In the Old Testament the LORD God had a temple for His people; however, in the New Testament He has His people for a temple.
1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV), the apostle Paul says, “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? The reason he can say that is because we have been redeemed by the death of Jesus Christ. Because of redemption, the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in the life of redeemed believers.
We see in the Word of God, before Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the tabernacle and later the temple were given over entirely to God for His sacred use. They were called “holy” because they were separated and used for His purpose and His glory alone. It symbolized the house of God on the earth.
Under the dispensation of grace, the Christian is now called God’s temple. The believer yields his or her whole life, without any reservation to God. Our bodies are sacred temples, holy unto the Lord, and the Apostle Paul reminds us of the importance of this commitment. Romans 12:1 (ESV) says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
When Moses dedicated the tabernacle to God, He filled it with His glory. When King Solomon completed the temple and dedicated it to the Lord. 1 Kings 8:10-11 (ESV) tells us, “And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”
Jesus makes a comforting comment in John 14:23 (ESV), “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” When we believe on Jesus and accept Him as our personal savior, the Holy Spirit of God dwells within us. Romans 8:9a (ESV) says, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
As God took up residence in His temple and dwelt it so He could bless His people, and they in turn could bless the world. The Holy Spirit dwells within the temple of our body, taking up residence, and begins the re-creation of Christ in us, to the glory of the Father. As we yield to His sovereignty, and make ourselves available to Him, He is blessing and changing the world through us. Plus, we have all the benefits of being God’s children and He brings us to the fullness of His life. Praise God.
Blessings,
Pastor Chuck
1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV), the apostle Paul says, “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? The reason he can say that is because we have been redeemed by the death of Jesus Christ. Because of redemption, the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in the life of redeemed believers.
We see in the Word of God, before Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the tabernacle and later the temple were given over entirely to God for His sacred use. They were called “holy” because they were separated and used for His purpose and His glory alone. It symbolized the house of God on the earth.
Under the dispensation of grace, the Christian is now called God’s temple. The believer yields his or her whole life, without any reservation to God. Our bodies are sacred temples, holy unto the Lord, and the Apostle Paul reminds us of the importance of this commitment. Romans 12:1 (ESV) says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
When Moses dedicated the tabernacle to God, He filled it with His glory. When King Solomon completed the temple and dedicated it to the Lord. 1 Kings 8:10-11 (ESV) tells us, “And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”
Jesus makes a comforting comment in John 14:23 (ESV), “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” When we believe on Jesus and accept Him as our personal savior, the Holy Spirit of God dwells within us. Romans 8:9a (ESV) says, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
As God took up residence in His temple and dwelt it so He could bless His people, and they in turn could bless the world. The Holy Spirit dwells within the temple of our body, taking up residence, and begins the re-creation of Christ in us, to the glory of the Father. As we yield to His sovereignty, and make ourselves available to Him, He is blessing and changing the world through us. Plus, we have all the benefits of being God’s children and He brings us to the fullness of His life. Praise God.
Blessings,
Pastor Chuck
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