Where Earth and Heaven Met, deuxieme partie

Well, I have to keep my high school French sharp, you know.... :) "Deuxieme partie" is French for "part two", which begs the question of why there is a big, golden 7 up there.  But, hang on....

You know how folks will ask, "If you were going to be marooned on a desert island all alone for the rest of your life, and you could take 3 things with you, what would they be?"

I think about that question as I contemplate what God Almighty chose to include in the "furnishings" of the Tabernacle (and later the Temple's) "holy place".  There were only three items.  Are there any indications in Scripture to teach us why He chose those items?  Let's investigate!

First of all, all three furnishings were made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold, and the accompanying items (such as tableware and coal pans) were made of pure gold.

1.  The Table of Shewbread (aka Table of the Presence)1
"Shewbread" literally means "bread of the face" or bread set out before the face of God.
As one entered The Holy Place, this table was on the right hand side.  (This is the first mention of the word "table" in the Bible. Table is a symbol of communion and fellowship.  More about that in a moment.) On the table were placed every Sabbath 12 loaves of bread, made from the finest flour and unleavened.  They were arranged in two rows of six, on the table.  Each loaf represented one of the tribes of Israel. How beautiful that, even though only Levitical priests were allowed in the Holy Place, all the people of the 12 tribes were represented there before the Lord, by the 12 loaves... Sprinkled over the loaves was the oil of frankincense, which consecrated the bread unto the Lord, essentially making it a grain offering.  At the end of the week, the "old" bread was consumed by the priests and new bread took its place on the table.  Tradition holds that 8 priests would hold hands standing around the table before consuming the old loaves.  Such a sacred communion.
The Table of Shewbread represents our Savior, Jesus Christ.  It is through Him, and only through Him, we have communion with our Triune God.  Frankincense was given to Him by the 3 Wise Men, you will recall, as a birthday gift.  No accident, that.  He called Himself the Bread of Life in John 6:35, 51-58.  This table was part of God's "old covenant".  The covenant meal Jesus established with His disciples shortly before His death represents His New Covenant.  That meal represents the believer's eating the "body" (bread) and blood (wine) of Christ on a regular basis to remind us of His sacrifice's all-sustaining and eternal nature.
Bible references to explore:  Exodus 25:23-30; Leviticus 24:5-9.

2.  The Golden Lampstand2
There were no dimensions given for this item.  (Who, after all, can measure the light of God?)
The instructions for making it are found in Exodus 25:31-40.  It was to be made entirely of gold (which caused it to weigh 75-100 pounds) and fashioned by the best artisans.  A strong motif in the design was the flower of the almond tree.  In that part of the world, the almond tree was the first to awake from the darkness of Winter, the first tree to respond to the increased light of Spring.  The lampstand had a vertical shaft, at the end of which was a bowl for the oil.  In addition, there were three curved branches, curving upward, to form 6 more bowls.  All seven were in the shape of the almond blossom.
The seven, tiny bowls, were to be kept burning at all times.  The High Priest was responsible for the care of the lampstand, to ensure its wicks of flax were adequate and that the finest olive oil was abundant, so that the eternal flame burned in the Holy Place (Leviticus 24:3).  There were no windows in the Holy Place.  None were needed.

The lampstand represents the Godhead, and points forward to Jesus.  Zechariah 4:1-4 tells us that this oil represents the Holy Spirit of God.  When the Holy Spirit fell on the believers at Pentecost, He represented Himself as "tongues of fire" over the head of each believer there assembled (Acts 2:3-4).  Jesus referred to Him as fire in Matthew 3:11-12.  And, Paul exhorts us to "not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19).  Jesus often called Himself the Light of the World (John 9:5; 8:12).  And, in Psalm 27:1, God the Father reminds us that He is our Light and our Salvation.  In the Bible 7 is the number which represents completion and perfection.3  Our perfect God, the Three-In-One.

3.   The Altar of Incense4
(Exodus 30:34-38)
It was commanded that this wooden altar, overlaid with gold, be the tallest structure in the room.  It stood about 3 feet tall.  Some of the characteristics of this altar, such as the four horns on the four corners, mimicked the bronze altar just outside the Holy Place. There were coals kept burning on this altar, and they were brought there from the Bronze Altar in a golden coal pan.   As noted in its name, an incense, made of the finest spices and frankincense oil, was burned on this inner altar twice a day. The exact combination of incense is lost to us today.  But, this combo was to be used by no other Israelite for any other purpose.  It was a holy combination, used only for the worship of God on the Altar of Incense.  The High Priest, after he had tended the Golden Lampstand morning and evening, would offer an incense offering on the altar.  In this way, a perpetual sweet smell would pervade the Holy Place. (This fragrance of love and worship expressed the delight of one whose sins had been forgiven!) Additionally, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, after the annual sin offering (Passover Lamb) had been offered, some of its blood would be rubbed on the horns of this incense altar, as the High Priest was proceeding into the Most Holy Place (which we will examine in an upcoming blog).
The golden altar of incense has at its essence worship and praise.  It reminds us of Jesus' current ministry in Heaven, to perpetually intercede on our behalf before God the Father.

Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Psalm 141:2 

In the next post, ... the Most Holy Place!

Sources:

1   http://www.bible-history.com/tabernacle/TAB4The_Table_of_Shewbread.htm
2   http://www.bible-history.com/tabernacle/TAB4The_Golden_Lampstand.htm
3   https://www.gotquestions.org/number-7-seven.html
4   http://www.bible-history.com/tabernacle/TAB4The_Golden_Altar_of_Incense.htm
5   Wiersbe, Warren W., and Warren W. Wiersbe. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament in One Volume. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007. Print.

"It's a Yoke. Get it?"

What we eat is big business in America.  In a world where most earthlings are glad to have something, ANYTHING at all to eat, we Americans spend our time abusing food.  Either we are "consumed" (yes, sorry...) by thoughts of it all-the-live-long-day.  Or, we are arguing about what types of food to eat.  Or, we are hedonistically eating anything and everything in sight.  The media is full of ads for Nutrisystem, WeightWatchers, etc.  We have shows like "Bizarre Foods" which captivate our attention.  We are fixated on food.

