In thinking about the Church as God’s building, the Bible takes the imagery a step further than a physical structure.
Some buildings are devoted to office space, while others are apartment homes; some are commercial in nature, others are dedicated to education.
The Church, however, is no ordinary building. It is a temple. After the paragraph in 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 that elaborates on the Church as God’s building, the next verse asks, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
The imagery of a building in Ephesians 2:20–22 also designates God’s building as a temple, saying, “The whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Holy place
As a temple, a church ideally is a holy place where God’s Spirit manifests His presence. Sadly, the church in Corinth was falling short. It is no less sad when it happens in our day at our church. A serious warning attaches to the metaphor of the congregation as a temple where God manifests His presence among His redeemed people.
This warning could hardly be cast with greater severity than in 1 Corinthians 3:17: “If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” Even though the nature of that destruction is not spelled out, the force and seriousness of the warning carry their own impact.
When we accept God’s gracious salvation and affiliate with a local church, we give up the right to be a disruptive force in a congregation. Church members tread on dangerous ground when they choose to be troublemakers in God’s temple.
Though the warning is serious we must not miss the note of grace that sounds from the throne of God. This grace note is a reminder that imperfect people are, in fact, the living stones that comprise this temple of God.
By His grace, our church as God’s temple is where spiritual sacrifices are made, where divine worship takes place, where praises ring out, where prayers are offered up and where truth is believed and dispersed.
Share with others: