The Spirit of Christ and the Indwelling of the Godhead

Romans 8:9 “But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

This statement is universal. The phrase “if anyone” includes all people without exception. Therefore, no one belongs to Christ without possessing the Spirit of Christ.

Who Is the Spirit of Christ?

To understand this phrase, we compare Scripture with Scripture. In 1 Peter 1:11, Peter spoke of “the Spirit of Christ” who was in the prophets, revealing beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. In Philippians 1:19, Paul referred to “the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” These are not two different spirits, but one divine Person, the Holy Spirit.

In Romans 8:9–11, Paul uses the titles “Spirit of God,” “Spirit of Christ,” and “Christ in you” interchangeably. This doesn’t mean the Spirit and the Son are the same Person, but that their work and presence are united. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of both the Father and the Son because He proceeds from the Father and is sent by the Son (John 15:26; 16:7).

The Spirit of Christ is not Christ’s human spirit nor merely His influence. He is the Holy Spirit, a distinct divine Person who is one in nature and purpose with the Father and the Son. Jesus Himself said the Father would send “another Helper,” the Holy Spirit, to be with His disciples forever (John 14:16-17).

When Do We Receive the Spirit of Christ?

According to Acts 2:38, those who repent and are baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” receive “the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This is when we receive the seal of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), and it is also when the Holy Spirit spiritually indwells us, but not in the way that we receive miraculous powers (1 Corinthians 12).

This promise is for “all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39). God also gives the Holy Spirit “to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32).

When we are baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3–4; Galatians 3:27), we are united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. Again, at that moment of new birth, God fulfills His promise by giving us His Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, who comes to dwell within us (Titus 3:5–7).

As Paul wrote, after obeying the gospel, we are “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13–14).

How Does the Spirit Dwell in Us?

The Spirit does not dwell in us physically or miraculously, but spiritually, through faith and the Word of God. Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).

Likewise, John wrote, “Whoever keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1 John 3:24).

The Spirit works through the revealed Word (Ephesians 6:17; John 6:63) to strengthen, guide, and transform us. In Ephesians 5:18–19 and Colossians 3:16, being filled with the Spirit is directly parallel to letting the Word of Christ dwell richly within us.

Thus, the Holy Spirit personally indwells the Christian, not through a miraculous feeling or vision, but through the living, active Word of God (the sword of the Spirit) and a continuing life of faith and obedience.

The Spirit’s Work in the Christian

The Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16), leads us in righteous living through the Word (Romans 8:13–14), and intercedes for us when we don’t know how to pray (Romans 8:26–27). Through His presence, we are renewed and strengthened in the inner person (Ephesians 3:16).

The Indwelling of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

The Scriptures plainly teach that all three Persons of the Godhead dwell in the faithful:

The Father: “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:15).

The Son: “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:17; Galatians 2:20).

The Spirit: “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Each Person of the Godhead is distinct yet united in purpose, and each is said to dwell in the faithful. Their indwelling is not physical or mystical but relational and spiritual, realized through the Word and through obedience to the gospel (John 14:23; 1 John 2:24).

The Result of Receiving the Spirit of Christ

When we rise from the waters of baptism, we rise to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). At that moment, we belong to Christ, sealed and identified by the Holy Spirit of promise. The Spirit of Christ within us is not a passing emotion or influence, but the living presence of God Himself, testifying that we are His children and heirs with Christ. As the Great Commission teaches, when we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we become the possession of God, and we are placed under their protection.

Therefore, all who obey the gospel and walk in the Spirit share fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, three distinct divine Persons, eternally united as the one true God. If we don’t have the Spirit of Christ, we are lost.