The Temple of God

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)

God’s temple is no longer a building, like the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem. After Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in the hearts of believers, transforming our mortal bodies into the temple of God. We are holy, not because of what we’ve done or accomplished but because of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross.

This truth has a two-fold implication; first of all, we are urged to treat our bodies with reverence and respect. We are exhorted to clean out whatever dishonors God and not defile it through persistent sinful conduct.

Secondly, our bodies are God’s treasure because He lives within us. We are not defined by what we are – our age, our size, our abilities, our skills, or our disabilities. Instead, we are defined by whose we are; God’s redeemed, His precious treasure, His temple, His child, and co-heirs with Christ.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you are worthless. You are worth everything to the One who died for you and lives in you. If you are Christ’s own, then you are priceless. You are so valuable to Him that He willingly came to earth and died for you.

You are His treasure and no one can ever put a price on that!

Thought: “I left… knowing I was a tiny speck of God’s infinite creation yet a speck who had incomprehensible value to him.” Larry Huntsberger, The Fisherman