Grab your Bible and read over Colossians 2:15-23, as that will be our devotional passage this morning.

16Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days –17these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ! 18Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengths about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind. 19He has not held fast to the head from whom the whole body, supported and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.

20If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world? 21“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” 22These are all destined to perish with use, founded as they are on human commands and teachings. 23Even though they have the appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship and false humility achieved by an unsparing treatment of the body – a wisdom with no true value – they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.

In today's passage there are two themes.  One, in verses 16-17 and 20-21 has to do with eating or not eating certain foods.  The second has to do with seducing heresies.

Let's focus mainly on the first, although the two are related.  The Bible has a lot to say about what to eat (or not) and when to eat it (or not).  The dietary laws of the Old Testament were given to the Jews primarily for health reasons.  But, they became, over the centuries, entangled in religious tradition to the point that the dietary laws became a religion unto itself.  Not much is different today.

I realize that many people, because of health reasons, must watch every bite they eat, must be extremely vigilant about it.  This is not a condemnation of them for doing that.  Watching their diet closely is, in those cases, practically a matter of life and death.

But, for many people, even Christian people, the fixation on food is rampant.  You get a group of women together, for example, and almost always the conversation turns to their weight, how they need to lose weight, how they are losing weight, their Crossfit, etc.  It is entertaining and sometimes innocuous.  Other times, such fascination and dedication becomes a "fleshly indulgence" (vs. 23)

Here's the problem:
When we Christians make our holiness about what food we eat (or don't) or about any other specific man-made rule, then we are losing focus, "majoring on the minors".  This is a lure and a trap, because it is easy to measure.  Listen to Weirsbe:1
Legalism is a popular thing because you can "measure" your spiritual life - - - and even brag about it! But, this is a far cry from measuring up to Christ (Ephesians 4:13)!

"Oh yes!  Look at me!  I am so holy because I do this...and this...and this..."  Pride slams its hammer down, crippling the soul.

We must be ever watchful for legalistic behavior, as we practice the Christian life.  It is all about our attitudes, really.  The key questions are "Why?"  "WHY am I doing what I'm doing?" "What is my motivation?"  "What (or Whom) is 'driving' me?"
Legalism is the result when we take our focus off of "the Head", Jesus Christ (vs. 19), and begin to "manufacture" our own holiness instead of letting the Holy Spirit work within our souls.   It happens with a lot of our discipleship, not just with food.  (Food is just the example of the day.)

Let's look at this other nameless dude in today's passage, this humble angel-worshipper.  Scripture does not reveal to us his identity, but he is preaching/teaching heresy.  I find it interesting that this person is cloaked in a "false humility".  A fawning, obsequious, false humility is common among such deceivers.  These wicked folks are, in reality, full of pride.

In both examples that Paul uses here, he is warning against letting anyone or anything draw the Christian "off-center".  If we study Jesus Christ and focus on Him we will remain free to exercise our spiritual gifts in love, with freedom of movement unhindered by our own version of "holiness", our own filthy "self-righteousness", which is, of course "faux-righteousness".

It has gotten to where I can't wear those fashions that bend around the back of my neck.  It is "age", I guess.  Prolonged wearing of such bathing suits, bras or tops makes my neck hurt!  They are like "a yoke on the neck" (Acts 15:10).  The picture is of a farm animal upon whom the farmer places the wooden, mechanical contraptions across its neck and back, thereby allowing the farmer to harness the animal's strength to plow a field or pull a wagon.  Yokes are heavy.  Legalism is like that...yokes on our necks.  They make our spiritual necks hurt!

When we as Christians "dress for the day", as described in Ephesians 6, let's not put on an oppressive, pretentious, legalistic yoke.  Yokes drag us down, do not prepare us for each day's spiritual battles and frankly .... "It don't look good on you, Girl!!"

Lord, let the mind of Jesus Christ be in me, as Paul exhorted in Philippians 2:5.  Jesus humbled Himself, to the point of death on the cross.  Holiness begins with humility.  Please forgive me for my all-consuming pride!  Beat it down in me, Holy Spirit.  Purge it from me.  Fill me with Yourself so that You can work Your will out through my life.  Please forgive me my "rabbit trails", where I spot a legalistic "rabbit", and then go chasing it through the briar patch.  Thank you for patching up my cuts and scrapes when I make those unfortunate choices.  Make me humble so that I can become more like You.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Sources:

1  Wiersbe, Warren W., and Warren W. Wiersbe. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete New Testament in One Volume. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007. Print, p. 680-681

Blazing

When you are living through your life, you don't recognize that you are part of making history.  Or, at least, most of us don't.  Only later do you "wake up" to discover your life and your choices were part of a documented "movement".

The 1960s, which I only remember through the eyes of a child, were nationally a very turbulent time.  The birth control pill had emerged on the scene and changed the social fabric of our society completely.  The generation just ahead of mine began to throw off the "chains" that kept them bound to sexual purity, before marriage and after.  As the Bible predicts, calamity followed.  In reaction to this, the Christian church took one of two positions: either to remain entrenched in traditions or to reach out and win the damaged souls of those who had fallen victim to the sins of the age.  It was an earth-shattering, ground-breaking era, one in which even the "experts" were unsure how to respond.

Today's passage is Ephesians 4:17-24 (The Message) - - -

^17-19 And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

^20-24 But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

It was in the 1970s that I became a teenager and realized the gravity of the situation.  Although I had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord at age 9, I saw as a teen the spiritual poverty surrounding me and understood that I was living on a battlefield.  I could either retreat and withdraw, leaving the culture to rot on its own; or, I could engage it with more relevant methods.

In the scripture passage, the Gentiles were the pagan people groups who were not of Jewish descent.  However, as more non-Jewish people (such as the Ephesians) came to know Jesus Christ, "the Gentiles" began to mean any people who reject Jesus Christ and His ways, regardless of ethnic background.  The same is true today.

At first, I chose to adopt a separatist position, in an attempt to preserve the purity of the theology, fearing that in those perilous times, truth would become lost.  Holiness "preserved" by separatism.  Was that the correct response?  I was not "going along with the crowd", for sure.

