The authors of Scripture used several terms to describe the relationship between the believer and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself explained it differently on different occasions. To the apostles, He said, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). To the multitude who gathered with Him just before the Ascension, He said, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:8, emphasis mine).

     The apostle John refers to the Holy Spirit as being given to the believer (see 1 John 3:24; see also 1 Thessalonians 4:8). Peter talks about the Holy Spirit being in believers. (1 Peter 1:11)Paul says, "God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts" (Galatians 4:6); in another place he speaks of the believer as the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

     All of these terms lead us in the same direction. The Holy Spirit resides in the believer. The verb used most often to describe this unique relationship comes from the Greek word oikeo. In the New American Standard Bible it is translated "dwell," "indwell," and "live." In the New King James Version it is translated "dwell." Oikeo actually comes from the Greek word for house—oikos. It means "to live in," "reside," or "dwell."
     Oikeo is used four times to describe the believer's relationship with the Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Timothy 1:14). The most descriptive of the four is found in Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth: "Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

     One writer summarized Paul's thoughts beautifully when he wrote, "Clearly, to Paul, to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit is to be inhabited by God. By equating the phrase 'God's temple' with the phrase 'a temple of the Holy Spirit,' Paul is clear: The Holy Spirit is God."
     The significance of the term oikeo is that it speaks of permanency. The idea is that the Holy Spirit takes up residency in believers—forever. He doesn't just pass through. He makes us His home. He comes to stay.

     Paul's reference to believers as temples underscores this point. Having grown up a devout Jew, Paul had a great deal of respect for the temple. To the nation of Israel, it represented the presence of God among His people.

     When Christ was crucified, there was no longer any need for the temple. God no longer needed a building. He was free to take up residency in the heart of man. The barrier of sin had been removed. Man's relationship with God had been restored. To symbolize the change, God tore the veil of the temple from top to bottom (see Mark 15:38). (The veil was a thick drapery separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple.) The fact that it was ripped from top to bottom signified that God, not man, had initiated the change.

     By referring to believers as temples, Paul was announcing that God had changed His residency for good. He had left the temple in Jerusalem and, through the person of the Holy Spirit, had moved into the hearts of His people.