-

 Temples of the Living God (October 5, 2023)

“And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Jeremiah 30:22)

Throughout Scripture, we see the tender truth of a gracious and loving God who seeks a personal relationship with each of His beloved, but rebellious human creations. This sovereign God does not desire to be aloof or distant from us; He wants to be our Immanuel, “God with Us.” (Matthew 1:23) The Almighty Creator of the universe is totally mindful of each of us as products of His unique craftsmanship; He loves us unconditionally and seeks fellowship with us. In Old Testament times, along with the Ten Commandments, God gave Moses the detailed blueprint for the Tabernacle, the residence or dwelling place of the LORD in the midst of His chosen people, the Israelites. More is said about the Tabernacle, the forerunner of the Jewish temple, than any other subject in the Bible, a profound indicator of God’s longing to be in the presence of His children. The Tabernacle foreshadowed the coming of the Jewish Messiah and mankind’s Savior.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Every feature of the tabernacle and later, on a grander scale, the temple prophetically pointed to Jesus Christ, the incarnate God who would come to tabernacle or dwell among us to redeem us of our sins and reconcile us to our righteous Heavenly Father. As a result, God no longer resides in temples made by men, but He takes up residence in their repentant hearts. When we accept Christ as our Savior by faith, our hearts are turned into temples. The Holy Spirit indwells us, sealing our salvation and giving us the assurance of everlasting life. From within, the Holy Spirit gradually transforms us into Jesus’ likeness and divinely empowers us to resist the lusts of our flesh. The believer becomes the temple of the living God! We have “Christ in (us), the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) If you haven’t done so, welcome the risen LORD into the temple of your heart…and rest assured that “He will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

“…be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3: 16-19)



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
  Greet Each Day with Gratitude and Gladness ( March 18, 2024) At the start of and throughout each day, we should all resolve to rejoice with gratitude and gladness for the blessing and beauty of every moment we’re given by a gracious, loving God. Probably penned by King David, the psalmist of ancient Israel, Psalm 118 reminds us that every day is a gift of God that should be celebrated with joy and thanksgiving. Familiarly, the psalmist wrote in verse 24: “This is the day the  Lord  has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. ” Each new day of life is a fresh expression of God’s boundless grace and love for you and me, and we are to receive it with joyful gladness. The L ORD wants us to live each day to the fullest, recognizing that He is the source of all good gifts, and using the time, talents, and resources that He has provided to each of us to honor and glorify Him. Whether the day brings joy or sorrow, we can rejoice that God is working all circumstances to be...
Read more
-
Image
Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Despite the troubles and trials that are a reality of life in a fallen world, faith in Jesus Christ gives every believer ultimate triumph over their temporal earthly circumstances and the assurance of an eternal heavenly home in our Lord's presence. By God's grace through trust in Jesus' supreme sacrifice for our sins, we are reborn spiritually and become new creations in Christ with transformed hearts that desire to love and serve and renewed minds that seek to do God's will, not our own. Good will ultimately overcome evil; faith in Christ is the victory that overcomes the world! Paul said in reference to Jesus in Romans 8:37, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
Read more
-
Image
  Feed My Sheep ( June 14, 2024) “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Just as Jesus came not into this world to be served, but to serve mankind, we have been commissioned to humbly serve our Savior by spreading the gospel. The Good Shepherd has commanded all who have chosen to follow Him to “Feed My sheep.” (John 21:17) If we love Jesus and put Him above our earthly endeavors, the earnest desire of our heart should be to obey His call to feed each other spiritually! “ If you love Me, keep My commandments. ” (John 14:15) After serving His hungry disciples a hearty breakfast of bread and fish roasted on an open seaside fire, the risen L ORD Jesus restored Peter to fellowship after he had thrice denied Christ prior to His crucifixion. Welcoming the impulsive fisherman back into His tender mercies, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Each time Peter responded, “ Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. ” after wh...
Read more