To Be One in Christ: the Parable of Building the Temple of God
We Christians are God’s temple and God’s Spirit live in us:
“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. ” ( 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16-17)
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. ” ( 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20)
“one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ” ( EPHESIANS 4:5-6)
“For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." ” ( 2 CORINTHIANS 6-16)
In the Bible, there are large volumes talking about building the temple of God, purifying the temple of God, and rebuilding the temple of God; these all are the typology of building the temple of God in Christ:
Solomon built the temple of the LORD (1Ki 5-8, 2Ch 2-7); King of Judah -- Joash repaired the temple (2Ki 12, 2Ch 24); Hezekiah purified the temple (2Ki 18, 2Ch 29); Josiah repaired and purified the temple (2Ki 22-23, 2Ch 34) and so on. There are two books --Ezra and Nehemiah that are entirely about rebuilding the temple and the wall of Jerusalem. The prophet book of Haggai is also all about the call from God to rebuild the temple of LORD. God also raised up prophet Zechariah to proclaim the message of rebuilding the temple.
LORD Jesus Christ cleared the temple (Mat 21:12-13; Mar 11:15-17; Luk 19:45-46; Joh 2:13-17). LORD Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead, and raised the temple of God in three days. This temple refers to Christ’s body, and all Christians are members of Christ’s body:
“Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body. ” ( JOHN 2:19-21)
LORD Jesus Christ is the foundation, the cornerstone. We Christians who come to God are living stones. In Christ the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Christ we too are being built together to become one dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit:
“So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. ” ( ISAIAH 28:16)
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” ( 1 CORINTHIANS 3:11)
“As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." ” ( 1 PETER 2:4-6)
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. ” ( EPHESIANS 2:19-22)
LORD Jesus Christ is the great priest of the new covenant. He humbled Himself to be a man and offered Himself to be an atoning sacrifice. The curtain of the temple in the Old Testament was torn in two (Mat 27:51; Mar 15:38; Luk 23:45); we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body. We can commune directly with LORD by Holy Spirit of Christ. We should treasure this status with such a honor. Through Jesus, let us cleanse ourselves and offer to God a sacrifice of praises and thanks, together with sacrifices of doing good and sharing with others and so on to please God; let us be a royal priesthood, a holy nation belonging to living God(2Pe2:9):
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ” ( HEBREWS 10:19-21)
“But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. ” ( HEBREWS 3:6)
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ” ( HEBREWS 4:14)
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. ” ( HEBREWS 13:15-16)
Since through Christ, we become the temple of living God; we should also through LORD Christ, obey the commands and teachings of LORD; cleanse ourselves in Christ frequently; apart from sins and evils, often do what please God. Be always on the watch, do not change the grace of God into a license for immorality. In the past half year, almost on everyday, the message from Holy Spirit’s work is: to build and purify the temple of God. God proclaimed this following warning message through prophet Jeremiah; now, Holy Spirit brings this message again to the Christians nowadays:
“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : "Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message: " 'Hear the word of the LORD , all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD , the temple of the LORD , the temple of the LORD !" If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.
" 'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"-safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD .
" 'Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD , I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers. I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.' ” ( JEREMIAH 7:1-15)
He who has ears, let him hear!
This message is enlightened and guided by Holy Spirit. All praises, thanks and glories be to God!
