As children of God, we often find ourselves seeking His divine
presence, not in a building or a particular place, but in the person of Jesus
Christ. Mr. Kobach once encapsulated this beautifully with his statement:
"Whereas in the past, God had a temple for His people, today God has a
people for His temple."
His words echo the scripture in 1 Corinthians 3:16, where Apostle
Paul writes: "Do you not know that you yourselves are God's temple, and
that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?" And again, in 1 Corinthians 6:19,
he reminds us, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?"
This is not a one-off assertion. In 2 Corinthians 6:16, it is
again emphasized, "What agreement can a temple of God have with idols? For
we are the temple of the living God. Just as God has said: 'I will dwell with
them and walk among them; I will be their God, and they will be My
people.'"
How profoundly beautiful it is that, as believers in Christ, we
bear God's presence within us. Unlike in the Old Testament times, when God's
presence was confined to a physical building, we are blessed with the privilege
of carrying His presence wherever we go. Imagine the joy of never being devoid
of God's presence. As we walk with Jesus, God's Spirit dwells with us. Isn't
that incredible?
Yet, this is not the end of the revelation. The Apostle Peter goes
further to describe how we, like living stones, are being built up as a
spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). Here, he suggests that something within us is
being constructed as we continuously seek Jesus. Not just in terms of numbers,
but in a spiritual transformation that occurs within us, an ongoing process of
spiritual growth and enlargement, leading to a deeper experience of God's
presence.
It reminds me of Paul's instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:11,
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up," and again
in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, "Everything is permissible, but not everything
is beneficial... No one should seek his own good, but the good of others."
The building up Paul refers to is an internal process that each believer
undergoes, akin to a spiritual building project.
There is an encouraging promise in Ephesians 1:13, "In Him,
you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and
believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit." This sealing
implies an indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Still, as Peter suggests, there is a
sense in which we can experience more of God's presence.
Paul's prayer for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:14-19 perfectly
encapsulates this longing for a deeper, more intimate experience of God's
presence, ending with the plea: "...that you may be filled with all the
fullness of God." Why would Paul pray for the Ephesians to be filled with
all the fullness of God unless it were possible to have God but not experience
Him in His fullness?
The challenge for us, then, is to continue coming to Jesus,
continually being built up into a spiritual temple, a place in which God more
and more fully dwells.
Moreover, as we come to Jesus and receive more of His presence, we
also become conduits through which God leads others in worship. We become a
holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices (1 Peter 2:5). We get the unique
privilege of leading others to a deeper relationship with God, not through
ritualistic sacrifices, but through sacrifices of our bodies (Romans 12:1-2),
our praise (Hebrews 13:15), and our giving (Philippians 4:18).
In essence, we are not mere observers or
bystanders. We are active participants, living stones in God's spiritual house,
priests in His holy priesthood, carrying His presence wherever we go, and
facilitating others to experience His presence. So let's not be content with a
mere "watered-down" experience of God. Let's seek the fullness of God
in our lives, and let's be those through whom God leads others in worship.