When Paul was writing, as it is today, sexual obsession and perversion - - the consequences of lives lived in opposition to God and His way of life - - - were (and are) rampant.  Then, as today, Christians are surrounded by people from all walks of life who think that we who adhere to the truths of scripture are wingnuts and whack-jobs.  It is only "natural" to want to withdraw and refuse to engage a rotting culture.

However, that is not what Paul is advocating here.  I'm so glad that, as a teenager, the Jesus Movement1 began as a reaction to the ever-increasing disintegration of Judeo-Christian values in American culture.  I am a product of that movement, which advocated
---standing firm on the Word of God,
---having a personal encounter with Jesus Christ (that is, making a personal decision to follow Him),
---reaching out to serve and evangelize damaged, lost souls
---while maintaining a pure and faithful Christian walk.

We need, desperately need, some "Jesus freaks" today.  By and large, the traditional church, with its "walled off" protectionism has failed to reach the lost.  Church attendance is down, as church members are more concerned with protecting their modes of worship and evangelism than they are with reaching those sin has destroyed.  Watering down the truth message has been another tactic of "the politically-correct church".  Likewise, this has failed miserably.  While this approach does attract more "followers", they merely put on Christianity like a new garment.  Then, as soon as they come to see the emptiness of the message, a gospel that has been eunuched, and the perfidy of those who "claim the name" of Jesus Christ, these new converts throw off the trappings of Christian faith to live lives indistinguishable from the rest of the world.

The pressure on the church of Jesus Christ is nearly intolerable.  The world screams,  "Conform!  Conform!  Conform!"  It's why so many of us, and so many of our churches, ... have.  Yet, I ask - - - "Has this worked?  Have the Gentiles been converted?  Do we see our churches growing?"  No, we see just the opposite, in fact.  The average size of a Southern Baptist church today is about 35 people.  That is the case in my childhood church which, in my small community, ran between 100 and 200 on a weekly basis in the 1970s.

What, then, IS the answer?  Paul expounds on the first part of the answer and then alludes to the second, in this passage.

The first component is what I call "blazing holiness", a way of life that is in sharp contrast to the way the Gentiles live.  This way of living is produced from the regenerated, reborn, entirely new human heart, the heart of one who has become a new creation in Christ Jesus.  It can't be produced any other way.  It absolutely must begin with a "Jesus encounter", a personal decision to adopt Jesus Christ as Lord and master, as King of Kings, to turn from that former way of living and invite Him to reproduce His character in the individual heart/life.

"Blazing holiness" is courageous, with biblical truth as its core and foundation.  It does not cave to worldly philosophies, does not conform to the culture's decadent fashions.  It draws life-sustaining oxygen from Heaven, where Christ Jesus reigns as Mediator between God and mankind.  It is not dependent on the fetid air that surrounds it here for its fuel.

The second equally necessary component is "blazing love" for others.  Holiness divorced from God's amazing love is legalism, which does nothing to win the world for Christ.  Unbelievers see it for the fraud it is.  No, "blazing love" is a fearless love which is stronger than the strongest material found on Earth.  It is a love which can withstand the sharpest examinations and produce the most brilliant sacrifices.  The world cannot comprehend such love, because it is not merely "counterintuitive"; it is incomprehensible.

Paul is not calling us to be a flicker of candlelight in the darkness.  God's Word insists upon this: We are called to blaze!

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for those fearless, loving, blazing Jesus people of a generation ago.  Most of us are so seduced and lulled into conformity through pressure from the godless world around us.  Please set us on fire, Lord, and give us through Your Holy Spirit the courage to blaze!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

http://shilohworshipmusic.com/ShilohWorshipMusic/The_Jesus_Movement_of_the_70s.html 

Big Things. Little Things.

Here is the scene in Romans 14.  Believers from the Roman church were gathering to share meals together.  And, when they got to the table, they began to criticize each other for their food choices. Worse, they began to equate food choices with holiness!  They weren't talking about the sin of gluttony, letting food consumption go beyond moderation or need.  They were arguing over whether one should eat certain meats or be a vegetarian and so forth. 

That was not the only thing they tore each other apart over.  As now, any minor disagreement became a reason to break fellowship. We see this today - - - believers criticizing each other over every, little thing and sometimes even changing to another church over it.

There are things we should stand strong over - - - real, actual sins. True acts of unholiness we willingly do, or true acts of holiness we omit.   But "the little things"?  Personal preferences or personal convictions?  That is another matter all together.

Why is it we think everyone should be exactly like us?  In Sunday School this week, we were talking about comforting those who are either losing or recently lost a loved one, and how differently people react to the love shown by others during those times.  Some people just want everyone outside the immediate family to leave them alone, to give them privacy.  Others want to be surrounded by as many friends as possible.  Does this make one wrong and the other right?  No!  It is a matter of preference.

We need to come to terms with the truth that not everyone is like us.  We can still love our Christian brothers/sisters as well extending Christian love to our neighbors, even when we disagree.

And, it just hurts the cause of Jesus Christ when we fight over minor issues.  Fight when fighting is required.  Stand strong for the truth.  But, don't "major on the minors".

The Message version translates Romans 14:12 like this:

So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.

I love it!  "Tend to your own knitting!"  The Devil loves to plant critical thoughts in our minds, especially us ladies.  But, we don't have to receive them, stew on them or spew them forth from our mouths.  What Paul encourages us to do is to re-focus our attention. When we are tempted to criticize someone over a minor thing, we need to turn the focus to examining our own hearts.  
What is prompting that criticism?
Is it springing from jealousy?  Envy? A desire to be "holier than thou" (that is, pride?)  
Hm-m-m-m?
AHEM!  I can write about this so easily because I so readily fall into this trap.
But, you know, I really have my hands full, tending to my own business: walking in faith with my God.  (Or I SHOULD.)

Another translation, the NET translates the latter part of verse 12 as

 ....each of us will give an account of himself to God. 

He is going to evaluate our execution of the little things, personal convictions, by whether or not those decisions were made through the exercise of our faith.  In other words, did we make those decisions as part of growing closer to God, becoming more like Christ?  Or, did we make those preferential decisions out of personal convenience, selfish consumption, spiritual pride, etc.? What was the motivation?  You see, what is of utmost importance is what drives those decisions, and if we deal with each other selflessly in the making of them.

