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In order to study what it means to be the temple of God I guess we should
first establish the fact that we are the temple of God:
~~1 Cor 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
~~1 Cor 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
Let's narrow it down even more:
~~1Jo 4:15 “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
What's the best part about being the temple of God? God dwells in
His temple! The Old Testament word for temple is "house" or "meeting
place". The Old Testament word for tabernacle (the tent-version of the
temple) came from “to dwell”. The New Testament word for temple came
from “to dwell”.
Have you ever carefully read the descriptions of the temple that Solomon
built and tried to imagine what it was like? It was built with beautiful wood, stone, precious metals from countries all
around, intricate carvings, and so much more. It was all built to God’s specifications.
In 1962 someone did an estimation of what it would have cost to rebuild it
in 1962 and the cost was between two and five billion dollars!
When the temple was finished the people stood and listened as Solomon dedicated and prayed over
it. Imagine yourself there listening as the prayer is coming to a
close... “Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting
place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be
clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. O LORD God,
turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy
servant.” (2Chr 6:41-42)
Now, picture this in your mind: the next thing that happens:
“Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came
down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and
the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into
the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's
house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and
the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces
to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD,
saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”
(2Chr 7:1-3)
WOW! Try to picture that! When was the last time you felt
compelled to fall flat on your face to worship God? That must have
really been a sight!
The same God who entered the temple Solomon built is the same God who dwells in you! We are the temple now!
Take a moment to think about that.
Now let's look at the wonderful applications that we can extract out of
what God said about and thought about His temple.
In 2Chr 7:15 God responded to Solomon's prayer that he prayed in 2 Chr
6:14-42
shortly after the temple was completed.
God told Solomon, “Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the
prayer that is made in this place.” (2Chr
7:15) That was in direct response to what
Solomon prayed in 2Chr 6:40,
“Now, my
God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent
unto the prayer that is made in this place.”
Just because it is so
powerful let's repeat it to make sure it sinks in: Solomon asked that
God's eyes be open and God said they would be! Solomon asked that God
hear the prayer he was praying and God assured him that He had listened to
it!
Here’s the best part. God said this about the temple that Solomon built.
As we listen, lets think about the application to the temple which is our
bodies:
~~2Chr 7:16 “For now have I
chosen
and
sanctified
this house, that
my name
may be there for ever: and mine
eyes
and mine
heart
shall be there perpetually.”
He chose us!
(“For now have I chosen...this house”) Let's look at another
scripture that indicates we are chosen:
~~Eph:1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”
He sanctified us!
(“For now have I chosen and sanctified this house”)
~~1Cor:6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the
Spirit of our God.”
He put His name on us!
(“For now have I chosen and sanctified this house,
that my name may be there for ever:”) More scriptures about God
putting His name on us:
~~Acts 15:17 “That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all
the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all
these things.”
~~Rev 3:12 “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my
God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my
God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which
cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new
name.”
Who is an overcomer?
~~1Jo 5:4-5 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this
is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that
overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
His eyes are in us!
(“For now have I chosen and sanctified this house,
that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes...shall be there
perpetually.”)
What does that mean about His eyes? We can see people and
situations through His eyes if we choose to do so. Conversely, people
will be able to see Him by looking at us, if we are walking in His will.
Also, we can get a spiritual viewpoint of what is taking place in the
natural because we will be able to see those things through His eyes.
Another wonderful thing that will happen if we choose to learn to listen
to God is He will guide us with His eye. (Ps 32:8)
~~Eph 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and
supplication for all saints;"
His heart is in us!
(“For now have I chosen and sanctified this house,
that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be
there perpetually.”)
The heart is one of the two most important parts of a human.
Thinking about how God created people out of love, God IS love, and actually
feeling God's love wash over me I am sure that the heart is God's most
significant feature and He places it in us!
What comes from the heart? Love, compassion, patience, forgiveness
Think about it! With God's heart in us we can love with the unconditional charity/love that is only from God!
~~1Jo 3:24 "And he that keepeth his commandments
dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by
the Spirit which he hath given us."
So, we are chosen and sanctified by God. He has placed His name on
us and His eyes and His heart are in us. Now what?
What? You think I am going to answer all the questions for you?
Aren't you going to do at least a little of the thinking?
OK, I'll give you a few answers, but you need to allow God to show you
how these things apply in your own life! I'm not going to do that part
for you!
~~Lk:24:49 [Jesus said] “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father
upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with
power from on high.”
POWER!!! That's right!! POWER! He sends power through
us to do His will on earth! We are His spokespersons, His workers, His
vessels through which He works! With His heart we feel His compassion
and love for people. We see what He shows us needs to be done because
His eyes are in us. All we have to do is allow Him to work through us.
~~Mt:17:20 “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for
verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall
say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove;
and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
Uh huh, more of that power! This power is wrapped up in a whole lot
of faith! Once we see what He wants done we will just speak and
miraculous things will happen.
~~Acts:6:8 “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and
miracles among the people.”
Yep, more power. Things that will focus people's attention on God
will be taking place, if we allow them.
~~Jn:14:12 [Jesus said] “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works
than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
Just because I like you, I will give you more to think about. Here are
some more scriptures to ponder:
"Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say,
that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith
unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this
mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know
not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the
Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in
truth."
John 4:20-24
"Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience
to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought
among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, James
answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath
declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a
people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as
it is written, after this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle
of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof,
and I will set it up: that the residue of men might seek after the
Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who
doeth all these things."
Acts 15:12-17
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the
dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
Romans
8:11
"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in
them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will
be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty."
2Corinthians 6:16-18
"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together
groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded
together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."
Ephesians
2:19-22
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be
strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may
dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length,
and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth
knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now
unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us."
Ephesians
3:14-20
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