You Are a Temple

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

The temple that Jesus cleared when he chased out money changers and vendors no longer exists. It was destroyed by the Roman Empire in the year A.D. 70. But the Bible teaches that our bodies are the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus lives in us today by means of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul asks, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). God does not live in a building. God lives in the hearts of all who love and follow him—in the lives of people who give evidence of the fruit of the Spirit— “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). God has chosen to live in his followers. Does that show in your life? When Jesus saw evil in the temple of the Lord, he cleared it out. What is there in our lives that stands in the way of being known as followers of Jesus Christ? If Jesus inspects our lives, will he find things that need to be thoroughly cleaned out? It is never a pleasant experience when the Holy Spirit shows us what really needs to change in our lives. But we aren’t left to do all the work ourselves. In fact, on our own we cannot overcome the sin that needs clearing out. We need God’s power in order to change, and the Spirit works in us to make sure we do.

Questions for further thought:
1. How am I attempting to live out being a “temple of the Holy Spirit”?
2. In whose strength am I attempting this, mine or the Holy Spirits? 
3. In regards to question #2, how are those processes different?

Challenge: Pray this prayer out loud…Lord, I need forgiveness and cleansing. But I also need to grow to become more like Jesus. Help me to love and serve you each day, by the power of your Spirit in Christ. Amen.