His Dwelling Place

A truth that absolutely amazes me is that, the God of all the Universe wants to come and live in us, it defies the imagination. Why would He want to do that?

In the Wilderness Moses built a temporary dwelling (Tabernacle) to house the Ark of the Covenant, where the presence of God dwelt. Later King Solomon built a more permanent Temple on top of Mount Zion in Jerusalem, so that God could dwell amongst His people.

God has always promised that He would live amongst His people, but this was just a shadow of what He really wanted to do.

“I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.” Lev 26:11-12 NLT

The whole idea of God having a house where He dwelt always intrigued the Children of God. We first read of it in Genesis 28 after Jacob had his dream of a ladder going up to Heaven.

“Then Jacob woke up. “God lives here!” he exclaimed in terror. “I’ve stumbled into his home! This is the awesome entrance to heaven!” The next morning he got up very early and set his stone headrest upright as a memorial pillar, and poured olive oil over it. He named the place Bethel (“House of God”). Genesis 28:17-19

After Jesus died on the cross, the Temple curtain was ripped from top to bottom and the way was opened up for us to enter into His presence.

“For he has dedicated a new, life-giving way for us to approach God. For just as the veil was torn in two, Jesus’ body was torn open to give us free and fresh access to him.” Hebrews 10:20

However, God had a bigger more amazing plan in mind, and that was to actually live in us, those who were made clean by the blood of Jesus. Jesus said before His death that His Father actually wants to come live in us.

“Jesus replied, “Loving me empowers you to obey my word. And my Father will love you so deeply that we will come to you and make you our dwelling place.” John 14:23 TPT

The Apostle Paul gives us more revelation on the subject when warning the Corinthian Church to be careful with what they did with their bodies. Warning them not to worship idols for God wants to live in them.

“Don’t you realize that together you have become God’s inner sanctuary and that the Spirit of God makes his permanent home in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 TPT Also look at 1 Corinthians 6:19 TPT

We mustn’t forget that we are a place where God wants to dwell and it all starts when we respond to the knocking of Jesus on the door of our hearts and asking Him in.

“Behold, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear my voice and you open the door within, I will come in to you and feast with you, and you will feast with me.” Revelation 3:20 TPT

In the Old Testament, ‘Zion’ was the chosen mountain on which a Temple was built for God.

“For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.” Psalm 132:13-14

In the New Testament we see that this place called ‘Zion’ was just a shadow of the true Zion which is actually His people ‘The Church’. The Church of the First Born, the Heavenly Jerusalem.

“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. Hebrews 12:22

I have been praying a lot about this truth and feel I must share some important revelations with you. My journey all began with a verse in 1 John 2:15

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

What does this mean, that the love of the Father is not in us? Are those who love the world too much, not saved? I don’t believe that this is what it is saying here, but I can see how the love the world and its idols, interferes with our relationship with God.

As it says in Proverbs 4:23 that we need to guard our hearts (our affections) because they affect our lives. It says in 1 John 5:21 that we are to keep ourselves from idols.

There is a whole new level of relationship that we can have with Jesus and the Father when we surrender everything to Him. From personal experience I have now entered into a whole new love relationship with the Father and the Son after throwing away some of the idols that were in my life. I won’t go into details, for we need to personally ask God what idols are in our lives. It’s painful when He puts His finger on certain things but the end result is amazing.

Jesus said in John 17 that He was praying we might know the Father on a whole new level.

“I have revealed to them who you are and I will continue to make you even more real to them, so that they may experience the same endless love that you have for me, for your love will now live in them, even as I live in them!” John 17:26 TPT

Yes. We can experience the same endless love that the Father has for His son, deep inside of us. How? Because we ‘know’ that Jesus is living in us and we experience that same amazing love too, because we are one with Him – His Bride.

I believe that we are in a unique window of opportunity before the Lord’s return where the situation is right to understand this truth. There is an abundance of grace made available to all those who seek Him with all their hearts right now. This is a day where we can know God like never before.

“So when that day comes, you will know that I am living in the Father and that you are one with me, for I will be living in you.” John 14:20 TPT

We then come to the verse in John 14:23 we see how the Father wants us as His dwelling place..

“Jesus replied, “Loving me empowers you to obey my word. And my Father will love you so deeply that we will come to you and make you our dwelling place.” John 14:23 TPT

I can see how we humans are far more precious to God than we could ever imagine and would not believe it unless it was written in His word. Let us not despise this wonderful salvation and be like Esau who sold his birthright for the things of the world. The Spirit not only wants us to know that Jesus is living in us but also the love of the Father.

You can really know this unending love when you know you are one with His Son. Both John 14:23 and Galatians 2:20 confirm this truth that become one with Him. The Song of Songs really confirms this too, but that will have to be another message.

“My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me - we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, dispensing his life into mine.” Galatians 2:20 TPT