I conclude this series of blog posts by commenting on how the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in repentant believers is manifested. The Apostle Paul admonished believers to walk by the leading of the Holy Spirit, as did the God-Man Jesus Christ. In doing so they manifest the fruits of the Holy Spirit. These include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The Source of these effects is the character and living presence of Jesus Christ. Desires of the flesh reflect an attitude of defiance to God. Believers who live in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit are “sealed,” signifying that God has ownership of them.
Paul also taught that spiritual gifts are given to believers for the benefit of the whole Church. The gifts are supernatural, Spirit-given abilities that are addressed in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. The gifts are given by one Spirit for the common good, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. These include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy. the discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues, service, teaching, encouragement, sharing, leadership and showing mercy. We are designed to need each other and to serve one another. Communion and companionship vertically between the Christian and the Father will always include a horizontal relationship in love among the saints.
It is my hope that what I have shared in this series of blogs is helpful for an understanding of what it means to be indwelled by the Holy Spirit. How does the indwelling relate to the human spirit and soul, and how does communion occur in our time between the Holy Spirit and the human spirit and soul? It is a communion actualized by the transmission of meaning in neural codes through God’s created synaptic networks. It is a bidirectional dualist interaction between the immaterial Mind of God and mind of Man and the exquisite material mechanisms of the human brain.