Whew...that's a tough one, Lord.  Basically, we just want our own way.  We want to make our Christian walk a "Burger King" existence ("Have it Your Way!), when what You require, what you call holiness involves self-sacrifice, compassion, building up others (as opposed to building up ourselves), giving Jesus the glory (as opposed to glorifying ourselves).  It's not easy to give our flesh the old "smack-down". Fortunately, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, it is possible.  Help us, Lord to distinguish between the big things and the small, and to honor You in all.  In Jesus' name, amen.

On Fire!

A few days ago, while walking in my neighborhood at dusk, I stopped to stare in wonder at a beautiful sight.  In my neighbor's front yard was this gorgeous tree, on fire with spring color and waning sunlight.  It truly appeared to be on fire.  As I almost always have my phone when walking, I took this picture which, I promise, does not even begin to capture the glory of that moment, in which God reminded me of the burning bush of Exodus 3.  (If you have been walking with me through Romans, no worries!  We will get to our Romans text in a few moments!)

1Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6Then he said, “I am the God of your father,^a the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—

Here was Moses, just an ordinary Hebrew man, doing what he did every day (working for his father-in-law) when God appeared to him in such a surprising, wondrous way!  I could spend several blog posts examining the beauty of this theophany of God (the angel of the LORD), but will instead refer you to the source at the bottom of today's blog so that you can explore that concept on your own.1

Our main text for today is Romans 13:8-10.

8Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9For the commandments, “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,” (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

This admonition from the apostle Paul applies to anyone ("neighbor) that the LORD brings into our "circle of influence".  Paul echoes the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:36-40 here.  He reiterates that a Christian may "follow all the rules" of Scripture perfectly.  However, if we do not show the love of God to those around us, we have ignored the two greatest commandments of them all.

As stunningly beautiful as was my neighbor's "burning bush", I am even more stupefied by the reality that this God, this immortal Being with no beginning and no ending (Psalm 90:2) desires a relationship with me, and with any person who truly seeks Him (Jeremiah 29:12-13 ).  He saw His people in their misery in Egypt and "came down" to rescue them, in the form of holy flames of fire that did not consume a bramble.  The Savior likewise, thousands of years later, was God-Come-Down, Immanuel - - God With Us - - (Isaiah 7:14), who came to rescue us from the slavery of sin. Jesus Christ, the Ultimate Theophany, who brings us into the "promised land" of eternal salvation! May His name be praised forever!  Baruch Hashem!2

How do we love our neighbors? If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, we must (as we should in all things) listen for His voice.  When He urges us to reach out to someone in love, we should do it.  So, the answer to how we love our neighbors is different for each of us.  There are some commonalities, of course - - - we are to feed the hungry and care for the sick.  We are to share the gospel of Jesus Christ's life and work, above all.  But, beyond that, we are to follow the leading of His Spirit, living inside us.

So, Believer, if He prompts you today, if He speaks to You today from a "burning bush", don't run the other way.  Listen!  And, then ... love your neighbor.

Father, I can still see that ruler, in my mind's eye - - - that little wooden ruler, given to every student at Clarkesville Elementary all those years ago.  I can see "The Golden Rule" written on it, "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You", which is basically a restatement of Romans 13:8-10.  Please make me more sensitive to the needs of others and give me more opportunities to share the greatest news this world has ever heard - - - that in You is freedom and life and joy, forever!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

1   http://www.gotquestions.org/burning-bush.html
2   Hebrew: Blessed be G_d!

The Default Setting and the New iOS

I had no idea that Romans 5 was such a wonderful chapter!  Really.  It tells God's Story from beginning to end, in one chapter.  So, today we are going to finish it up, by focusing on the last two
"-ion" words:  sanctification and glorification.

Sanctification
When I was in college I got to sing my first classic choral masterwork, a mass.  Not having been raised Catholic, I had no idea what a mass was, other than I knew it was the Catholic church service. A choral mass is a large work, comprised of 5 major sections:  Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Benedictus, Agnus Dei.  Latin is a dead language, they say.  But, it lives on in the masterworks of Bach, Beethoven, Verdi, Mozart and others.  And, in those masterworks, Latin is gorgeous.  It "sings"!  A little early for puns, you say?  I agree.... moving on!
So, you may have noticed that one of the sections of the mass is called "sanctus", a word that basically means "holy".  It is the same root that gives us the English word, "sanctification" - - being set apart to become more like Jesus, more "holy".
Here's how God designed it: we can't "holify" ourselves by our own good works.  After becoming Christ's, however, His Holy Spirit within us sanctifies us, through supernatural power.   Sounds wonderful, right?  Look at verses 3-4 (NET).

3Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance, character, and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

When we identify with, align our hearts with Jesus Christ, sufferings, trials, tribulations inevitably result.  This is because we have then put ourselves in opposition with the majority of people in this world, standing against their philosophies, practices and beliefs.  Satan immediately puts us on his radar.  (As long as we were not Christ's, we were no threat to him, you see.)  Even if we do not fully realize it, when we become a Christian by experiencing that forever-change-of-heart, we become utterly powerful to tear down the strongholds Satan has erected in this world.  This conquering power is from Christ Himself, through His Holy Spirit (Philippians 4:13).
If we "sink deep" into Jesus, drawing on the supernatural power He gives us, He transforms us from being righteous in Him to being a warrior for Him.  That is what it means when Paul says that our problems produce endurance, character and hope.
Now what about that last bit: hope?
Remember: hope as defined in the Bible has a different connotation from our customary use of the word in modern English.  The Greek word "elpis" (ἐλπίς) means "an expectation of what is certain."
Mothers will understand this.  We call a pregnant woman an "expectant mother".  She is "expecting". Now, without getting overly graphic, let's just say that what is inside her is going to come out, one way or the other.  Right?  There's no "Perhaps the baby will come out".  It's coming.  No doubt.

