Your Body Is a Temple of the Holy Spirit
Introduction: We have been looking at key themes or primary messages that the apostle Paul used in the Corinthian letters in order to bring the Corinthian Christians to understand what it looks like to be a disciple of Christ. Paul began the letter with, “…to those sanctified in Christ, called to be saints…”
Paul’s words to the Corinthians are so needed today! The problem is we tend to easily miss Paul’s foundational messages because of the tendency to focus on the individual sins being committed at the church.
Paul’s subtle emphasis is training their hearts to be in line with the life of Jesus. Many of Paul’s short words/phrases are delivered almost “off the cuff,” but have deep meaning for the way we should live.
In this lesson, we will explore a phrase used twice in Paul’s first letter: “God’s Spirit dwells in you.” This picture of “indwelling” is critical to understanding what it means to live as saints. The phrase is used in 3:16 to refer to the church as a collective, and in 6:19 to refer to the body of the individual Christian.
So, how do we make sense of the Holy Spirit in our lives today? And possibly more importantly, how can we explain this to a friend in a way that can be simply understood?
Notice that Paul’s emphasis on the power of God’s word was prefaced by this text. In contrast to the “tablets written on stone,” Paul has revealed the Lord through the words of the Spirit that is written on our hearts, and thus transforms us from one degree of glory to another.
When we understand this text, we then have an “aha” moment that goes back to what Jesus said to Nicodemus and then was repeated by NT writers:John 3:3-8 “Born of water and the Spirit” is a direct reference to Ezekiel 36 where the Lord prophesied of cleansing us by “sprinkling clean water on us,” and then changing our hearts and our desires by “putting his Spirit in us.” Titus 3:3-7 “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” We see the same principle of God cleansing us and then renewing us by the Spirit.Ephesians 3:14-21 We could spend our whole time just in this text, but for now the following phrases:First, “strengthened with power through his Spirit” (verses 16, 18, 20).Second, notice the purpose: “that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” To be filled with the fullness of God is to have a total transformation into his image.The Spirit in God’s Abiding Presence6:19-20 We spoke about this text last week. Our bodies are connected to Christ (15), owned by Christ, and dwelled in by the Spirit. Therefore, we cannot take our body, which is dwelled in by the Spirit of the Lord, and join it to sexual immorality. To refer to us as individual “temples” of the Holy Spirit within us remind us of God dwelling with his people in the OT tabernacle/temple. (Exodus 25:8). When the tabernacle/temple was completed, God filled it with his glory. So we as God’s temples are also filled with God’s glory and through us God is praised and glorified.When Acts 2 portrays a rushing, mighty wind and tongues of fire resting on the apostles, we are reminded of the pillar of fire and the cloud resting over the literal tabernacle in the wilderness. This was an obvious sign that God was building a new temple (Eph. 2:20-22) where God again would dwell with his people. However, this new temple indwelling would be an escalation over the previous in that God is not only dwelling with us collectively but also dwelling in us individually. Cf. Isaiah 4:3-5Implications of the Spirit’s PresenceWhat is the purpose of this indwelling? If we will take a moment and consider the implications of God’s presence with Israel in the OT and the consequences of God removing his presence, we will grasp the importance of the Spirit’s indwelling. When God was with Israel, he led them, provided for them, protected them, and instructed them in the way of righteous living so that they could live in peace and joy. Jerusalem and the Temple Mount became a heavenly place on earth. The temple presence of the Lord was a matter of great comfort to Israel. During times of trial and threat from the outside, they could look to the temple and pray (Cf. Romans 8:26) and know that God was with them (1 Kings 8:27-30). You may remember that Ezekiel 40-48 gives an elaborate picture of the future Messiah’s Temple. Therefore, that little OT tabernacle/temple is portrayed as a massive picture of the future world being filled with the glory of God. However, the followup to enjoying God’s presence and indwelling is God’s repeated warning of removing his presence if we persist in sin. When Israel determined to live according to their own desires, God removed his presence and Israel became corrupt and lived in misery. As Moses said to Israel in Deut. 30:19, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse, therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live…” These same blessings and curses are laid before us today. The Spirit’s presence dwelling with us signals God’s care for us and his covenantal blessings he has promised us.Ezekiel 9:1-11This lesson is important for all of us, but there is an especially important takeaway for those of you are young. There should always be in you a strong motivation to never lose God’s presence with you, the indwelling of the Spirit. This should weigh heavy on your conscience. Do not deceive yourself! Paul said, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 5:6). People like to talk about whether the Holy Spirit is literally inside of us. I don’t believe that is a pertinent question that fits Paul’s purpose in any of these texts. God had to correct Israel when they believed that he literally was living in the OT temple. It simply isn’t the point.
Solomon explained this in 1 Kings 8:27, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!”
The point is that God is abiding and dwelling with us. Jesus describes the indwelling of God in his words to the apostles and his prayer concerning us: “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20)“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21) The post 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Your Body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
