What or Who Dwells in Me? – Waynesville Church of Christ

Posted on April 24, 2016 Posted By: Roger Categories: Abe Martin, Recorded Lessons

If you get an X-Ray at the doctor, you can see what you are made of, at least as far as the bones of your body is concerned. If you get an MRI, you can see what you are made of in your muscles, organs, and tissue. But how can you see What or Who Dwells in you? Many feel the spirit of God has moved them to do or take actions in their lives directly. Others have no idea. So, what does the Bible say about this subject?

Abe’s lessons below can be heard by clicking on the buttons for MP3 recordings. You can listen or download the lessons and you can follow along using the lesson outline inserted below the audio files. Take a listen and let us know what you think or what you have questions on. We are on Facebook and you can contact us on this site.

What or Who Dwells in Me – Martin, part 1

What or Who Dwells in Me – Martin, part 2

Lesson One

John 15:4 – “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

What or Who Dwells in Me?”

The bible often discusses what or who dwells or abides in me.
It is important to look at the scriptures to better understand how this works in my life.
We are going to discuss some of those things today.

Evil One (Satan, Devil)

Parable about unclean spirits dwelling in a man – Matthew 12:38-45; Luke 11:14-26 – “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
We need God’s help to keep his influence away from us – John 17:15 –“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.”
It is shown in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples – Luke 11:4 –“And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Satan has great power!

Entered Judas – Luke 22:3-4 – “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.”
Asked to influence Peter – Luke 22:31 – “And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.”
I should not be ignorant of his devices – 2 Corinthians 2:11 –“lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Sin

When I commit sin I am a slave to sin – John 8:34 – “Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”
I do not want to be a slave to sin – Romans 6:12-23 – “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The end result of sin is death – James 1:13-16 –“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.”
I have to constantly remove sin from my life – 1 John 1:8-2:2 –“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
I have to constantly remove sin from my life – 1 John 1:8-2:2 –“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

Word

His word must abide in me – John 8:31-32 – “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
His word will make me clean – John 15:3 – “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”
His word must dwell in me richly – Colossians 3:16-17 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
If it does it will effectively work in me – 1 Thessalonians 2:13 – “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”
Then the love of God will be perfected in me – 1 John 2:5 – “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”
If it is in me, I will speak it – Jeremiah 20:7-9 – “O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, “Violence and plunder!” Because the word of the LORD was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.”
His words will judge me in the last day – John 12:48 – “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him–the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”
I must not allow Satan and sin to have dominion over me, therefore I must keep His word.
If I am going to be judged by the words of Christ, then I must read, study and obey those words.
He told His disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Lesson Two

What or Who Dwells in Me?

The bible often discusses what or who dwells or abides in me.
It is important to look at the scriptures to better understand how this works in my life.
We are going to continue to discuss some of those things as they pertain to the Godhead.

Father

One God and Father – Ephesians 4:6 – “one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
He works in us – Philippians 2:12-13 – “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
He will make His home with us – John 14:23 – “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
If I love properly, He will abide in me – 1 John 4:12-16 – “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
If I live properly, He will dwell in me – 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 – “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. “
If I live properly, He will dwell in me – 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 – “As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people. Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”
If I keep His commandments, He will abide in me – 1 John 3:23-24 – “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
As a part of Christ’s church – Ephesians 2:17-22 – “And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God”
As a part of Christ’s church – Ephesians 2:17-22 – “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Son

As a branch on the vine – John 15:4-5 – “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
If Christ is in me – Romans 8:10 – “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
He needs to be formed in me – Galatians 4:19-20 – “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.
I must constantly test myself to make sure He is in me – 2 Corinthians 13:4-5 – “For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? –unless indeed you are disqualified.”
He dwells there by faith – Ephesians 3:14-17 – “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love”
If I abide in the doctrine, I have the Son – 2 John 9 – “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.”

Holy Spirit

The Helper, the Holy Spirit was sent to be in the Apostles – John 14:16-17 – “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
He dwells in me – James 4:4-5 – “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
He brings me life – Romans 8:8-14 – “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
He brings me life – Romans 8:8-14 – “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors–not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
As part of the church, I am a part of the temple of God – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
Individually, my body is to be the temple of God – 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 – “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.“ But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. “
Individually, my body is to be the temple of God – 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 – “Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
As a result, I must show a pattern of sound words – 2 Timothy 1:12-14 – “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.”
From these two lessons, we have studied six things or Beings that can dwell or abide in me.
I cannot have Satan and sin in me if I expect the word and the Godhead to dwell or abide in me.
I must be careful to maintain my relationship with the Godhead if I expect them to dwell in me and me in them.
How would one start on the path to a permanent relationship with God?