30 Days of Gratitude: Day 5

For the Holy Spirit who lives in you

It can be easy to forget because the God we worship is "unseen," yet God sent us the Holy Spirit who surrounds us all day, every day!

The Holy Spirit dwells in us. What does that mean? It means that when we choose to accept God as our Lord and Savior, we welcome the Holy Spirit to take up residence within our bodies. In the Old Testament, the Spirit was portrayed as coming and going, yet when Jesus addressed his disciples in the Gospel of John, he made it clear that the Spirit of Truth would live in and be part of each one of them.

The Apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the church in Corinth, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price." Although this specific verse was in a section where he is addressing sexual sin, the meaning behind the verses still stands. The temple is supposed to be a sacred space, one that tries to eliminate sin. When we invite the Triune God into our lives, they take up residency within us, meaning our bodies are no longer just ours. Our bodies now belong to God. Think of it this way: God owns your being (especially since he created it) with the hope you will want a relationship with Him. If he is the owner, you are the tenant. Just like any good tenant in a rental property, you should do what you can to keep the property in good condition, yes? Your body should not be idle or wasteful. You should not take for granted the abilities you have with the body you possess. Everything we do should be done for the glory of God.

In Paul's second letter, he writes: "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." The Holy Spirit, God the Father, and God the Son are one in the same. Where the Spirit of God is, there is also liberty or freedom. Let's look back to the Old Testament for a moment. Moses had a very in-depth relationship with God. Moses' face shone so bright from speaking with God that he had to put a veil over his face because no one could bear the light. He was able to remove the veil when he was in the presence of God. The presence of the Lord gave him this liberty. Moving this into New Testament terms: We do not have to wear a veil to cover the bright light because we are called to be the light to others with the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit acts differently for us in the wake of Christ's death and resurrection. We always have the Holy Spirit within us. Because of the Holy Spirit's great work in us through the new covenant, we have a bold, liberated relationship with God.

The Holy Spirit provides us with a deeper understanding of the gifts we have received. The Holy Spirit helps us apply scriptural understanding to our everyday practice. The Holy Spirit helps enrich our prayer lives. The Holy Spirit keeps us humble and helps us connect with our convictions so we maintain a repentant heart. The Holy Spirit helps guide.