Discovering God’s Desire to Dwell Within His People
There are moments when we become deeply aware that God is inviting us into something more than information, more than attendance, and more than routine Christianity. We gather around His Word because we want to hear from Him personally. We want our hearts to be moved by His Spirit, our understanding shaped by His truth, and our lives transformed by His Presence. The Holy Spirit has always been central to that invitation because Christianity was never designed to be lived through human effort or religious determination. God Himself has chosen to become personally involved in the lives of His children.
Yet many of us still think about the Presence of God in the language of moments and experiences. We remember times when God felt near, prayers that were answered, or seasons where His work seemed especially visible. The Scriptures reveal a much larger picture. God’s heart has always been set on something permanent. His desire reaches beyond visitation and into habitation. The Father has always desired a people among whom He could dwell and within whom He could live.
This message builds naturally upon our recent teaching, Holy Water: The Living Stream That Flows From Christ, where we considered the life that flows from Jesus into His people. It also connects closely with You Are a New Creation and Worthy Before You Believed, because understanding who now lives within us changes how we understand who we have become in Christ. The Holy Spirit is not a subject reserved for theological discussion. He is God’s present work within His Church and within every believer who belongs to Jesus Christ.
Living in the Reality of the Holy Spirit
What is the difference between the Holy Spirit dwelling within us and the Holy Spirit coming upon us?
Evangelist Piet’s message distinguishes between the Holy Spirit dwelling within the believer through salvation and the Holy Spirit coming upon the believer with power for witness and ministry. The disciples received the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed upon them in John 20, yet those same disciples were later instructed to wait for the promise of the Father and power from on high. The sermon presents these as related works of the Holy Spirit with different purposes in the life of the believer.
Is the baptism of the Holy Spirit still available for believers today?
The message presents the baptism of the Holy Spirit as part of God’s provision for believers today. Acts 19 records Paul asking disciples whether they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed, followed by the Holy Spirit coming upon them through the laying on of hands. Evangelist Piet encouraged the church to search the Scriptures carefully and respond to what God reveals through His Word.
Can I ask Jesus directly to baptize me with the Holy Spirit?
Yes. The closing invitation of the sermon made this very clear. Receiving prayer from fellow believers and church leaders is biblical and valuable, yet Evangelist Piet also encouraged believers to speak directly to Jesus and ask Him to baptize them with the Holy Spirit, trusting Him to fulfil what He has promised.
The Desire for Habitation
One of the great themes running through Scripture is God’s desire to dwell with His people. David understood something of this longing and expressed it with remarkable passion. He was unwilling to rest until there was a place prepared for the Presence of God.
“Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids; Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.” – Psalm 132:3-5 (KJV)
The word that stands out in this passage is habitation. David’s longing was directed toward a dwelling place for God among His people. The sermon draws an important distinction here because the Old Testament often reveals the Spirit of God coming upon individuals for specific purposes and seasons. David himself prayed that God’s Spirit would not depart from him. There was an awareness of visitation, of God coming upon people and moving through them.
The Gospel reveals the fulfilment of a greater promise. God’s intention was always moving toward habitation. The longing of the Old Testament finds its answer in what Christ accomplished through His death, resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit.
The Progression of the Holy Spirit in the Sermon
| Stage | Sermon Emphasis | Key Thought |
| Old Testament | Visitation | The Spirit came upon individuals for seasons and purposes. |
| Jesus’ Ministry | Habitation Revealed | Jesus demonstrated life fully yielded to the Holy Spirit. |
| Christ in Us | Habitation Experienced | God now dwells within believers through the Holy Spirit. |
| Empowered Church | The Spirit Upon Us | Believers receive power for witness and ministry. |
Jesus Revealed the Father
The next movement of the sermon turns our attention to Jesus Himself because Jesus remains the clearest revelation of God’s character and nature.
John 1:1-2 (KJV)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14 (KJV)
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”
The Word became flesh. God stepped into human history and walked among humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. If we want to understand what God is like, we look first and foremost at Jesus. His life reveals the Father’s heart with complete clarity.
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus welcomed those who came to Him in faith. The sick found healing. The broken found restoration. The rejected found acceptance. The message of the Gospel stands firmly upon the goodness of God and His love for humanity. The Father did not send His Son because He was looking for reasons to reject us. He sent His Son because He loved us.
The sermon places significant emphasis here because many of us still struggle with the idea that God relates to us according to our performance. The ministry of Jesus reveals a God who acts from love, mercy, and grace. Our confidence rests in His character long before it rests in our consistency.
