Thoughts from The Bible

Thoughts from the Bible

Tuesday, 18 March 2025 09:51

The Temple of God
by Joey Carroll Corinth Missionary Baptist Church

The most enjoyable season of life for my wife and I was those years we had our children at home. Older folks would often tell me to enjoy it because it goes by so quickly. Boy, that was an understatement. It certainly seems like it went by in a flash. I miss coming home from work to what was once my family of five. My wife and I still enjoy just the two of us. Road trips and great restaurants are plenty now. But we both willingly confess that the days behind us are our favorite, so far.
If you have ever read the end of the story of the Bible, you know that the ending is the best part. It speaks of a time like no other in history. A time when God will make all things new. A time when all the sorrows and pains of life have vanished. Even death itself will finally be put away, and eternity will begin for those who have trusted in the saving work of Jesus Christ. But the best part about that never-ending season of eternal life is that God will dwell among His people (Revelation 21:1-4). The presence of God, for the child of God, will be the most soul-satisfying experience. It will be a joy and a peace that is indescribable. To dwell with God, there are not enough words to describe the splendor of such an experience. But for those who have been born-again, who are truly a part of the Church, they enjoy that experience in a tremendous way even now.

We have been walking through 1 Corinthians for the last several weeks. And the people in that church had many problems. One of the ways the Apostle Paul addresses those problems was by reminding them of who they were. “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, NASB). What Paul means is extraordinary to consider.

We often use the word “church” to refer to a building or the period of time we have set aside to worship our Lord. But the Bible refers to the church in a different way. The Church is the body of people who belong to Christ. Those people are unique for many reasons, but the greatest reason is that God dwells among them.
Sometimes the original language of the New Testament does not translate so well into English, and this is one of those times. The church is not “a temple of God,” nor is the church “the temple of God.” To translate it correctly, it literally says “the church is… temple of God.” It is a statement of quality, or essence, or nature. In other words, Paul is saying, “Realize who you are. You are the people among whom God dwells!” That is the essence of what the church is, the dwelling place of God. The presence of God which will bring us the greatest joy in eternity has already begun for those who gather in His Name to worship Him. So if you belong to a church that preaches Jesus Christ and Him crucified, you have great cause for rejoicing. God has chosen to dwell among you even now.