Spirit's Indwelling in us God's Temple (12-23-2012)

December 23, 2012 - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

3:16		豈 不 知 你 們 是 　 神 的 殿 、 　 神 的 靈 住 在 你 們 裡 頭 麼 。
3:17		若 有 人 毀 壞 　 神 的 殿 、 　 神 必 要 毀 壞 那 人 ． 因 為 　 神 的 殿 是 聖 的 、 這 殿 就 是 你 們 。

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

We together are God's temple. Indwelt in us is God's Spirit. This is such a honor but also a heavy responsibility for God's people. God dwells in us through the Spirit - that is the marvelous gift that lasts for eternity that no one can take away from us. With the Spirit, we have all God's promises and spiritual blessings and heritages of God. But at the same time, that is such a significant calling to us that we have to live out the holiness of being the God's temple. Especially in this postmodern world, people are living out by their own standards and egos. Church's believers are also subject to this temptation from the world that people are working quite independently and sometimes to the point that causing division and dissent like the Corinthians believers. That really hurts the glory of God and becomes a strategy that the Devil attacks God's church. 

My Spirit, thanks for your warning that God's temple should never be destroyed by our egos as this is the dwelling place of God. I continue to pray to you that you show me the way in my future about your calling for my pastoral ministry. In my past, you have led me to shepherd your church in order to restore the church's health after division. I wonder if this is the major focus of my pastoral ministry from you. But help me to seek and surrender to your will that your glory will be manifested through building up healthy churches and healthy leaders as I work alongside you.