Who Are We And What Are We About

Christ's Holy Temple

Gospel preachers make it a point to teach their congregation that the building in which they meet is not the Lord's church. The church is Christ's disciples who faithfully worship and serve according to his will. Paul often likened the church to the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22). To the Corinthians Christians he wrote, "Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof" (I Cor. 12:28). We often remind our members that in the early years of Christianity, the disciples owned no church buildings. They met in homes (Rom. 16:3-5), in schools (Acts 19:9-10) and other similar places. Buildings such as we know emerged in the 4th century.

Given all the above, it is interesting that the Holy Spirit used the metaphor of a temple to describe the church of Christ. Paul writes that we are "being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; in whom each several building, being fitly framed together groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit." In this beautiful passage he likens the church to the Temple of Solomon in which the glory of Jehovah dwelt (II Chron. 5:13). That temple was built of wood and stone. Christ's temple is built of saved people. Its foundation is the apostles and prophets with Jesus himself the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:19-22). The Holy Spirit dwells in Christ's temple, his church (I Cor. 3:16). He does so by dwelling in the heart of each child of God (I Cor. 6:19-20). Peter describes Christians as, "as living stones... built up a spiritual house...to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 2:5).

Paul warned that those who defile or destroy the temple of God will pay a fearful price. God will destroy them (I Cor. 3:16). This warning should strike fear in the hearts of those who harm the church by their teaching and actions. Whether they be legalists or liberals, factious or infamous; be they preachers or laymen, they risk destruction if they do harm to the sacred temple of Jehovah.

In view of these grand truths, how grand and wonderful is the church of Jesus Christ. What a marvelous privilege it is to be a member of his church. Remember that each soul we teach and bring to Christ is yet another living stone set into the sacred walls of His temple. Let us always live in a way that appropriate for one in whom the Spirit of God dwells.

Sincerely,

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