Presence 2!

Presence 2!

Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]? 1 Corinthians 3:16 AMP

Context and Charge:

Paul writes to the church in Corinth, seeking to make them understand their position in Christ, and what that position demands or expects from them. He addresses the church here, people who have been saved, and who are called to dwell in God's presence, and then to serve wherever the master sends them to. It must be noted how the church is described here: it is presented as the temple of God. In the days of wandering in the desert, it was a mobile tabernacle, but Solomon built an edifice as a temple for God. God chose to dwell in it, for as long as the king and people feared God. As soon as they sinned, after several warnings, God allowed the temple to be looted, and all its sacred utensils looted and taken to foreign lands. Now, under the new covenant, I am called, among other things, living stones being built into a spiritual house. In there is my first lesson: being the temple of God these days is not something to joke about; it has both earthly and eternal implications. 

God does not dwell in a place where sin thrives or is encouraged. For God to dwell in a temple, the lives and service of all who subscribe to the worship of God must align with the standards set out by God. I do not get to choose how I will worship God; the temple is not the deciding factor, but it is God who chooses where He will dwell. He has made very clear what His expectations from us are; I have a choice of response, which is to allow God dwell in me, unhindered and unfettered, or to decide to stuff my life with whatever it is that I desire. Like it has been said, these are the only two options available, and either has eternal consequences. This is my other lesson: The Holy Spirit is the seal of God upon a life that God inhabits. It is not the quality of the service I offer in the physical temple that counts, or the volume of the applause that men give for the service that I render. It has to be first and foremost about the views and approval of the owner of the temple.

Conviction and Conclusion:

I note that in the temple described here, the Holy Spirit is presented as dwelling permanently in the lives of every single person who knows that s/he is the temple of God. Interestingly, it goes a step further to highlight the amazing nature of this God. He is also able to replicate his presence on a collective level, as a body of believers in a church. So, I carry his presence, you carry his presence, and then when we come together, whether in a physical space, we carry the presence of God into the corporate space, and the power and presence of God is multiplied. The church is the sum of individuals carrying the presence of God everywhere they go, and it is also the presence of God manifested in the lives of individuals wherever they stand. This is an awesome blessing, as well as an amazing responsibility. It calls for me to be conscious and careful of the power I carry, and to make sure my life is a daily commitment to the expectations of God for me. He cannot and will not dwell in a place that does not reflect who He is. Does my life show him off? God's time of favour is here.