In Me!

In Me!

1 Corinthians 3:16 AMP

[16] 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]?

Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, and it has to first be noted that he was speaking to those who were sanctified, set apart, and made holy in Christ Jesus, and those selected and called as God’s people. These were not just ordinary people who did not know what was at stake, but those who had a personal encounter with Jesus. They had seen, known and experienced His power and so, could not have an excuse for careless living. However, like all things human, one has to constantly evaluate his stand, to be sure you are still connected to the right source. There are times when familiarity and routine can lead one astray, causing you to ignore warning signs and then become complacent and get into trouble. This must have been the case for these Christians, who after starting well, now found themselves in camps and factions, not over something fundamental, but over basis allegiance to men, rather than God. 

I have to consciously and constantly check my life, to be sure that I am standing right. Giving my life to Jesus is critical, as well as remaining IN Him, and not allowing anyone or anything to distract me from my focus. Christ in me means that I now answer to a different master, live by a different set or rules, and now have pursuits and priorities that are different from those I had under the previous management of the world. These are just a few of the facts and truths that govern my new relationship with Christ. It is not the occasional visit, but a permanent residence. It is about constant engagement, which can only be beneficial when both parties are on the same page. I get that when I know who I am, whose.I am, who God is, what demands and expectations are placed on me and how to remain focused on Him to the end. That is a picture of what this new life presents. 

I must be constantly reminded of what this new life entails, so I do not fall short. This new life has some ownership realities, and there is no valid excuse for a child of God not to live up to God's expectations. I am His temple, which signifies a place of worship and sacrifice. Recall the first tabernacle, and the care and caution that went into building and setting it up, and apply these to this new temple. No man dared offer strange, unclean sacrifices, or behave unseeminlgy before God in the old temple. Anyone who did that paid with his life. It is still the same God; He has not lowered the standard, and He will not bend to anyone's will. God lives IN me. That should fill me with the right mixture of fear, awe and joy. It must not make me careless or complacent. God wants to dwell in us; it is His imprint of ownership. Would you let Him? God's time of favour is here.