THE HOLY TEMPLE
I Corinthians 3:16-17
"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of god dwells in you? For if anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy."
I
n the Old Covenant, God's presence was manifested in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and later the temple where His Shekinah glory dwelled above the Mercy Seat. But in a vision, Ezekiel saw the glory of God depart from the temple (Ezekiel 8-10). The temple may have looked good in outward appearance, but inside, it was filled with abominations – worship of the sun and gods of foreign cultures. So God removed His presence. He is holy and cannot dwell with the unholy. Then during the Passion Week just before Jesus went to the cross, He took a whip and cleansed His temple which had been polluted by merchandising (Matthew 21:12-13). In the New Covenant, I am His temple, and I have a responsibility to keep myself – His temple – holy. What defiles His temple? When I allow the foreign gods of the surrounding culture (whether the wood, hay, and stubble of materialism, or humanism and secular philosophies) to be the center of my life. Oh Jesus, cleanse this, your temple. Make me holy. But please "do not take cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11).
TODAY'S THOUGHT: We are God's temple and He demands holiness.
Have a holy (wholly cleansed) day. Love you.
I Corinthians 3:16-17
"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of god dwells in you? For if anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy."
I
n the Old Covenant, God's presence was manifested in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and later the temple where His Shekinah glory dwelled above the Mercy Seat. But in a vision, Ezekiel saw the glory of God depart from the temple (Ezekiel 8-10). The temple may have looked good in outward appearance, but inside, it was filled with abominations – worship of the sun and gods of foreign cultures. So God removed His presence. He is holy and cannot dwell with the unholy. Then during the Passion Week just before Jesus went to the cross, He took a whip and cleansed His temple which had been polluted by merchandising (Matthew 21:12-13). In the New Covenant, I am His temple, and I have a responsibility to keep myself – His temple – holy. What defiles His temple? When I allow the foreign gods of the surrounding culture (whether the wood, hay, and stubble of materialism, or humanism and secular philosophies) to be the center of my life. Oh Jesus, cleanse this, your temple. Make me holy. But please "do not take cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11).
TODAY'S THOUGHT: We are God's temple and He demands holiness.
Have a holy (wholly cleansed) day. Love you.
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