We Are God's Temple

The temples of this world will fade away but God's temple will last forever.

Ephesians 2:20-22  Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself.  21  We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.  22  Through Him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by His Spirit.

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In the previous post we saw that God has drawn all mankind to himself from every nation, he doesn't have favorites, he never did. The nation of Israel was chosen as a tool to help us get to know God and what his will is for his people but God never gave Israel exclusive access to himself. God made it clear that he came to save us all and he wants us to be a part of his new temple.

God didn't throw away all of the Old Testament doctrine, they were the beginning of the foundation that would be completed with the apostles. The foundation that was laid by the prophets and the apostles was not composed of tradition, philosophy, or man made laws, this rock solid foundation is based on the great truths which God had revealed through the prophets and the apostles.

On this foundation God is building a new temple, that old temple in Jerusalem is gone, the Romans destroyed it. Jesus taught that Judaism was a thing of the past and that that old temple wasn't going to be needed anymore. Makes me wonder if God used the Romans to get rid of the old temple so that his people would quit using it.

The new temple in which God dwells is not a physical building like the old Jewish temple. It is a spiritual dwelling place that is to be purified and just as sacred as the physical temple was back when it was originally built. God's presence filled that first temple and it should fill us as the new temple.

This foundation is solid.
Isaiah 28:16  Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.

This foundation is something that you don't need to worry about, it has been tested and found to be solid, there isn't any reason to doubt and suspect that it isn't stable. The foundation for this new temple is secure and will stand firm through any storm that may come.

When life comes at us like a hurricane there isn't any need to look for an evacuation route. I need to stand firm and put all doubts aside because my foundation has been fully tested and I know it is secure.

Thank you Lord for the assurance that I will weather the storms that this life throws my way. Thank you for making me a part of your temple where you choose to dwell.

The Living Cornerstone

How could he care about me?

1 Peter 2:4-10 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

6 As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”

8 And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

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The cornerstone of our faith is Jesus Christ, without him there would be nothing to believe in, there would not be any reason for us to have any hope beyond what the rest of the world has.

We are our own temple, each of us is the Lord’s house where he dwells, and each of us is the priest of our temples. Each of us has direct contact with God for the forgiveness of our sins, I don’t have to go to the old temple building and see a man that is supposed to be nearer to God than myself, I have the privilege of going straight to God.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?

Here is a quick Greek lesson. There are two Greek words for temple:

• Hieron: The entire sacred structure, including the courts where sacrifices were offered.
• Naos: The inner sanctuary, the holy place where God’s presence dwelt and where the blood of sacrifices was presented.

As believers, we are called the naos—God’s dwelling place! (Revelation 1:6)

The minister of the New Testament church is not, like the Jewish priest , he is not admitted nearer to God than the people, we all have access!

Christian houses of worship are never called temples because the temple was a place for sacrifice, for us the sacrifice has already been made, we go to church to worship, to fellowship with other believers and to work together to fulfill the great commission.

I am blessed, I am “a somebody”, I am one of God's chosen people and I have direct access to him. As a result, "you can show others the goodness of God" (Verse 9). I am blessed to have such a position that is totally undeserved.

Thank you Lord for my status in your family, help me to show others your goodness everyday!