Alba 3-16-2025
GOD'S TEMPLE
I Corinthians 3:16-17
Throughout history people have created structures to be used as places of worship, and offer sacrifices, and to meet with their god or gods. When the children of Israel were still in the wilderness, after leaving Egypt, God gave instructions how to construct a Tabernacle as a meeting place for worship and service. In Exodus 29:43 God said, “And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.” The Tabernacle was a tent that could be moved as the people moved. Finally they were able to get to the promised land.
One day King David looked at his palace made of cedar and thought “It’s not fair that I live in this wonderful palace, but the Ark of the Lord dwells in the tent.” So he desired to build a temple for the Lord. But God told him that he would not build that temple, instead his son, Solomon, would. Solomon did build that temple as a permanent House of the Lord, and dedicated it to God where people could come and worship, pray and sacrifice to the Lord. The Temple was constructed to be the dwelling place for God among His people.
On the Day of Dedication, God filled the Temple Courts with His presence. Israelites from all corners of the Kingdom came to the Temple to worship and sacrifice to God. The Temple was made to be a place of holiness, dedication, consecration, and worship. The Temple was the dwelling place of God. In those days you could walk through Jerusalem and see the Temple and know that's where God was. In our text for today, the apostle Paul makes the amazing claim that now the church is God’s temple. And we’re not talking about church buildings or services, we are talking about the community of people.
I Corinthians 3:16-17 says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” God doesn’t need a physical temple anymore, because you and I are it! The first thing we see is that Scripture clearly says...
1. Christians are God's Temple
The same Greek word for “temple” used here is used in other New Testament passages to refer to the physical Temple in Jerusalem, such as in Matthew 23:16. However, in this context, believers are now God's dwelling place. God’s will, His plan, is for us to be a holy temple in which He may dwell.
a. What is the temple of God? Remember that it is a place of worship. When Solomon prayed at the dedication of that first temple, he was amazed at the greatness of God and said, “Lord God of Israel, there is no God above or on earth below like you.” Then he said, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” (I Kings 8:23&27)
I think Solomon was right to feel small in the presence of God. And yet now, scripture tells us that this very God is willing to live in us! So we should be a place where God is worshiped in our lives. That means more than just singing some hymns and praise songs. Worship is to be a way of life.
b. Again, what is the temple of God? It is a place of sacrifice. Those sacrifices began in the Tabernacle and continued in the Temple. All the sacrifices were put in place to break down the barrier between God and mankind. Sin, even unintentional sin, could be put under the blood of the sacrifice. This is a powerful image that underscores the importance of the death of Jesus on the cross, and the sacrifice of Himself for us, so that our sins could be forgiven.
Then because of what Jesus has done for us, Romans 12:1 calls us to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Notice, we don't have to be put to death on an altar in order to please God. We are to live for Him. And Hebrews 13:15 calls us to “continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” And verse 16 tells us, “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” In other words, as the temple of God today, there are sacrifices that we should give. Have you given God a sacrifice of praise lately? Have you offered the body in which you live to be a place of reasonable service to God?
We who are in Christ are God's temple and therefore we should be a place of worship and sacrifice. And again lets ask, what is the temple of God?
c. It is a place of prayer. Do you remember what Jesus did shortly after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem? He went to the Temple. And what did He find there? It had become a market place instead of its intended purpose. That day Jesus was not the meek and mild Savior that is often pictured. On that day He took action. Matthew 21:12-13 tells us, He “drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
Indeed it was “written”. Because Isaiah 56:7 records that God said, “For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” In the Old Testament the Temple was a place for people to come and talk to God. Because we today are God's temple, we also need to be a place of prayer, where conversation with the God of the universe takes place. It is simple to do. It does not take fancy words. God won't be impressed one way or the other by the words we say. He just wants us to talk with Him.
Because God has called us (individually and together) the temple where He dwells, we then need to be: A place of worship. A place of sacrifice. And a place of prayer.
The second thing we see is that scripture clearly says...
2. The Spirit of God Dwells in the Temple
Verse 16 says to Christians, “you are the temple of God and... the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Fort Knox has been in the news lately. When we hear “Fort Knox” it captures our imagination, because just hearing the name Fort Knox brings to our mind images of huge stacks of gold (at least we hope the gold is all there). We think of Fort Knox as a place that holds items of great value. And that’s the kind of imagery that God uses to describe each of us. We have a treasure in us.
With the Spirit of God now dwelling inside each saved person, God is closer than He has ever been. In the Garden, God talked with Adam and Eve. And God spoke directly to people like Noah and Moses. God also spoke to people through the Holy Spirit inspired prophets. But now, from Pentecost forward, the Spirit has moved into us to dwell in us.
And we know how it happens. In Acts 2:38, when people were presented the gospel, “Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'” Then Romans 8:9 says, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”
Have you wondered why you haven't had some big spiritual experience like Paul did on the road to Damascus, or the apostles did in Acts chapter two? But think, we don’t read of Timothy ever doing any miracles. We don’t read of Silas, Titus or the church leader James, the brother of Jesus ever doing a miracle. The truth is, having some miraculous sign was not the mark of every disciple of Jesus.
Henry G. Bosch said something that connects with where we are sometimes. He said, “Perhaps you have experienced the new birth and you have Christ’s Spirit living within you, yet you feel so powerless. The reason may be that though you have all of His Spirit, His Spirit does not have all of you. All your ambitions and desires must be submitted to His control. The greatness of the power and effectiveness of your service for Christ is in exact proportion to the measure of your surrender to Christ.” Strong words, but true.
