The Spirit of Christ

The Scripture reveals that the Spirit of Christ is not identical to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of the Son of God.

The Bible mentions the Spirit of Christ in only two passages of Scripture, both in the New Testament.

According to Peter

Peter said, "Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith - the salvation of your souls. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:8 - 12, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some points of observation:

1. It was the Spirit of Christ in the Old Testament prophets that prompted them to speak of things that never happened to them.

2. It was the Spirit of Christ in them that prompted them to speak in the first person - speaking about things that would happen to Christ - how He would suffer for our redemption and "the glories that would follow".

Here are two examples:

The psalmist David said, "For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots" (Psalm 22:16 -18).

Isaiah said, "I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hid My face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 50:6)

Both David and Isaiah prophesied the suffering of Christ and His death on the cross for our sins.

3. The purpose of these prophecies was for the benefits of believers who would receive salvation later.

4. In a sense believers are the focal point both of the prophets of the past and the angels of heaven. Their eyes are focused on the the believers. The prophets looked forward of the preaching of the gospel (to be revealed later) and the angels desire to look down on it.

Notice that angels are "ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).

What we have received was declared or proclaimed by the New Testament preachers who preach the gospel with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven.

5. I believe the Holy Spirit does not merely speak through the preachers, or through the anointing of the Holy Spirit when they preach. The verse suggests that the Holy Spirit is present there with the preachers when they preach. We come to the conclusion that God never intended the gospel to be preached in any other way. The preachers of the gospel should never be alone. They are in an atmosphere of God's presence by the Holy Spirit - both in them and with them!

According to Paul

Paul said, "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Romans 8:9, 10, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some points of observation:

1. Both the "Spirit of God" and the "Spirit of Christ" are mentioned together in the same verse of Scripture. This suggests the Spirit of Christ is not identical to the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit.

2. A believer is either in the flesh or in the Spirit in his daily living. If the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the believer he is in the flesh. We are talking about the Holy Spirit dwelling or living inside the believer at all times and not just living in the presence (or an atmosphere) of the Holy Spirit.

3. Christ is in the believer by the Spirit of Christ to give the believer life. If the believer does not have the Spirit of Christ then he does not belong to Christ. The Spirit of Christ speaks of the character, personality and other attributes of Christ. Christ-likeness is a virtue of a believer with the Spirit of Christ.

This is consistence with the follow passage of Scripture:

"Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9, NKJV).

Jesus Christ comes from the seed of God and therefore the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of the seed of God. In other words, a believer who has the Spirit of Christ has the seed of God in him. He is made righteous by the Spirit of life (Christ is the Life in him) and therefore he cannot live in sin!