Lesson for August 2, 2026
Our Spiritual Assets — Lesson 21

Indwelling of Jesus Christ

At the moment of salvation, every believer is indwelt by the second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. Christ indwells believers in order to make evident His glory in us. This is accomplished in the life of spiritually maturing believers, as they exhibit the character of Jesus Christ. Our objective as Christians is to allow God the Father to glorify His Son by pouring out fantastic blessings to us. As we move through the spiritual life on our way to spiritual maturity, our capacity to receive blessing from God increases. This increase in capacity sets up the potential of glorifying Christ. The indwelling of Jesus Christ provides encouragement, motivation, and confidence in God and His Word. (John 14:18-21; Ephesians 3:14-21; Colossians 1:27)

Encouragement

(John 14:18-20)

Christ’s indwelling serves as a great encouragement for every believer. Knowing that we have the same destiny as our Savior should give each of us a relaxed mental attitude about the present and the future. Christ was tempted by Satan and remained sinless, by utilizing the power of the Holy Spirit and Bible doctrine. It was the tested and proved life of Christ that became our example for living the Christian life. By an act of our free will, we too can bring glory to Christ. By allowing the Holy Spirit to produce the character of Jesus Christ in our lives, God is glorified. Jesus is the standard to which we should aspire as believers. There is no place for discouragement for Christians who are living the Christian Way of Life. God has given all believers the necessary tools to be successful. Our success as Christians means that Christ is being glorified through our lives.

Motivation

(Ephesians 3:14-21)

The indwelling of Christ provides motivation for living the Christian Way of Life. Our personal love for Jesus Christ should motivate each of us to do our best to bring glory to Him. The unmotivated life dishonors our Savior.

There is no greater motivation than love. It was love that motivated the humanity of Jesus Christ to die in our place. It was love that motivated God the Father to send Christ. It is love for God that is our motivation for wanting to please Him. (John 3:16, 15:13; II Corinthians 5:14-15) The indwelling Christ pours out His love in our souls, as we advance in our spiritual lives. Knowing and understanding the love of God, by means of study and application of Bible doctrine, is our motivation for serving Him. (Romans 5:5)

Confidence

(Colossians 1:25-28)

The word for confidence in Greek is “hupostatis,” the same word used for the Hypostatic Union of Jesus Christ. The literal meaning is substance, essence, foundation, or endurance. Jesus Christ is the very essence of God; He is the foundation of everything that we believe as Christians. His indwelling gives us confidence, and the knowledge of Bible doctrine is how we learn to be confident. There can be no confidence in this life or in the one to come until the knowledge of God’s Word is learned, believed, and applied by persistent study.

Confidence in God brings us hope. The word “hope” in the Scriptures means confident expectation. Through the study and application of Bible doctrine we increase this confident expectation: for this life and for the eternal state. It is this reality of hope that gives us a personal sense of destiny, which is knowing who we are and what we have as a result of being in union with Christ. This is not an emotional “feeling,” but an absolute truth based on our relationship with the indwelling Christ. Our confidence is not in self, but rather in Christ. The indwelling of Jesus Christ is unique to the Church Age in which we live and should be a point of gratitude to God.

Shekinah Glory

(Colossians 1:27)

In the Age of Israel, it was Jesus Christ Who resided in the Holy of Holies in the Temple, as the Shekinah Glory. In the daytime, He appeared to Israel as a cloud and as a pillar of fire at night. He also appeared as a bright light over the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. The presence of Christ guaranteed God’s temporal and eternal blessings to the nation of Israel. (Exodus 25:21-22; Leviticus 26:11-12; Psalms 91:1; Hebrews 9:5)

During the Church Age, the Shekinah Glory of God (Jesus Christ) indwells believers, guaranteeing temporal and eternal blessings. It is no longer necessary for Christ to appear in a cloud or as a pillar of fire, since He has revealed Himself in the Person of Jesus. The Shekinah Glory of God “became flesh and dwelt among men.” (John 1:14) We are now the Temple of God on earth. (I Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 8)

Jesus Christ indwells believers in order to glorify Himself in their lives. As with the indwelling of the Father and the Holy Spirit, we must allow Christ to glorify Himself through our lives. We do this as we abide in Him (fellowship) and His Word abides in us. The word for abide in Greek is “meno,” and means to dwell, to remain, to continue in, to tarry, or to be at home with. When Bible doctrine is “dwelling” in you and you are in fellowship with Christ, the potential exists to glorify Him through your life. (John 15:1-14)

Capacity for Blessing

(Ephesians 1:3)

The potential for blessing is based on the grace of God. A blessing is a benefit bestowed upon the believer by God. Why does God give benefits to believers? When God blesses believers in grace, all the glory goes to God. If believers are blessed because of their good works, all the glory would go to them. Since blessings were given to us in eternity past and based on the grace of God, it is impossible for a believer to earn or deserve the blessings of God. In other words, God does not bless you because of your works, even if they are legitimate divine production.

God blesses you on the basis of His righteousness resident in your soul. This allows God to be just and in keeping with His grace policy (even if you are not living your spiritual life). You cannot coerce God into blessing you by what you do or do not do. However, it is your choice to access these blessings. The way to access divine blessing is to increase your capacity to receive blessing under the filling of the Holy Spirit. And remember that the production of divine good is itself a divine blessing.

Increasing capacity in your life is a grace function. As you consistently study and apply Bible doctrine, you are increasing your spiritual growth, which produces capacity. God is not going to give you more than you can handle. (I Corinthians 10:13) Therefore, divine blessing comes as a result of compliance with God’s system of blessing. But remember, you are the one who must choose to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, choose to study, believe, and apply God’s Word to your life, and choose to allow God the Holy Spirit to empower and guide you. God is waiting to send greater blessings to each of us. (Isaiah 30:18)