HIS Temple

….do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

(1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV)

Have you noticed that over centuries some of the most beautiful and magnificent buildings designed by men are temples?  It does not matter whether these structures are currently used or not, places of worship have stood as most imposing and are often visited as museums by travelers.  The constructors of temples use their best designs and ability to make anyone seeing the building, recognize the power and majesty of the one being worshipped.  The appreciation of the owner of the worship dictates the commitment that those who build make, in an effort to correctly reflect their adoration to the object of their worship.  There is a recognition and desire that what they are building is not a normal structure but one which will draw some form of reverence and awe.

On an individual level, we have respect for our places of worship.  Regardless of one’s financial status, each person does their best to clean up physically and hopefully spiritually, in preparation to attending a worship session.  In communities which are financially constrained, there will be a dress or outfit which is set aside for special occasions like going to church, and so the term “Sunday best wear”.  This is the individual’s effort to look their best, hopefully for the one that they go to worship.  It shows an individual’s awareness of the need to appear presentable.  Unfortunately, this concept seems to emphasize physical appearance only. 

Undoubtedly, there is a place for physical appearance, but our reference verse speaks of much more.  We are reminded that we ARE temples, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, of God Himself.  We are living structures as temples of God, owned by Him for His glory.  Often we do not like the idea of being owned, but the truth is that we are not our own, we were created and given life, the breath we have is the breath and life of God, He owns it and if He takes it away, we are no more.  Beloved, this is not to make us feel helpless but to elevate our thinking and acceptance of the honour that God has bestowed on us, that He has chosen to live in us.  When we receive this revelation, we then understand that God does not only live in us but that He expresses Himself through us.  We are not just mere human beings, but we are the habitation of God.  Beloved, let that sink in, God does not just visit you like He did in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8) but He dwells in you continually by His Holy Spirit.  This is a powerful revelation and my heart can only ask as David did, who is man that the Lord God is so mindful of him (Psalm 8:4). 

Temples tell of their owner, what about us noting that we are not our own but belong to God?  We are reminded to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God and that is our reasonable worship (Romans 12:1).  God is interested that He lives in a body which reflects His glory and blessing, He has chosen to live in us that we might declare His mighty works.  That suggests to me that God is concerned with what I do with my body, how I dress it, how I talk, where I take it, He is concerned about everything that you and I do.  It is through us that He is revealed to the world and it is important that we reflect Him correctly in our daily interactions with others.  How we live matters to Him, after all, He lives in us.  Beloved, I cannot overemphasize this, but when we know in our knower that God truly lives in us, we will change how we live, we will walk with our heads held high, be careful of what we say, for indeed, we represent one who is far greater than we are.  It has been said that our lives might be the only bible that some people will ever read - and the question is, what are they reading?

Thoughts:

What kind of a temple are you?

Are you conscious of Whose temple you are?

How will you respond to this reflection?