The Spirit of the Lord Upon Jesus
Jesus also demonstrated how the life of the Son operated in complete dependence upon the Holy Spirit.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” – Luke 4:18 (KJV)
The sermon repeatedly returns to this truth: Jesus was revealing the Father and ministering under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. He stood before the people and openly declared that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him.
That statement naturally leads to a question for us. Are we willing to believe that God desires His Spirit to work through us as well? Faith grows where the Word of God is allowed to reshape our expectations and enlarge our understanding of what Christ has accomplished on our behalf.
The Mystery Hidden Through the Ages
The teaching then moves to what Evangelist Piet described as one of the great mysteries of Scripture.
1 John 2:27 (KJV)
“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you…”
The anointing abides in us. The Holy Spirit is not distant from the believer. He dwells within us.
That truth opens the door to an even greater revelation.
Colossians 1:26-27 (KJV)
“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 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.”
The mystery hidden for generations has now been revealed: Christ in you.
The sermon lingers here because this truth changes everything. God has chosen to dwell within His people. The Presence of God is no longer confined to buildings or locations. The believer carries the Presence of God into homes, workplaces, schools, businesses, and communities. The Holy Spirit leads, guides, teaches, comforts, and directs His people from within.
There is also a pastoral encouragement woven throughout this section. Many of us can already look back and recognise moments where the Holy Spirit prompted us, directed our steps, or placed something strongly upon our hearts. The invitation is to become increasingly conscious of His Presence and increasingly sensitive to His leading.
Receiving the Holy Spirit Upon Us
The final section of the sermon addresses the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the empowerment that follows salvation.
Acts 19:2 (KJV)
“He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?”
Paul’s question establishes the distinction that becomes central to this section of the message. These were believers, yet Paul still asked whether they had received the Holy Spirit in this way.
Acts 19:6 (KJV)
“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them…”
The sermon carefully distinguishes between the Holy Spirit dwelling within the believer and the Holy Spirit coming upon the believer for power and witness.
This teaching returns to the words of Jesus Himself.
John 20:22 (KJV)
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”
The disciples received the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed upon them. Yet later Jesus instructed these same disciples to wait for the promise of the Father.
Luke 24:49 (KJV)
“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
Acts 1:4 (KJV)
“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father…”
The sermon presents this as God’s provision for power to be a witness and for effective ministry through the Holy Spirit working upon believers.
Scripture Flow Through the Message
| Scripture | Purpose in the Sermon |
| Psalm 132 | David’s longing for habitation. |
| John 1 | Jesus reveals the Father. |
| Luke 4 | Jesus ministers under the anointing. |
| 1 John 2 | The anointing abides within believers. |
| Colossians 1 | Christ in you, the hope of glory. |
| Acts 19 | The Holy Spirit coming upon believers. |
| John 20 | Receiving the Holy Spirit within. |
| Luke 24 | The promise of the Father. |
| Acts 1 | Waiting for power from on high. |
An Invitation to Receive
One of the beautiful aspects of this message is its simplicity. The invitation remains open. If Jesus is not yet Lord of your life, today is a wonderful day to place your trust in Him. If you have never been baptised in water, Scripture encourages obedience in that step as well. If you desire the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the invitation is equally clear.
You may receive prayer from fellow believers. You may ask Jesus directly in prayer. The message repeatedly returns to the willingness of God to give what He has promised. The Father is not withholding Himself from His children.
If this message stirred something within your heart, stay connected with the life of Fountain of Life Church, Harrismith. Each message exists to strengthen our understanding of Jesus, deepen our confidence in His finished work, and help us walk in everything He has provided through His grace. Receive the teachings, revisit the messages, search the Scriptures, and continue growing in the truth that God has made available to His people.
Living as the Dwelling Place of God
The movement of this sermon begins with David longing for habitation and concludes with believers becoming that habitation through Christ and the Holy Spirit. The prophets looked ahead to it. Jesus demonstrated it. The apostles preached it. The Church now lives in the reality of it.
Christ in you remains one of the most profound truths in all of Scripture. The Holy Spirit dwells within the believer and empowers the believer for witness, ministry, and daily life. God’s desire to dwell among His people has found its fulfilment through Jesus Christ, and His invitation continues to call us into a deeper awareness of His Presence and a greater confidence in His work within us.
Bible References
- Psalm 132:3-5 (KJV)
“Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids; Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.” - John 1:1-2 (KJV)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” - John 1:14 (KJV)
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” - Luke 4:18 (KJV)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” - 1 John 2:27 (KJV)
“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you…” - Colossians 1:26-27 (KJV)
“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 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.” - Acts 19:2 (KJV)
“He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” - Acts 19:6 (KJV)
“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them…” - John 20:22 (KJV)
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” - Luke 24:49 (KJV)
“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” - Acts 1:4 (KJV)
“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father…”
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