You Are God’s Temple

Every Thursday morning a group of men meet at 5:30 in the morning to spend an hour in deep prayer for our church. It is a powerful hour where God never fails to demonstrate his goodness and power. Last week He gave me a word that I feel I need to write about.

While blessing the LORD for who he is a passage of scripture came to mind. It was Exodus 34:5-7

Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. ⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

This is God’s self declaration so this is something we should pay attention to. These are not just attributes associated with God but they are who he is. Each one is co-existing with the others in unison and never at a point of contradiction.

So here is the point. If we believe that we are now the temple of God and his Spirit lives in us (1 Corinthians 3:16) than the declaration God gave about himself should now reflect who we are. These attributes should manifest themselves through us in our homes, church, workplace and community.

If God dwells in us and from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, we should be overflowing with compassion and grace.

Our anger should be righteous but as slow in coming as flowing molasses.

Loyalty and faithfulness should be at the core of who we are. We should stand firm in God and with family and fiends when times are good or bad. We should be dependable and trustworthy.

Love for others should never be lacking but we should have such a wealth of love that giving it away is more a pleasure than a burden.

And when wickedness, rebellion and sin come against us, Forgiveness should reign.
Forgive because you have been forgiven.

The idea of being the temple, the very place in which Heaven and Earth meet, is an amazing truth. It puts us as believers in The Way in a position to partner with God so that his glory, power and love can be shown to the world…one person at a time.

You are God’s temple. He lives in you but He wants you to open the windows so everyone else can see Him through you.