Think about a successful job, perhaps the first one you got as a young person.  You were probably scared to death at first.  But, each success on the job gave you more confidence, didn't it?  The harder you worked, the better you got.  Well, it is sort of like that with sanctification.  When you yield to the Spirit, He produces spiritual "fruit" (successes) in your own spirit.  This is what Paul means by "character".  And, the more He is allowed (through your surrender) to sanctify you, the more confident of "who you are, in Christ".  This state of ever-becoming more like Jesus is what Paul calls "reigning in life" (vs. 17), resplendent daughters and sons!  Hallelujah!
When you experience justification, the last "-ion" word we talked about yesterday, you KNOW that you have been changed forever.  You KNOW that your eventual destination is Heaven.  But, through sanctification, you become even more confident and excited about "that blessed hope", the certainty of Heaven.  It's like a runner running a race: you see the finish line in the distance.  The closer it gets, the clearer you can see it and the more excited you are to reach it!

Glorification
Sanctification and glorification cannot be separated.  They go together, inseparably.  Romans 8:30 tells us that if you belong to Christ (justification), you will not be sinless; rather, you will be becoming more and more like Christ in some way.  You will not be a "fruitless fig tree" (Luke 6:30). It is impossible.  Oh, you may go through "phases" where you are temporarily walking in disobedience; but, you will be miserable the whole time, deep down in your soul.  Sanctification is the "default setting" for each believer.
This is the beginning of glorification!  One flows into the other.  The final transition is made when physical death comes to the believer, the Christ-follower.  But, there is no fear in death for the believer!  Our Savior has conquered it for us.  Physical death is merely stepping from sanctification into full-on glorification, the "new operating system"!  When we were dead (spiritually) in our sins, death reigned in us.  When we were made alive (spiritually) in Christ Jesus, grace reigned and will reign in us forever.

so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:21

Eternal life - - ultimate glorification.  Psalm 16:1l sums up the marriage of justification-sanctification-glorification beautifully.  In closing, think about that as you ponder this verse:

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

NASB

Father, eternity is now.  We need to grasp that truth and apply it to our lives.  Physical death is merely a mile marker on the road to glory.  And, every step we take brings us closer to you! We are so very, very cherished and loved.  Do your supernatural conversion in each of us.  Thank you, Lord! In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

http://biblehub.com/greek/1680.htm

When Siblings Sin

The other day I went hiking, by myself, in a state park.  The trail led alongside a steep cliff, down to a waterfall.  There were signs every few feet, warning hikers to "stay on the path!"  Those signs are there because the tendency for hikers is to get as close to the edge as possible, supposedly in the name of experiencing the hike to the fullest, or somesuch.  This is a great analogy of the Christian walk.  While Christians do not dwell in, wallow in sin (or else they are not truly Christians --- Galatians 5:21, for one...) there are times that we wander off the resplendent path.  What to do?

I'm continuing on in Galatians, almost ready to finish this Pauline letter.  Galatians 6:1-5, our text for this morning, is one of those neglected texts.  I have heard very few, if any sermons about it.  But, it is an important bit of teaching.  So, we are not going to gloss over it today.

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.4 Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else. 5 For each one will carry his own load.

First, notice that this passage (like the entire letter of Galatians) is addressed to believers, Christians. So, this is not to be applied to non-believers.  Regardless of an unbeliever's sin, their highest, greatest need is to enter in to a salvation relationship with Jesus Christ.  Trying to apply Galatians 6:1-5 to an unbeliever is like trying to "put lipstick on a pig" (to quote Sarah Palin, who I am deeply disappointed in, but that's another story...).  "Brothers and sisters" always refers to those who are Jesus Christ's children and followers, those forever saved by grace.

What Paul is doing here is instructing this young group of believers in how to deal with sin in the church, because Christians will lapse into sin.  "You who are spiritual" does not mean "the most perfect person in the church" - - - what a ridiculous concept!  It refers to a mature Christian who has examined his or her own work, as directed in verses 1 and 4.  We read in verse 2 that the Christian who has gotten bogged down in some sin - - that the situation is a burden to him.  Absolutely right! One of the marks of the Christian is that the HolySpirit will not leave him/her alone about a sin, but will pester and nudge and sometimes wallop until the believer confesses it and makes it right with those who have been wronged.

Mature believers who see another believer in a sin must, after self-examination, restore that brother or sister with gentleness.  Obviously, this is tricky business.

Sometimes, a brother or sister will confess his or her sin to a fellow believer, because this is scriptural:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 NIV

In that case, the restoring brother/sister will listen with gentleness, comfort with gentleness, and advise with gentleness and pray for the other person.  It is a great blessing to be chosen by another believer in this way.  It is a sign of tremendous trust.  God promises His healing when we restore each other in this way.

At other times, believers do NOT realize their sin and go confess it to God and then to a fellow believer.  At still other times, believers DO realize their sin and don't want to confess it ... or give it up for that matter.  It is at those times that a loving brother or sister in the faith should prepare his or her heart and speak to the other person privately and gently about the matter.

What about that fellow believer who stubbornly refuses to confess and repent?  That's the subject of another blog post.  But, here are a couple of relevant scriptures for you to study:
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
And, if you want to read an excellent, thorough treatment of this subject, I highly recommend John MacArthur's commentary on it, which you can find here:
https://www.gty.org/resources/print/bible-qna/BQ081012

Here is where we fall down as the Body of Christ.  We simply do not do Galatians 6:1-5.  Let's just 'fess up, here.  We make all kinds of excuses to avoid doing it.  Here are a few:
"It's none of my business."
"If I'm honest with myself, I'm doing the same thing...or something worse."  (There's a real stinger!)
"It will ruin our relationship if I mention it."
"It's 'judging' ".  (total hogwash, and worthy of an entire blog post in the future! See the MacArthur link above, as a starting point.)

Let's consider for the moment the repercussions of not doing Galatians 6:1-5, of not examining ourselves, routinely confessing our own sins, and holding our fellow Christians accountable.
The number one, major result of this is a sin-filled church that not only doesn't win others to Christ, it propels them AWAY from our Savior!  A sin-filled, self-centered, hypocritical church is offensive to "the unsaved world", and it should be equally offensive to us, His Own.  Then, obviously, the sin is hurting the Christian who is sinning.  If we love our brothers and sisters in the Lord, we should long to see them restored.

