If the Holy Spirit is God, and God can not be in the presence of sin, then how can the Holy Spirit dwell in me a sinner?

Question

If we believe in the Trinity, in essense that the Holy Spirit is God, and we believe that God can not be in the presence of sin, then how can the Holy Spirit dwell within me a sinner?

Answer 1

The idea that God cannot be in the presence of sin may come from the prayer in Habakkuk 1:13. In the NIV it says, "Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil."

The question, then, is, "Is this teaching the God is unable to look at evil?" If it is teaching that, then this would need to fit with the whole of Scripture.

Psalm 139 expressly states that God knows and sees everything that occurs, which would include evil. God also came to Adam and Eve after their sin. He visited Sodom to see the evil that was there. He observed the Israelites fashioning a golden calf and worshiping it. In Job, Satan comes into God's presence and has discussions with Him. Jesus, too, walked among us and certainly was in the presence of evil His whole life.

So, it seems clear that God does see evil and He does allow sin to come into His presence. Indeed, if all have sinned (and continue to do so), God must be able to be in the presence of sin to indwell those who have placed their trust in the redemption of Christ.

A key point here is that those who have trusted Christ are, according to the Scriptures, declared righteous in His sight--forgiven. The debt is fully paid. No charge can be entertained against us.

Now God's work of redemption will be fully complete when He fully removed that which He hates (sin) from that which He loves (His people).

Answer 2

In Job 1 Satan who is the father of sin goes into the presence of God and speaks to him directly. So to say that God can not be in the presence of sin is wrong. The main reason you are asking this question is because you are struggling with the idea that the trinity is real. lets look at Matthew 28:19

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Now if the Holy Spirit is not one of the three persons of God then we would not be asked by Jesus Himself make disciples or baptize them in His name. He (the Holy Spirit) is clearly mentioned as a part of the three persons of God.

Answer 3

God can dwell in a sinner, provided that they have accepted Christ as their personal savior, for he removes us from our sin "As far as the east is from the west, so far He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12) "He covers our sins, blots them out as a thick cloud" (Rom. 4:7; Isa. 43:25; 44:22).