The Temple of God
“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) The faithful are being used as the building materials of the temple of God, and have been charged with its operation. Historically, the quality of the materials and the skill of the workers have been questionable. God planned for our flawed execution. We must laugh at ourselves and try again.
“We are the temple of the living God. As God has said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them.’” (2 Corinthians 6:16) Dwelling in the faithful, God supplies the power to overcome the temptations of this world. Walking among them, God makes the impossible happen. If I want those things to happen, but they don’t, I must back up and see which of my inaccurate assumptions about life is blocking the way.
“You also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22) As Paul wrote, the foundation is the factual evidence of Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles. The facet of God that lives in the faithful is His power, the Spirit. Yet, we resort to our own power to police understanding of the Bible (or, worse, to accept conflicting statements both to be true), instead of letting the Spirit do its work of reconciliation. Shall we have one temple or many bungalows?
“If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear, for the day will declare it, for it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” (1 Corinthians 3:12 – 13) The dwellings of the Spirit that the faithful help others to build in themselves may survive bad times, or may not. The responsibility is frightful, but building nothing is not an option.
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