the Holy Ghost and lying to God are equated. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God.
The Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself but points us to Christ. The Lord Jesus says in John 15:26, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me.” We see this also in John 16:12-14, where the Lord Jesus states: “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
The Holy Spirit helps us in our prayer life. We read in Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” We are exhorted to “quench NOT the Spirit” (1 Thes. 5:19) by yielding ourselves to the Lord to use us as He desires. As we “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16), we will “not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Also the fruit of the Sprit will be seen in our lives. We read in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
The Holy Spirit surely is a wonderful down payment of our eternal blessings! There is much more that could be said about the subject of the Holy Spirit, but I will close with 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14. “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Be encouraged, dear fellow believer! (422.2) (DJ)