The church consists of everyone who has ever placed, or will ever place, their trust in Jesus for forgiveness and salvation. There are billions of people enabled by the Holy Spirit who have come to see their sinfulness, separation from God, total helplessness, and the sacrifice of Jesus on their behalf. In response, these people have placed their trust in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of their sins. All believers collectively comprise of the church.
The Bible reports some fundamental metaphors to describe “the church,” such as the body and the temple.
In the New Testament, the temple of God goes from physical to spiritual. The temple of the Old Testament, situated on top of a hill and Jerusalem, was a physical place where both the presence of God and the glory of God resided until He withdrew His presence and His glory because of the continual sin of the people.
In the Old Testament, the temple was a physical place to pursue God, to make sacrifices to God, and to connect with God.
In the New Testament, the church is called the temple of God. The major meanings of the church as the temple are similar to those of the Old Testament, meaning the temple and are described in Ephesians, 2 Corinthians and 1 Peter.
“So then you are not longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and the household of God, being built on the foundation of emissaries and prophets, Messiah Yeshua Himself being the chief cornerstone” Ephesians 2:19-20
The Church of God’s household. We are the place where God dwells in the Person of His Holy Spirit.
This household was built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. These people were the first builders of the church – starting from bar round with approximately 120 believers, which has now grown to billions of people.
And the cornerstone of this household is Jesus. He is the Creator of the Church. He died to enable His creation. Without Jesus, we have no more than a huge collection of diluted, pitiable, and hopeless people.
“In whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit” – Ephesians 2:21-22
In Jesus, the whole building is being fitted together. It is Jesus who causes the church to work, to fit together, to function, to relate, to worship, to forgive,, to reset, and to serve.
And Jesus, the whole building is growing into a holy temple of the Lord. By the power, and the work of Jesus, we are all growing and drawing closer to each other, and becoming more like Jesus envisioned when He rescued us.
In Jesus, the whole building is being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Holy Sprit. Jesus is causing us to knit, grow, and be a place of a holiness where the Holy Spirit is able to dwell.
The Holy Temple of God is called to separation.
“What agreement is there between the Temple of God and idols? For we are the Temple of the living God. Even as God said, ‘I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people” -2 Corinthians 6:16
Since we are the Temple of the living God, He dwells in us and walks among us. God is Immanuel, God will us. Amazingly, the God of eternity lives in us and walks everywhere with us.
He is our God. And we are His people. This is the stunning, joyful truth. This is the amazing, love, and kindness of God. But, few recognize this.
Because these things are true, we must separate our newness to pursue perfect godlessness in the fear of God.
God tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:17, “Therefore, Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
God is holy. He is so holy that angels fly around Him for eternity saying the word “Holy.” we must be holy for He is Holy. We must praise God for Jesus who makes this impossible feat a reality for those who trust in Him.
“For, I will be a Father to you, and you will be mu sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” -2 Corinthians 6:18
God will be a Father to us. He is the Father we wanted and needed -the very best. He is the Father who acts for our well being at every moment.
“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything the contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” -2 Corinthians 7:1
We come to use this who is the Living Stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in the sight of God.
Jesus is the Living Stone, and we’re also living stones. We are part of this metaphorical Temple, but we are not inanimate stones. We are living stones who breathe, love, serve, and worship and gratitude.
We are living stones who are being filled up into a spiritual house or a holy priesthood.
As living stones, we are able to grow and create a beautiful spiritual house as we become a priesthood of holy people. A prophet is a person who speaks to people for God. We are priests and priestess and must be incessantly interceding to God for others, lost and saved, kindred and unkind, family, and strangers, friends and enemies. We must incessantly intercede for anyone and everyone.
We must offer up spiritual sacrifices through Jesus, which are acceptable to God.
We worship God through the souls we lead to Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit in our lives is the praise of God on our lips.
The eternal temple of God:
In the New Testament, the church body (we are the body) is the temple of God. We are a people who pursue God, make sacrifices, and connect with Him.
We are called to stand, grow, and thrive forever. Jesus is the Living Cornerstone.
