In Christianity, we don’t go in and out of God’s presence. His presence is our home; we were born therein.
“I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.” -Psalm 87:4
“This man” refers to the new creation. “There” refers to our place in Christ—our place in God’s presence.
This is the reason it’s an absurdity when a Christian says, “Father, I come to you today,”; or “Let’s get into the presence of God through worship.”
I often wonder: if they’re about to get into the presence of God, where then have they been? God’s children must understand that we live in His presence.
There’s no such thing in the New Testament as us “getting into” the presence of God.
In Him we live and move and have our being. His presence is in us and with us.
When you come into a place, you come with His presence. If you’re born again, nobody can take you into the presence of God, because you were born right into His presence, and you live in His presence, both legally and vitally present
Oftentimes, there are Christians who, when they come to church, would say, “Lord, we’ve come into your presence today.”
And when they leave, they feel they’ve left the presence of God.
Some even pray for the presence of God to come down or follow them everywhere. But as a child of God, you don’t “come” into God’s presence nor go from it; you’re forever in His presence.
When you come into a place, no matter where it is, you come in, and with God’s presence. You bear His presence. You’re the temple of the living God, who dwells in you by the Holy Spirit.
When you were born again, Christ took up His abode in the quarters of your heart. He’s in you now, and you’re in Him. He didn’t come into you to leave again after some time; He’s forever in you.
Read the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:20; He said, “…lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” This was before the Holy Spirit came to take up His abode in the quarters of our hearts.
He had said concerning the Holy Spirit in John 14:17, “…ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” It’s an everlasting indwelling. The Spirit of God dwells in you, and He’s the conveyor of the presence and blessings of God, and all that’s been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Have the consciousness that you’re a God-carrying vessel, and you live in His presence every day. This is what it means to be in Christ. You’re in the divine environment, the environment of His glory and divine essence.
A certain fellow, who wasn’t a Christian and obviously hadn’t received the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues in a Christian meeting.
Stunned at this, someone asked, “How could that be?” Well, it happened.
What happened to that fellow was an impartation, similar to that on the handkerchiefs and aprons that were taken from Paul’s body to heal the sick.
For example, I can rub myself on you and particles from my own clothes will come on you; I could hug you and my smell will be on you. That doesn’t mean I’m in you.
In the same way, the fact that that fellow spoke in tongues doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit was in him. In Numbers 22:28, we read how a donkey spoke with a man’s voice and forbade the madness of the prophet. Was God living in the donkey? No!
The power of God came on the donkey and it spoke like a man, but that didn’t mean the donkey was filled with the Holy Ghost.
There are things the Spirit of God causes to happen. For example, when we gather as believers in church, there’s a spiritual presence in the room, not because the Holy Ghost sat there physically, but because of His presence in us. That presence is transmitted to that environment through us.
We have, in that sense, and in that way, sanctified the place with the presence of God that we carry in us.
The ultimate thing, therefore, isn’t a rub-off or a smear or an impartation of His presence like the aforementioned examples, which wouldn’t last for long, but His indwelling presence in you.
When you received the Holy Spirit, the very source of power came to reside in you. Jesus said you shall receive power when the Holy Ghost comes upon you (Acts 1:8).
You don’t need to seek power from anywhere else, because the very source of power Himself lives in you. Take advantage of His glorious presence in you today. When you’re conscious of this, you’ll certainly walk in the supernatural and live the higher life in Christ.
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).
The Holy Spirit is the embodiment of all power, and He lives in you in His fullness.
He didn’t come in a measure to give you a part of Himself, contrary to the understanding that some people have. 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” Here, the Apostle Paul is emphatic: you’re the temple of God and the Spirit of God lives in you.
But who is this awesome, wonderful Holy Spirit that lives in you? He’s the conveyor of the presence and blessings of God.
In the Old Testament, He’s called the “angel of God’s presence” (Isaiah 63:9). He’s the One who manifests God’s presence and His power wherever God wants it. Think about the fact that this awesome, infinite personality of the Godhead lives in you! That makes you a God-carrying vessel; divinity’s headquarters!
This means that in your life, it’s glory and excellence only, because Christ in you is the hope of glory; the Holy Spirit in you means glory, excellence, strength, victory, joy, peace, prosperity, and blessings in your life!
Affirm this always, because the power of the Word of God works through knowledge and affirmation. Every so often, say aloud, “The Holy Spirit lives in me. He has vitalized every fibre of my being; He’s my life and everything I need to live joyfully always, and fulfil God’s plan for my life gloriously.” Hallelujah!
The Holy Spirit didn’t merely come upon you as He did on God’s people in the Old Testament; He came into you to make you the headquarters of His operations in the earth.
He lives in you in all His glory, majesty, dominion, wisdom and strength. And through you, He blesses everything and everyone around you; He establishes the righteousness of God in the earth and in the hearts of men.
Through you, He’s able to express His love, because you’re His extension in the earth; you hail from Him and are one with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). Praise God forevermore!
-GSW-