What does "we are the temple of the living God" mean for believers? The Text: 2 Corinthians 6:16 “What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.’” God’s Dwelling Place—A Consistent Theme • Exodus 25:8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell among them.” • 1 Kings 8:27 Solomon marveled that even heaven could not contain God—yet He chose to meet His people in a house of stone. • The tabernacle and temples were never ends in themselves; they were signposts pointing to a greater, more intimate dwelling. Jesus Christ, the Fulfillment of the Temple • John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” The glory once veiled in canvas and stone now walked Israel’s dusty roads. • John 2:19–21 Jesus called His body “this temple,” forecasting His death and resurrection. • Matthew 27:51 The veil tore top-to-bottom when He died, declaring free access to God through the Son. Believers Now Indwelt by the Spirit • 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 “You yourselves are God’s temple and God’s Spirit dwells in you.” • 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 Each believer’s body is “a temple of the Holy Spirit… you were bought at a price.” • Ephesians 2:19–22 – Together we are “being built into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.” • The indwelling is literal: the same living God who filled the Most Holy Place now resides within every redeemed heart. Practical Implications—Holiness and Separation • Clean vessels: personal purity in thought, speech, relationships, and sexuality. • Separate from idolatry: anything that competes with God’s rightful rule (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). • Reverence: treating my body—and the gathered church—as sacred space. • Stewardship: care for physical health and resources because they are His property. • Witness: a walking temple makes the invisible God visible to neighbors and nations (Matthew 5:16). Worship and Service as a Priestly People • 1 Peter 2:5 “You… are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices.” • Spiritual sacrifices include praise (Hebrews 13:15), good works (Hebrews 13:16), evangelism (Romans 15:16), and obedient living (Romans 12:1). • We no longer travel to Jerusalem; worship happens wherever indwelt believers lift Christ high. Corporate Unity and Individual Responsibility • Together: The Spirit knits varied believers into one sanctuary; division vandalizes God’s house. • Individually: Personal sin grieves the resident Spirit and dims the lamp of witness. • Mutual up-building: discipleship, accountability, and love maintain the house’s strength. Looking Ahead to the Ultimate Dwelling • Revelation 21:3 “Behold, the dwelling place of God is among men, and He will dwell among them.” • Revelation 21:22 “I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” • The present indwelling is a down payment; one day faith will give way to sight, and the entire renewed creation will be saturated with the immediate presence of the living God. |
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