Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3 v 17 - 20: "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
1 Corinthians 3 v 16 - 17: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple Ye are."
A Temple is a place where God welcomes man, and is worshipped by man. A place that is holy and set apart for God's purpose and delight. When you are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, God indwells you. This is His continual relationship with you within the temple of your body.
The first Temple was a tent in the wilderness where to twelve tribes of Israel wandered for forty years. It was the pattern for the Temple to be built in Jerusalem. It had the place to which the Israelites brought their sacrifices of lambs or doves. The priests received them then washed their hands in a basin called a lager.
Inside the tent their was an altar containing the shewbread, and in front of the very thick curtain, the altar of incense which burned and was referred to as the altar of praise. Beyond the curtain that was four inches thick interlaced with strands of pure gold, was the Holy of Holies.
This is where the High Priest would enter by being translated through the curtain. He had been purified by various rituals so could not crawl under the curtain. There was no other way in. Inside the Holy of Holies he would bring the blood of the sacrifices to the Ark of the Covenant to make atonement for the sins of Israel for one year. What passed between God and the High Priest was never mentioned.
Solomon's Temple was built in Jerusalem but destroyed during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon when Jeremiah was alive. Daniel was a young man taken captive along with thousands of others.
Seventy years later Daniel and the Persian king Cyrus agreed with the prophecies of Jeremiah that the captive zone Jews return home to rebuild the Temple. This second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD70 and has not been rebuilt.
Jesus had been crucified nearly forty years before this. He died and was resurrected three days later. He had prophesied that the Temple would be destroyed and would be rebuilt in three days. He was speaking of the Temple of His Body. We are the building blocks of the Temple of God, the Body of Jesus Christ.
It is a sacred place that we must keep spotless and undefiled. There is a list of things which must not be found in God's Temple as they do not belong to His kingdom. In 1 Corinthians 6 v 9 - 10 it says: "Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covettous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
We are a kingdom of priests. 1 Peter 2 v 3 - 5: "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
We are a royal priesthood and within the Temple of the Body of Christ we live and move and have our being. We are born again and set apart for God's pleasure in a Temple that will last forever. We must become holy, spiritually clean, acceptable and worthy of our Father and Jesus.
The Antichrist is alive and well on this planet and his agenda to mock the Word of God is well advanced with governments being so corrupt and totally compromised, his evil works are made easy. Through the world of lawyers laws are passed contrary to God's will and those who are defiled and unclean through upholding these laws will regret it on the day of God's judgment.
We want everything that Almighty God has promised us and freely given but there are conditions attached. The above list in 1 Corinthians 6 is what must be excluded from our lives to receive the blessings God promised to the children of Abraham. The list of blessings appears in Deuteronomy 28 v 1 - 14, and very desirable it is too.
The Lord is making it very clear that there is a dividing line between right and wrong. No matter what the world offers in exchange, those promises are empty and are really temptations to lure and distract you from your true relationship with God in your temple.
Jesus was tempted for 40 days by Satan in the wilderness after His baptism. Hebrews says He was tempted in every way that a human can be tempted yet He never sinned because He never yielded to that temptation.
He did this as a baptised human man to show us that water baptism gives us the ability to resist Satan. We still have a free will but any bad habit or wrongful lifestyle CAN be conquered by faith in Jesus and obedience to Him.
Revelations 2 and 3 talks about those who are the overcomers. They have overcome falseness of every kind. In chapter 3 v 12 Jesus says: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God...." Which means that the overcomer will have great power and strength to hold others up to keep them from falling into the traps satan has set.
Ephesians 2 v 19 - 22 : Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."
So let us from today seek to improve our temple through submission, obedience, love, kindness, truth and being spiritually correct. Let our worship be pure and undefiled as we keep our bodies free of sinful behaviour to the glory of God. If we are free of sin we are walking in divine health, like Jesus did.
Prayer: Heavenly Father we are a work in progress and not perfect yet. We thank You for Your love and patience. We want our temple to be a delight to You. Please help us make it so. In Jesus' name. Amen.