In closing, let me emphasize that these matters MUST be bathed in fervent prayer.  Don't fire off the gun of your mouth with the hammer "half-cocked", as the expression goes.  When God lays on your heart to speak to a brother or sister in the spirit of this Galatians passage, hit your knees first...and stay there a while, listening to the Spirit give you wisdom and direction.  Then, proceed with gentleness, as the Scriptures command.

Father, first of all, make me even more diligent about allowing Your Spirit to root out my own sin, before I even notice the sins of my brothers and sisters.  On those occasions when you want me to speak to someone else, to share Your words with a burdened believer, fill my mouth, Lord.  Don't let me say one ungentle word, one unloving word or one word that is contrary to Your desires.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Make Good Choices

Good morning,

I knew a mother, a contemporary of mine, who used to tell her children as she left them in the morning, "Make good choices!"  She knew that, during their day, they would be faced with many alternatives.  She was reminding them to opt for the best rather than for the easy, the comfortable, the seductive.  All that is shiny is not gold.  This memory reminds me of 2 Corinthians 7:1, today's scripture:

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that could defile the body and the spirit, and thus accomplish holiness out of reverence for God.

Another title for today's post could have been, "Choose Holiness".  That is what Paul was asking the Corinthians to do.  You see, they were faced with a big choice.  As I've mentioned earlier in our study they were being seduced by false teachers whose teachings were contradictory to Paul's.  The Corinthians could not live holy lives, pleasing to God, by following false doctrine.  Paul was certain of this and accordingly asked them to choose well.

But, beyond that, Paul was asking them to choose well in the everyday decisions of their lives, just as my acquaintance years ago did each morning with her kids.  In so doing, Paul described the process of a holy walk with God.  Let's break it down.

First, holiness begins with remembering the promises of God (vs. 1).  What are those promises? God's promises are many, but I believe Paul was referring in 7:1 to those he had just written about in 2 Cor. 6:16-18

• that God lives in us because our bodies are His temple
• that we are His people and He walks among us
• that He is and will be our Father
• that we are His sons and daughters
• that He welcomes us when we come to Him
• that He is the Supreme, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

So, before choosing, we must remember these precious oaths God makes to us.  Humans sometimes break their promises, but God's promises are more like oaths.  He never breaks His.

When I read this verse, I had to think a bit about our role versus the role of the Holy Spirit in our cleansing.  We go to Him for cleansing, and per the promise, He welcomes us.  It is not our "good works" which achieve holiness in us.  But, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have ordained that we have a role in it, and that role is to choose holiness.  Our Sovereign Father never negates our free will. He allows us to choose Jesus as Savior when our relationship begins, although He knows what we will choose, due to His omniscience, His all-knowingness.  Furthermore, He allows us to choose whether or not we walk in holy living moment to moment, day to day.  

That mother knew that her children had the freedom to choose, multiple times a day.  She wanted them to choose well, but knew that their choices were ultimately theirs alone.  God certainly wants us to choose His way, in every circumstance, and His heart is grieved when we do not.  But, He does not, even in His perfect sovereignty, take our choices away from us.

When we choose His way, He perfects His holiness within us to a greater and greater degree.  He molds us more and more into the image of His Son.  Praise Him!  Even when we choose poorly, He can and does turn those choices around to His glory and to our "good" because He loves us.  That is why the Scripture says, "All work together for good to those who love Him, to those called according to His purpose."

I used to believe that it would be easier for me to walk through this life successfully if I "made good choices."  To some extent I believe that this is a scriptural promise.  For example, if you brush your teeth regularly (and floss!), you will usually get to keep your teeth healthy until your death.  It's easier to keep your teeth, so I'm told.  So, I brush and floss regularly.  But, walking in holiness does not in every aspect make life easier, as I believed when a youth.  Often, it makes you Satan's target.

The thing is, wanting life to be "easy" is not the proper motivation for walking in holiness, walking resplendent.  The proper motivations are three-fold:

• to show God our reverence, our worship (vs. 1)
• the glorification of God and 
• the furtherance of His kingdom here on earth (Matt. 6:9-10)

all of which go hand-in-hand.    

The last passage I mentioned, the one from Matthew 6, is from the Lord's Prayer.  Part of that prayer Jesus taught us to pray was that the Lord God would deliver us from evil.  As we are faced with tough choices, it is very important to stop and take a moment to go before God's throne and pray that prayer.  Depending on our own strength in times of temptation is foolish, because we have no strength in and of ourselves.  Our strength comes from the Lord, from His Holy Spirit living within us.

Father, may your Spirit, Who lives within us, flame up to consume all in our hearts that is unholy.  May we confess and repent, to rid our souls of any barnacles which may have attached themselves there. And then, as we walk today, may we walk resplendent, reflecting Your glory.  May we make good choices, choices which bring you honor and point others to Jesus Christ, the only One in whom grace, help and salvation are found.  In His name I pray, amen.

Dressed Right

Good morning,

Do you ever have that dream where you are out in public somewhere and, suddenly, you realize you are naked?!  I do.  It's terrible!  True disclosure (pun intended): I have it pretty often.  I think of that when I read the passage that just precedes today's passage.  The verse is in the passage we looked at yesterday.

4 For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

2 Cor. 5:4 (NET)

Clothes say a lot about a person.  I've heard it said that, in the job world, you ought to dress for the next position you desire.  So, if you are a mid-level manager, you should dress like a manager, in anticipation of that promotion coming to pass.  Who first clothed mankind in the Garden of Eden? God did.  In Genesis 3:21, we read that God killed an animal, skinned it and made clothes for Adam and Eve to wear.  Nakedness, even from the beginning, symbolized incompleteness.

