Thoughts from The Bible

Thoughts from the Bible

Monday, 24 March 2025 08:28

The Temple of God, Part 2
by Joey Carroll Corinth Missionary Baptist Church

The people among whom God dwells. Last week, I tried to help us understand that this is Paul’s way of defining the Church in essence. Church is not somewhere we go nor something we do on Sunday morning. The Church, local and universal, are those who have been purchased out from among men by the blood of Christ, who have been set apart for the worship and service of God, whom God has chosen to dwell among uniquely. That reality has profound implications.
In the Old Testament, God chose Israel out from among all the other nations to be His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6). He rescued them from slavery in Egypt and, in spite of their stubborn ways and rebellious hearts, He fulfilled His good promise to them and brought them into the land that flowed with milk and honey. He told Israel that He would dwell among them, and He would be their God, and they would be His people. And since He was going to dwell among them, they were commanded to be holy because God Himself is holy (Leviticus 11:45). How were they to live holy lives? That was the purpose of the Law of God. It instructed the people in how to live now that God dwelt among them. We know them as the 10 commandments, but the Law that Israel was given contained some 613 “do’s and dont’s.”

Violations of the Law were violations against the holiness of God. Therefore those violations could only be atoned for by death, so God gave them the sacrifices. However, there were times when the holiness of God was so offended, immediate death was the result. A very graphic example of this is found in Leviticus 10. The sons of Aaron the priest, worshipped God in a way that God did not prescribe. The Bible says they offered “strange fire” (Leviticus 10:1-2). His holiness was offended and both sons were immediately consumed with fire. The reason I mention this is because I want you to understand what a serious issue the holiness of God is.

We find in both Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 that angels never cease to praise God saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.”
If all of that sounds fearful, it should. But it should also make us so thankful for what we have found in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. When He died on the cross, He not only took our sins upon Himself and died in our place, He also gave to us His righteousness or His holiness. It was the greatest exchange that is greatly unfair. Our sins were given to Jesus, and in exchange, He gave his holiness to us who have faith alone in Jesus alone. Literally, sin was exchanged for holiness. We should worship and serve our Lord forever for what He has done in His love.

But all that brings us back around to 1 Corinthians 3. Two weeks ago, I described the judgment that awaits careless preachers who choose to lead the church according to anything other than the Word of God. Whether they are good intentioned or not, they will suffer loss if they fail to teach the Church the Word of God (1 Corinthians 3:15). However just two verses later, we have this stark warning. “If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are,” (1 Corinthians 3:17, NASB). The Church is the people among whom God dwells; therefore, she is to be holy. And God Himself has made the Church holy through the work of the Son on the cross. However, for those who lead the Church in a way contrary to the holy character of God, this warning is given. God will destroy that person.