-

 


 

The Temple of the Heart (May 16, 2024)

“And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods.” (2 Chronicles 2:5)

The ancient nation of Israel reached its peak of world renown under the reign of King Solomon, the son of David, God’s beloved servant. Not only did the LORD give Solomon matchless wisdom, unprecedented riches, and restful peace with surrounding nations but the prestigious Hebrew monarch was privileged by God to build Israel’s first temple, a magnificent structure that became the center of worship and assembly of the Jewish people. In the Holy of Holies, the innermost room and most sacred area of the temple, God's presence rested. Only the high priest was allowed to enter this hallowed place, once per year on the Day of Atonement, carrying the blood of a sacrificial lamb and burning incense.

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Corinthians 6:16-17)

When the Lamb of God Jesus Christ…the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant that a descendant of King David would sit on the throne of Israel forever…died on the cross to free believers from the penalty of sin, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. This divine consequence of the crucifixion symbolized that the followers of Jesus henceforth, as kings and priests like our Savior, would have direct access to God. We can come anytime into the presence to the heavenly Father by faith in Christ through whom we have received God’s grace and His gift of eternal life. On this side of the cross, God does not dwell in temples made by human hands. Divinely inhabited by the Holy Spirit, our hearts have become the holy temples of God!




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
  Not My Will… ( March 29, 2023) “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Before His unjustified arrest and brutal crucifixion, Jesus—knowing the extreme suffering that He was about to endure for mankind’s salvation—retreated to the Mount of Olives to take His anguish to His Father in heaven through prayer. While His disciples slumbered nearby in the Garden of Gethsemane, our L ORD, showing His humanity, sweat great drops of blood as He pleaded with the Father to make another way if possible. In absolute obedience, however, Christ surrendered His will to that of the heavenly Father and willingly completed the mission for which the Son of God had been sent to earth—to enter humanity as the sinless suffering servant required for the redemption of our sins.  “But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” ...
Read more
-
Image
  What a Waste! ( April 17, 2023) “ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ” (1 Peter 5:6-7) In terms of personality types, many of us could be categorized as worriers. Looking back over my life and considering the frequency with which I have engaged in the futility of worry without any benefit, I have to think, “What a waste!” Worry—defined as a state of anxiety or uncertainty over actual or potential problems—is worthless! We all have many legitimate personal concerns that prompt us to worry about our loved ones, our health, our jobs, our finances, our personal safety (especially in today’s lawless society), and countless other circumstances. However, these anxieties can hinder our spiritual development as Christians and damage our personal testimony. Worry is rooted in fear that conflicts with who we are as children of God. By faith in Jesus Christ, we’ve place...
Read more
-
Image
Our Wonderful Savior ( April 5, 2023) “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2) When I stand watching a glorious Easter sunrise and rejoicing that my personal Savior Jesus Christ lives, my heart is flooded with gratitude for the sacrifice that my risen L ORD made for me. My mind is overwhelmed when I consider the enormity of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection through which believers have been freed from the bondage of our sin and raised with Him to eternal life. I cannot begin to humanly comprehend the physical and mental suffering and shame that the Son of God willingly chose to endure to redeem us of our sins, reconcile us to t...
Read more