Can the Spirit Depart? 2 Corinthians 6:16

2 Corinthians 6:16 For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”

From our previous study: “The question is not IF the Spirit is active, but HOW does He accomplish His work?” - George Battey DIRECT – miraculous INDIRECT – thru the instrument of the Word of God

IMPORTANT NOTE There is no debate over the fact that the spirit of God dwells within believers. With that being said, is it possible for the spirit to ever depart from a believer?

Image of the Temple Several New Testament Scriptures refer back to the Temple at Jerusalem in relation to: Individual Christians Congregations Church in general terms

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? Individual Christians

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. Congregations

Ephesians 2:21-22 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Church in general terms

Image of the Temple What is the purpose of this analogy? Was the spirit of God found in the Tabernacle? Was the spirit of God found in the Temple?

Tabernacle: Exodus 40:34-37 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. 

“Shekinah” The Jews referred to this as the “Shekinah” glory, from the Hebrew word meaning “to dwell”. Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

Temple: 1 Kings 8:10-11 And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

Solomon’s Desire 1 Kings 8:13 I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever.”

Israel’s Transgressions However, the nations of Israel and Judah refused to do right. Except for a small remnant, the people had chosen to believe that God did not care about their sins.

The Glory of God Departs Notice the following verses of a vision experienced by Ezekiel. The glory of God (shekinah) slowly departed further and further away from the Temple.

Ezekiel 9:9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 

Ezekiel 10:3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. 

Ezekiel 10:4 Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory.

Ezekiel 10:18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. 

Ezekiel 10:19 And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

Ezekiel 11:23 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.

Why did the spirit of God leave? From Ezekiel 8: Great abominations in the Temple court (v.6) Idols and sinful drawings (v.10) Improper worship (v.11) Worship of Tammuz, a foreign god (v.14) Worship of the sun (v.16)

Is there a message for us? Will the spirit of God always remain within a believer? Many in the religious world say “yes”, and this is the foundation of the “once saved, always saved” doctrine.

Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

1 Timothy 1:19-20  having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Can the Spirit depart? Our bodies are spoken of as the Temple of God. Our congregations are likewise spoken of as the Temple. If the glory of God left the literal Temple due to obstinate disobedience, I see no reason why the Spirit would not leave the figurative Temple today for the same offense.

Conclusion I do not contend that the Spirit of God leaves a believer for every sin. However, if a person continues to willfully sin without regard of its consequences, it appears that God will allow him to do so. In this case, the Spirit has been “quenched” to the point that it very well might depart. What a fearful thought! Thankfully, God is patient, but He has his limits.

Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

Conclusion To keep the Spirit active in our lives, we must take action! Give attention to reading (1 Timothy 4:13) Do what the word instructs (James 1:22)