Jul 30th, 2023:
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Cor 3:16
We see from the bible that Solomon’s Temple was the place which was filled with God’s glory. It was built to be the Lord’s dwelling place here on earth among men. It was made by many builders with the finest wood and masterfully quarried stones, overlaid with pure gold. There were hundreds of thousands of sacrifices offered in that temple by many priests. It was the house which was dedicated to the Lord and held the title of ‘God’s House’.
We see in this verse that we, collectively as the body of believers or the church, are the temple of God. We are the temple in which God dwells through his Spirit. He shows his glory to the world in and through us. The people of the world do not have this Spirit dwelling in them, because they did not receive Christ. But we have God’s presence in us, and he dwells in us. God lives in us.
We are individually living stones in this spiritual house (1 Pet 2:5). We are built on the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ (being the chief cornerstone) and those who came before us. (Eph 2:20-22). And this temple is not done yet, it is still growing. We work to build this temple with gold, silver, wood, stone, and other precious materials as builders in the house of the Lord.
We are also chosen as a holy priesthood, as priests offering spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. Through repentance, thanksgiving, peace, and praise offerings we can glorify God in his house. When we gather as a local church, his presence is there. His glory resides. His name is exalted and praised. Let us do just that today! God promises to put his Spirit within this temple.