Having the Spirit a Test of Being Christ
Romans 8:9
But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you…


Ignatius, the martyr, used to call himself Theophorus, or the God bearer, "because," said he, "I bear about with me the Holy Ghost." And truly every Christian is a God bearer. That man is no Christian who is not the subject of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit — he may talk well, he may understand theology — he will be the child of nature finely dressed, but not the living child. He may be a man of so profound an intellect, so gigantic a soul, so comprehensive a mind, and so lofty an imagination, that he may dive into all the secrets of nature, may know the path which the eagle's eye hath not seen, and enter into depths where the ken of mortals reacheth not, but he shall not be a Christian with all his knowledge; he shall not be a son of God with all his researches, unless he understands what it is to have the Holy Ghost dwelling in him and abiding in him, yea, and that forever.

(C. H. Spurgeon.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

WEB: But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn't have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.




Every Christian Possesses the Spirit of Christ
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