The Church is the temple of God
you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5
In the Old Testament, the temple was God’s habitation and only a few had the privilege of entering the holy of holies. In the New Testament, we become God’s habitation by receiving the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Each of us is called a living stone because the Holy Spirit in us keeps us alive and changing. Together we represent the temple of God where His presence dwells because He doesn’t dwell in buildings made of natural stones any longer but in His people who are the living stones!
It’s important for each of us as a living stone to take our place in the building of God and not fidget or quit! God wants every one of us to do our part in the temple of the living God. This is where we really need to understand our value to God and to His people regardless of whether we feel like it or not. When we see God’s plan and His purpose for the church, we recognize the importance of doing our part within his spiritual house.
It always surprises me on how people can take it upon themselves and decide to leave a community of believers out of hurt or frustration. If we made a covenant with God to be the Lord of our lives, then how can we take our life back when things get difficult? We need to continue to stay faithful to our commitment to the Lord and not do anything out of our own soulish/carnal desire. If we really believe that we are a living stone used in His hands to build a spiritual house, then we also need to trust Him that He knows best where to place us. It may be that for a while we won’t like it or appreciate what He is doing, but we always know that He is at work in our lives as well as in the lives of others. No pain or frustration is wasted if we allow Him to use it to shape us (the living stones) through it.
The church is the bride of Christ
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27
Jesus is coming back for His bride who is without spot or wrinkle. The bride of Christ is a collection of people who have accepted and received Jesus as the Lord of their lives. Jesus is coming back for all of us, and so we all have an individual and collective responsibility to do our part to help the bride be holy and without blemish.
Just as Esther was prepared by the King’s servants to be presented before the king, Jesus gives us everything we need to prepare us for the awesome day when Jesus returns for His bride. There is no competition in this, but collaboration of His people to make the church ready to meet her bridegroom at the banquet He has prepared for her.
For comments please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com.