Does the Holy Spirit come and go depending on obedience or disobedience?

Eternal Life is not a measure of time. Instead, it is a measure of quantity. Examine closely its description in scripture and you will soon agree (Mark 10:30, John 3;15, John 4:10, John 4:14, John 6:27, John 7:38, John 10:28, John 17:2, 1 Timothy 6:12, Revelation 21:6) . It is described more often as water than any things else. Jesus describes it as a wellspring of water that flows within you. It is as a type of fountain that constantly flows. It is as a river that never runs dry. It is always described as a substance that can be held in your hands. The Holy Spirit and Eternal Life are one in the same. Therefore, I would not say that the Holy Spirit “comes and goes”. Just as the life of the vine is distributed to its branches so long as the branches are attached, so is ones Eternal Life distributed in the form of the Holy Spirit, as long as he remains in Christ (John 15). If the person should be removed, due to disobedience, then any Eternal Life that he possess at that time is consumed, with no replenishment. This would be the same as when the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, because of his disobedience.

Colossians 3:24-25 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

As the passages above from Colossians reveals, the Holy Spirit, which is the reward of the inheritance, is given by measure based upon obedience. The disobedient do not receive the Holy Spirit, but instead receive their just reward. The sin unto death occurs when a child turns his back on God and returns to the lust of the world, on a permanent basis. The obedient have, as Peter says, ceased from sin, although they still commit sin. Those who have ceased from sin are the converted, obedient, children. Even though they continue to sin, the difference is that they identify their sin, confess their sin, ask for forgiveness, and repent of it. The disobedient children give it no thought and are not bothered by it.

Take two children. You tell them both to perform a particular task. One rebels and resists and refuses to do the task. The other one tries with all his might to do as he is told and to please you, yet despite all his effort, he is unable to accomplish the task. The task is not accomplished by either child, they both fail. Yet, we have an example of both the obedient and disobedient children of God.

Scripture reveals that the Holy Spirit is given in measure. Scripture also reveals that we can quench the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we can quench the Spirit in certain aspects of our lives, or completely. We must put on the new man. As we put on the new man the old man is removed. As we put on Christ the carnal man is subdued. We must always move closer to the light and away from darkness. These are all examples of our being filled with the Holy Spirit. These are all examples of the quantity of the earnest of our inheritance. These are all examples of our taking possession of Eternal Life. We must not become content with were we are. With each step we take closer to the light, we must give up an equal amount of darkness that still remains in our lives. This is why men love darkness more than the light. And this is even true for my self. I have come so far toward the light and have given up so much that it makes the next step even harder. I wonder what I will be required to give up next, having given up so much already.

These things work in the opposite direction as well. If we move away from the light and begin to love darkness instead, the light is dimmed and the darkness grows. If we begin to love our earthly life more than our Eternal Life, then we begin to die spiritually. If we walk according to the flesh instead of the Spirit, then the Spirit is quenched. If we begin to put the old man back on, then we must take off the new man to make room.

1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.