Paul uses the analogy of clothes often to describe the Christian life, or what I call "the resplendent walk".  He uses this analogy briefly here in 2 Cor. 5, but I want to also show you other places he talks about "being dressed right". Before we do that, though, look at what Isaiah said in 61:10 ---

I greatly rejoice in the LORD, I exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (HCSB)

Now, this is an interesting verse.  Some theologians want to distinguish between these two "spiritual garments" - - - the garment of salvation being one, the robe of righteousness being another.  It is an interesting distinction.  The theological point made is that God gives us salvation through Jesus Christ, and this is symbolized by the salvation garment.  But, the robe of righteousness is an additional piece that He dresses us in.
Now, to Paul:

26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Galatians 3:26-27 (NET)

Paul emphasizes here, as he does elsewhere, that salvation comes by faith, not by good works.  By accepting Christ, through faith, we become sons of God.  This act has "clothed us with Christ". Beyond that transformational decision, we are also commanded by Paul to adorn ourselves with the characteristics of Jesus, to imitate Him in our daily lives.  This does not secure our salvation; it is a manifestation of what has already been done in our hearts.  In this way, we "reflect" Christ.

14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.  

Romans 13:14 (NET)

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

Colossians 3:12 (NET)

So, our righteousness comes from God the Father, through Christ the Son.  That is indisputable. However, we are responsible for making spiritually healthy choices as we live the Christian life.  This is how we "clothe ourselves".  It is a conscious act on our part, analogous to "taking up one's cross daily and following Jesus" (Matt. 16:24).  Now, look at today's passage, lol.  (You were beginning to think we wouldn't get there, weren't you?!)

6 Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we live by faith, not by sight. 8 Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him.10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.

2 Cor. 5:6-10 (NET)

Notice the phrase "make it our ambition to please Him". This is the conscious act of "putting on Christ" daily.  Paul goes on to say that we will have to give an account of all that the Lord Jesus has blessed us with in this life, in this body.  Our salvation is secure.  Our eternal destiny is fixed.  "There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).  But, and I've blogged about this in previous posts - - - I'll try to find which one and post it under "Sources:" - - - all of us Believers will be given rewards at this "judgment" seat...or not.  Some of us may stand there nearly naked, clothed only in our salvation garment!  Not too long ago, we studied 1 Cor. 3:12-13 and saw that our actions after salvation will be tested by fire, and that some of them will be "burned up" like wood or hay or kindling.  Not cool!

Well, I want to be dressed right on that great judgment day, clad not only in my salvation garment, but also adorned with the beautiful jewelry of Christ-likeness.  I'm dressing for the next position I desire!

Good morning, Father.  Thank you for securing my salvation and clothing me in salvation.  I also realize that my righteousness comes from Your Holy Spirit living within me, bestowed on me through Your mercy.  In light of that truth, and because of how grateful I am for it, I choose to imitate my Savior.  Well, at least I try to most of the time, because I want to please You.  I confess I'm nowhere near 100% in that effort.  Help me be more like Him as I look more like Him.  In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Sources:

Resplendent Daughter blog: Honor's Day
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=967525413435341031#editor/target=post;postID=1129579313904961451;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=44;src=postname

Matthew Harmon's post at jesus.org:
http://www.jesus.org/following-jesus/discipleship/what-does-it-mean-to-be-clothed-in-christ.html

Cleaning House

Good morning,

There is something wrong with my dishwasher.  It cleans the dishes, sort of, but only after I've mostly washed them by hand.  A repairman said I only need a rinse aid product.  I have my doubts.  I am not a huge fan of cleaning house; every modern convenience is treasured.

1 Corinthians 5 presents a shift in Paul's emphasis.  He moves on to spiritual "house cleaning", addressing another concern observed among this fellowship of believers.  It had apparently been reported to Paul that sexual immorality was occurring in the local church.  He uses this example to emphasize that ongoing, sinful practices in the lives of professing believers should not be tolerated. Frankly, this is not a pleasant chapter to study, because the topic is difficult.

First of all, Christians do not want to admit to their own sin, habitual or occasional.  Pride comes into play here, although there is also the genuine element of not wanting to tarnish Jesus' name.  Yet, when "one of our own" is committing sin repeatedly, and especially in a very public way, something should be done to address it, whether we are comfortable doing so or not.  I remember, several years ago, in another church far away, a church member (also a prominent member of the community) was committing adultery; everyone knew about it.  The spouse was still attending the church.  The pastor and deacons visited their fellow deacon and urged him to repent, to reconcile with his wife.  Well, the man refused.  So, he was told that his membership was going to be rescinded until he changed his ways.  During a church conference, this was prayerfully handled.  It was not fun at all, Y'all.  It was downright awful, in fact.

The Corinthian church did not want to confront their "situation".  Remember, they were "pretty new at all this"; so, one could guess that they were perplexed as to what to do. However, in verse 6, Paul calls them "flippant" and "arrogant" about it.  They did not see that to allow this type of continual sin to go on would soon contaminate the entire congregation.

Your flip and callous arrogance in these things bothers me. You pass it off as a small thing, but it’s anything but that. Yeast, too, is a “small thing,” but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast. So get rid of this “yeast.”

1 Cor. 5:6 (MSG)

Today, there is wholesale cowardice, rampant "looking the other way" going on in many churches. Pastors, leaders and people in the pews are often unwilling to take a stand for righteousness in a godless society.  Taking such a stand often comes at a steep price, one that many are not willing to pay.  Today, for instance, I was reading that a so-called Baptist church in an adjacent state is planning to ordain as ministers those who live a sexually immoral lifestyle, by biblical standards.  This is heartbreaking to me, because it tarnishes the name of all Baptists (in a way similar to those Westboro Baptist Church folks do).  Obviously, not all who call themselves Baptists believe anything close to the same thing.

In chapter 5, Paul was not preaching condemnation to the man living in sin. He was condemning the man's sin.  There was always room for the man to repent and to be restored to the fellowship.  This is clear in verse 5.

I’m telling you that this is wrong. You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master. Assemble the community—I’ll be present in spirit with you and our Master Jesus will be present in power. Hold this man’s conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can’t, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.

1 Cor. 5:3-5 (MSG)

Paul's earnest desire (and Christ's) was for the man to repent of his sinful practices and be restored to God and to the community of faith.  The whole point of the censure was the sinner's restoration. God's grace is greater than all our sin.  It still is, today.

The other big reason that Christians shy away from confronting sin in the community of faith is because they individually are not walking in holiness.  And, in fact, Jesus railed against this hypocrisy in Matthew 7:1-5 (MSG).  (also recorded in Luke 6.)

