The Lord's Indwelling Presence
I. The Purpose of His Indwelling
- A. Living in the Father's house - John 14:2a
- 1. A corporate house - John 14:2a "many abodes"
- a) The meaning of an abode - John 14:23 (an individual with the
indwelling of the Father and the Son; not a "heavenly mansion")
- b) The full description of an abode - 2 Cor. 5:1-6 (an individual
with a resurrected body)
- 2. The Father's house is the church - 1 Tim. 3:15
- 3. The Father's house is the Body of Christ - Heb. 3:6
- 4. The spiritual nature of the house - 1 Pet. 2:5; Eph. 2:20-22
- B. Life in the Triune God
- 1. Christ coming to us as a life-giving Spirit - John 14:3, 6, 16-20;
1 Cor. 15:45b;
2 Cor. 3:17
- 2. Union with Christ - John 14:3; Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 3:1-3
- 3. Imparting His relationship with the Father - John 14:3-7, 20;
Gal. 4:6
- a) Expressing the Father as His embodiment - John 14:7-9; Col.
2:9
- b) Coinhering with the Father - John 14:10-11
- 4. Doing greater works through being enlarged as the Body of Christ
- John 14:10-14; Eph. 1:22-23; Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:27-28
- 5. Praying in His Name - John 14:13-14
II. The Preparation for His Indwelling
- A. His going
- 1. Preparing a place for us in the Father's house through crucifixion
- John 14:2-3; 13:31-38 (cf. John 12:23-24)
- 2. Preparing a place for us through resurrection and ascension -
John 14:3-5
- B. His coming
- 1. Coming to us in resurrection - John 14:3, 19
- 2. Coming to us in the coming of the Spirit of reality - John 14:16-18
- 3. Establishing an eternal indwelling in us - John 14:16-18
- 4. Bringing an inner witness - John 14:20; Rom. 8:15-16
- C. Our response
- 1. Faith - John 14:1
- 2. Love - John 14:15