Leading vs Indwelling

Guest Post by Dr Alan Tun

Leading vs Indwelling

At the last supper, on the eve of Passover (Christians call it Easter), Jesus’ disciples were sad because their Leader, having led them for three years, had told them that he would not be doing this anymore. How were they going to follow a leader who was going to be in heaven? Previously when Jesus went to Jerusalem, they went to Jerusalem. Now he was going somewhere they couldn’t follow. Many Christians today face the same problem. They want to follow Jesus, but he’s left.

The truth is, Jesus said: “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you” (John 16:7). The Helper is the Holy Spirit, who came on the day of Pentecost. He is not here for us to follow him; he is here to indwell us. That is why we are called Christians, “little Christs”. So now, what we do is not based on copying what someone else is doing, trying to behave the way someone else behaves (even if he is the Son of God) but letting Christ, who dwells within us, do things through us.

Paul said: “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). Who lives your life? That is the message of Passover. Other religions try and change your behaviour; Christianity changes you. By dying on the cross, Jesus changed from leading his disciples to living in them.