7 1-5 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Dishwasher or not, "cleaning house" had better start at home, yes?  Hebrews 12:14-17 tells us that when we harbor sins that have not been confessed to God, a bitter spirit (spiritual weeds) can take root in our souls. We are wise to be very vigilant about our own shortcomings, our own "failures to hit the target", which is the Greek origin of the word "sin".  Swallow a big old "pride loogie"; confess (to God and to others as needed); repent (turn away from the sin and leave it in the dust); be restored (by the Holy Spirit) - - - the path to holiness, to Christ-likeness.

Remember this important point.  Paul was talking to Christians here about their behavior.  He was not preaching to the non-Christian folk outside the Corinthian fellowship of believers (5:13).

I’m not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don’t we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house.

It is a distortion of the enemy to portray all Christians who stand on biblical truth as hateful or unloving. Now, granted, some are, ranging from the hate that Westboro spews to implicit condescension or to casual disregard.  However, nothing is more unloving that leaving a person enslaved to sin or on the highway to Hell.  Love isn't wimpy; love must be tough.  Speaking the truth in humility and love is exactly what Jesus did.  It is exactly what we must do.

Father, you know that I did not want to study or blog about 1 Corinthians 5.  Examining my life is not my favorite pastime.  It's so much easier and more fun to just...."la-la-la-la-LA" down life's path, looking the other way.  Save us from this "counterfeit discipleship", Lord.  Give us the courage, the power, through Your Holy Spirit, to be honest about our own sins and to help our brothers/sisters who are floundering in a mud pit.  Such is love.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Me, The Temple

Good morning,

Today's text is 1 Corinthians 3:16-23.

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, which is what you are.

18 Guard against self-deception, each of you. If someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” 20 And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So then, no more boasting about mere mortals! For everything belongs to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. Everything belongs to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

{This passage is very similar to the better known 1 Cor. 6:19, in which Paul practically says the same thing.}

Why do you think that Paul compared believers to God's Temple?  Believe me, this was a revolutionary analogy to those baby Christians.  You see, in Jewish worship, the Temple was considered the holiest of all structures, because it contained a section called The Holy of Holies.  It was in this small room, which had very limited access, that the Spirit of God came down to commune with the priest selected by lot to enter the area.  The Ark of the Covenant resided in this place.  Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, learned of his son's conception, while he was performing his "once-in-a-lifetime" duties in that place.

There were all sorts of rules and safeguards for this supernatural area.  For instance, the priest selected to enter there attached a special set of bells to the hem of his robe so that those outside could listen for the sound as he moved around inside, performing his duties.  If they no longer heard the bells, they pulled him out via a cord, a "lifeline" attached to his leg, assuming he was dead from having come into the most holy presence of God. Talk about being "slain in the spirit"!  This was deadly serious stuff.

I would really like to study the Temple/Tabernacle more.  If any of you out there have a book recommendation, please share it with me.

At any rate, the Christians were certainly not welcome any longer at the existing Temple in Jerusalem.  To be blunt, the ruling Jews who controlled the Temple were out to exterminate them.  Yet, these Christians, many of them former Jews, wanted to honor their Lord by continuing to keep the Jewish feasts, some of which required them to go to the Temple as part of God's command to their forefathers.  This is just one example of "stuff" the early Christians had to work through.

In our text for today, Paul is reminding the believers that each of them is God's Temple - - - that when Christ died, the veil in Jerusalem's Temple was supernaturally split down the middle, from top to bottom, a truly miraculous feat, since the veil was scores of feet tall and weighed hundreds of pounds.  This veil being torn, however, was God's visual sign that everything had changed.  With Jesus finishing His work on the cross, access to God had been blown wide open.  No longer did people have to go find Him in a "most holy place" of a building.  After Jesus' resurrection, the Holy
Spirit came upon Christians at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13).  This is why Paul declared that each individual Christian, and the whole Body of Christ collectively, are the Temple of God, of the Holy Spirit!

What a tremendous honor and responsibility!  In his commentary, Matthew Henry points out that, as a result, we need to treat ourselves as the holy vessels that we are, by the grace of God.  And, if we don't, we are deceiving ourselves as to the true state of our relationship with God.

"He is deceived who deems himself the temple of the Holy Ghost, yet is unconcerned about personal holiness, or the peace and purity of the church."  

For many Christians, this is an area of struggle, in one of the two areas.  Many sinful practices harm one's physical body.  The "big deal" about that is this:  if our bodies/minds are weak, then we decommission ourselves in the great cosmic battle in which we are engaged.  (And, be sure, you don't have a choice about whether you are in the battle or not.  If you are a Christian, you are.)  If we are physically weak, we are less potent a weapon for Jesus Christ.  The other emphasis is this:  we need to treat our Christian brothers and sisters as "temples of the Holy Spirit" in order to maintain peace and purity in the Church.  Holiness...it's not a raging fad, unfortunately.

I want to be sure you get this, though:  this type of reverence and holiness for your own temple and also the people of God is not a legalistic holiness.  It is rather a holiness that springs from a heart of devoted love. Paul emphasizes this in verses 21-23.  "Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God."  So often, we sin against our bodies because we are trying to feel some emotional void in our lives, an emptiness that only God can fill.  Yet, we choose some substance or some other person to use for our own self-gratification.  So often, we yield to our flesh and its detrimental longings, longings that hurt us or others in the end.  This includes prideful preening within the Church, which leads to the types of envyings and divisions that Paul was exhorting the Corinthians to avoid.

The key to holy living is, at its foundation, (not diminishing strategies like addiction counseling, mental health interventions, liberation from demonic oppressions/possessions, etc.,) focusing fanatically, daily, on the loving One who totally poured Himself out utterly, for each of us, His dear children.  When we clearly see all that He has done for us, how can our response be anything other than our outpouring of love, in return?

Holy Spirit, I am in awe that You reside in my spirit.  And, I don't totally understand that.  But, I take You at Your word that what the holy, inspired scriptures say is true.  I thank You for condescending to me, to transform me into Your Temple.  Oh, how I long to walk more worthy of Your amazing love and grace.  Help me, Holy Spirit!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:
http://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/3-16.htm