In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:21-22Ephesians 2:21-22
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
21 Christ is the one who holds the building together and makes it grow into a holy temple for the Lord. 22 And you are part of that building Christ has built as a place for God's own Spirit to live.
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Several years ago my parents built a home. It was something they had dreamed of doing most of their lives, and after years of job transfers and moving from house to house around the eastern half of the country, they finally set out to accomplish their life-long goal. Before they could begin staking off the foundation or driving the first nail, they first had to purchase the property where their home would be constructed. That was an arduous process in and of itself, in that, once they located the property they desired, they sacrificed deeply to pay off the debt for that property in full before they began pouring concrete and erecting walls. The sacrifice was worth it as they kept their eyes on the goal and the reward that would result from their perseverance and faithfulness. Oh how they rejoiced on the day when the deed to that property was assigned to them and their heirs for time in memorium.
Then, the day came when construction began. They moved into a temporary apartment near their newly purchased property so they could see and even hear the progress being made daily on their new home. My father did a lot of the carpentry work himself. He helped with plumbing, bricking, and many of the finishing details in, around, and under the house. From their cozy apartment, my mother would often be making dinner in the evening as the sounds of hammers and nails and saws could be heard echoing through the trees. She recognized those as the sounds of her home drawing that much closer to completion. Throughout sunny days and rainy days, stormy seasons and perfect skies, the process of construction continued. The concrete that was once bags of powder lying on the ground eventually became a solid foundation. The wood that was piled all over the red clay of their 3 acres was summoned one board at a time to form walls and rafters and floor joists. Shingles eventually covered the plywood on the roof, doors and windows and cabinetry walked through the open thresholds, and the day finally came when we helped them move in their furniture. In fact, we surprised them one weekend by going into town and helping them move in ahead of schedule and we spent the very first night in their new home with them about 7 years ago now. It was a very joyous occasion.
But, if you were to talk to my father, you would quickly learn as all homeowners know, that construction is an ongoing process even after you move in. There are refinements and adjustments and repairs that still need to be done, even on a brand new home. A homeowner’s work is never really complete. There is always something to be done to make the home more suitable.
Spiritually speaking, we are under construction too. We who have accepted the Lord as our personal Savior are, in fact, the dwelling place of God. Now many people consider “the church building” to be the place where God lives. But, the truth is that His people are His dwelling place and His Spirit resides in us as we yield daily to the ongoing process of being constructed to become more like Him. Just as my parents sacrificed to purchase the land on which to build their new home, so God sacrificed to purchase us. In reality, the Bible says that we do not belong to ourselves, but rather to God, and that we are to honor him with our bodies that are His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19,201 Corinthians 6:19,20
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
19 . You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own.
20 God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.
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The people of God are His temple, His home, and He is constructing us to reflect His holiness. Just as the beams and joists of my parent’s new home had to learn to bear up under many different types of weather, so we too are tested under various circumstances and trials in our lives. And by God’s grace, and only by His power, are we able to learn to endure and persevere for His glory. (Ephesians 6:13Ephesians 6:13
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day m that evil day: Either the present or “the day of death” or “the day of judgment.” comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.
WP-Bible plugin) Our faith is proven when it counteracts our fears, our character is forged by the purity of what we do in secret, and our maturity is deepened when we pursue holiness rather than happiness. And like tools in the hands of the Master Carpenter, all of the circumstances of our lives are used to chisel and refine and sand away at our imperfections so that we are a home fit for the King.
What joy filled the Father’s heart the day you deeded your life over to Him! The sacrifice He made for you was well worth the reward. And, until the day that He returns, be willing and content to be a work of God under construction.