Do you know what the Holy Spirit really wants to do in you, what experience, or work He wants to do through you? The answer: the Holy Spirit wants you to be so connected to Him that He produces His fruit in your life. Galatians 5:22-25 tells us what that is, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
That is the work the Holy Spirit wants to do in us today. Yes, God's Spirit gives us power to turn from temptation. Yes, we have the Spirit praying for us when we don’t know what to say. And yes, the Spirit is the seal that we will live eternally with the Father. But the way the Spirit is seen in us today is when His fruit is produced in our life. If you are a blood bought, born again, baptized believer, the Holy Spirit lives in you and wants to be seen through you. God's Spirit dwells in His temple, and that is what you are.
The third thing we see in our text is that scripture clearly says
3. The Temple of God is Holy
Today we sang the hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy”. We sang it about and to our Lord God Almighty. Holiness belongs to the Lord, and it is right for us to call Him holy. But here in this message I want to use three words that sound alike but have different meanings. The words are Holy, Holey and Wholly. Now, just to hear those words, it is hard to tell the difference. But there is a difference. Lets talk about them.
a. “Holy” (spell it). The idea behind the word holy is “separate”. As it is applied to God, it describes God's “apartness”. It means that God is different than mankind and all others; different in His being and different in the greatness and majesty of His attributes. He has a righteousness unlike any other; a justice unlike any other; a purity unlike any other; and love, grace, and mercy unlike any other.
(Source: Enduring Word Commentary on Leviticus 19 by David Guzik)
And, as the temple of God, we are reminded by Peter, there in I Peter 1:15-16, that we need to, “be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'” We do not become holy simply by being in a church building, or coming to services, or by being around the things of God. It is God who makes us holy. We cannot sanctify ourselves. Holiness happens when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in cleaning up our lives so that we can be all that God wants us to be. Holiness happens when we offer ourselves to God, to be slaves of righteousness in obedience to Him. Because we are made in the image of God, we can follow in His steps and also be holy. But sometimes we are...
b. “Holey” (spell it). In other words, full of holes. Arthur Moore loved to tell the story of a man who had been away from his home church for some years, involved in all kinds of shady practices and criminal activities. But when he came back to his home church and testimony time came, he was ready. He stood and said, "I’m so glad to be back in my own church, and I want to tell you that while it’s true that I have beaten my wife, that I have deserted my children, that I have stolen and lied and done all manner of evil and served several terms in jail – but I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that not once, in all that time, did I ever lose my religion!"
In verse 17 it says, “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him”. God's temple, our body and our church, is to be holy and sacred.”
Paul warns the Corinthian church that sin, immorality, dissension, and division will destroy God’s temple. These Corinthian Christians were at each other’s throats. They were fighting each other; and as a result, they were in danger of destroying each other. They were in danger of destroying God’s Temple, which is what they were. Since we are to be holy because God is holy, we must guard ourselves against being defiled.
The word “defile” and “destroy” are from the same word. They speak of “spoiling, ruin, or corrupting.” Paul is saying that when we take holiness lightly, God takes it seriously. As that little song says, “Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear. And be careful little tongue what you say. For the Father up above is looking down in love.” So be careful!
There is one more word that fits here. It is...
c. “Wholly” (spell it). It means completely. We are called to be wholly sanctified, fully committed to our Savior in thought and action. Ray Stedman told of hearing an airline stewardess tell of the day she was serving coffee on a plane, and as she came down the aisle she stopped beside a man who smiled at her and made a lewd suggestion to her. It shook her, and she did not know what to do for a moment. She turned, and went to the back of the plane to recover herself, and she prayed and asked God to show her what to do.
When she believed she had the proper answer for the man, she returned and knelt beside his seat. She looked him right in the eye and said, “Sir, I saw what you showed me and I understand what you mean, but there is something you need to know. I am a Christian, and my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God says He is going to destroy anyone who damages His temple.”
The man began to stammer out an apology, and she said, “I understand. Don’t say any more. I just want you to know that.” You see, she was able to take that bold stand because she understood that God’s Spirit was within her, and she desired to be holy as God is holy.
When Solomon and the people had the dedication of that first temple, God told them that nothing unclean was to be allowed there. Sacrifices were to be spotless, flawless. Everything was to be done with reverence and fear.
Now, there is a temple in which God dwells, and which should be dedicated as a house of the Lord Jesus Christ, a place of holiness and peace, set apart from the world. That temple is each and every Christian. Each and everyone of us.
So remember, as verse 17 says, “the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
CLOSE:
Did you know that the Old Testament Temple was only 30’ wide by 90’ long, a mere 2700 square feet. It was not much larger than many homes today. It has been estimated that to rebuild the Temple, by the directions in the Bible, would cost today about four billion dollars!
It would take incredible amounts of gold, expensive wood and tapestries, and the finest stone. It was the most expensive building per square foot ever built. The Queen of Sheba saw it and was amazed.
And now, we have become the dwelling place of God!! We are of great value to God as the place where His Spirit takes up residence.
Therefore, we should allow God’s presence in us to help us to change every day, so that we will grow to be more and more like Him in His holiness.
(Adapted from Guy McGraw, sermoncentral.com)
