His Presence Changes Life
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
It is obvious that many have limited the subject of salvation by seeing it as a ticket to heaven. Many people see salvation as nothing more than a golden ticket that will grant them entry into heaven when they die. Yes, we are immediately present with the Lord when we die. That’s our hope. However, we must be careful not to limit salvation to a guarantee of heaven. That’s only part of the story.
The good news, that is the salvation we received is also about God finding a home in us. This is a story line that runs through the Bible. Let us think about the tabernacle Moses built and the temple Solomon built. When they were consecrated, God filled them with his presence, as evidenced by fire and smoke. These were striking and powerful images, but they were shadows of God’s real plan. As Paul said to the philosophers on Mars Hill, “God…does not live in temples built by human hands” (Acts 17:24). He had another location in mind and that is in us and within the body of believers.
Salvation is Christ coming to live in you–”Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). It is Christ coming to dwell in you by His Spirit. Salvation is heaven in you. It is God himself living in you. It is when we grab this truth that we live the fullness of the life we have received in Christ. Our confidence is boosted to operate in our rights and privileges, so think through this. The consciousness of His presence in your life changes everything.
