Permanent Residence of the Spirit
Just as a home reflects its permanent resident, our lives reveal the indwelling Spirit who has made His home in us forever.
Devotional Credit:
In Christ
By E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit:
Unsplash
E. Stanley Jones reminds us that the church’s unity and permanence rest entirely in Jesus, not in any human leader or system. Using Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:21–22, he draws our eyes to the fact that we are built together into a holy temple in the Lord. It is not the apostles, prophets, or teachers who hold the church together, but Jesus Himself. When the foundation is shifted to people, even good ones, division and instability follow. When He is the center, the whole structure is joined together in harmony.
Jones points out that being “in Christ” is the only way to truly belong to His church. Titles, positions, or lineage cannot make us part of it. The church is the society of those who are in Him. This truth strips away the idea that proximity to spiritual figures or association with religious groups automatically makes one part of His body. Our life in Him is the only qualifier.
The heart of this devotional is that we are “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” This is not a temporary stopover where the Spirit visits now and then. It is a permanent home. The Holy Spirit does not move in and out depending on our emotional state. He has made His home in us forever. To sin Him out would not be a passing stumble—it would require a permanent rejection of Him altogether. The beauty of this promise is that, as believers, we can rest in the security of His abiding presence.
Jones closes with a joyful declaration: if we have Jesus, we have the Father and the Spirit. That means we have everything. Our wealth in Him is immeasurable, leaving nothing else to pursue as a substitute. This is the richest and most secure position in which a person can live—permanently indwelt by the living God.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have made My home in you, and I will never leave you or forsake you. You are not an occasional stop for My presence, but a permanent dwelling place. I have joined you with others in My body, built together in Me, and nothing can tear apart what I hold together.
Your belonging is not based on your standing with people, your role in a congregation, or your record of service. You are in Me, and I am in you. That is your identity, your security, and your place in My church.
I am not a visitor who comes when you are strong and leaves when you are weak. I am your constant companion, abiding forever. This truth is your rest. As you yield to Me, I will display My life through you, uniting you with My people, strengthening you to stand, and making you a living testimony of My presence.
Scripture References: Ephesians 2:21–22, John 14:16–17, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 12:12–13, Colossians 3:3–4, Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:9–11, John 15:4–5
Real-Life Analogy
Picture setting down your suitcase in a hotel room. You know you are only there for a short while, so you never fully unpack. The drawers stay empty, and your mind remains half on the road ahead. But when you move into your own home, you settle in. You unpack every box, hang your clothes in the closet, and place your pictures on the wall. You are not passing through—you belong there.
The Spirit’s presence in you is like that second picture. He has not come for a visit. He has moved in for good. Today, when you face an anxious thought or a moment of uncertainty, you can whisper in your heart, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this moment, for You have made Your home in me forever.”
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that I am not a temporary stop for Your presence, but a permanent dwelling place of the Spirit. I rejoice that I have been joined with others in You, and that You hold together what no one can tear apart. I praise You that having You means I have everything. I rest in the security that You are not leaving, and I yield myself for You to live and move in me today.