Tag: Temple of the Spirit

Don’t Throw in the Towel…

Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV)

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

Living a Christian life … living a life worthy of the Lord Jesus and His calling upon you can be quite challenging at times. As believers we need to be diligent because the Adversary prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (Cf. 1 Peter 5:8) He is a liar … a deceiver … a thief that comes only to steal and kill and destroy. (Cf. John 10:10) And sometimes we fall prey to our enemy and his schemes. Sometimes we succumb to his oppression … embrace his temptation … or become ensnared by his deception. In doing so, we fail … we sin. We fall into a place of guilt and shame … self-condemnation … unforgiveness … and missing the goodness God desires for our lives.

Our Verse of the Day, is a reminder this morning for us to hold on and not throw in the towel. Do not throw away your confidence! Do not forsake your faith! It is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. (Cf. Hebrews 11:1) We are equipped to persevere through the trials of faith and to accomplish the will of God for our lives … for it is God who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose. (Cf. Philippians 2:13) Indeed, it is God’s will that we should be sanctified; that we should avoid sexual immorality and learn to control our own bodies in a way that is holy and honorable. (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). It is God’s will that we should rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) And it is God’s will that by doing good we silence the ignorance of foolish people. (Cf. 1 Peter 2:15) Yes, we can do all these things through Christ who strengthens us. (Cf. Philippians 4:13)

And so, I want to encourage you as well with a few reminders from the Scriptures to help you persevere in faith when you are tested and challenged:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 10:12-14 (NIV)

12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation (test) has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted (tested) beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted (tested), He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 

1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 1:5-9 (NIV)

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 2:1-2 (NIV)

1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Yes, out of the fullness of Jesus we have all received grace in place of grace already given. (Cf. John 1:16) So, I encourage us this morning to seek His grace … to confess any sin in our lives … to acknowledge that the world and its desires are temporal and not from God … and to renounce all idols of self-aggrandizement that hinder us from fulfilling the will of God. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Cf. Luke 16:13) And Jesus taught: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Cf. Matthew 16:24) So let us surrender to God and His will.  Let us believe His Word … receive His Word. We do not have to lose our faith or confidence in the face of spiritual challenges; rather, let us yield to the Spirit of God. For He helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us in accordance with the will of God. (Cf. Romans 8:26-27)

Father God, I ask you this morning to fill us with the knowledge of your will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that each of us may live a life worthy of our Lord Jesus and please Him in every way. I pray that we would bear fruit in every good work; grow in the knowledge of you; and be strengthened with all power according to your glorious might so that we may have great endurance and patience! Yes, Father, we joyfully give you thanks because you have qualified us to share in the inheritance of your holy people in the kingdom of light. We praise and worship you because you have rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your beloved Son; in whom we have received redemption and the forgiveness of our sins. For HE is our confidence … the One whom we trust. It is in the name of Jesus that we give you thanks … and through whom I pray. Amen. (Adapted from Colossians 1:9-14)


These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” ~ Jesus

So Now You Know….

Have a Blessed Day!

Reverence For God

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Paul gives us a great and timely message regarding our pursuit of holiness out of reverence for God.  To me, the point being made is that our motivation for obedience is to be based in reverence and not merely obligation or duty.  Let’s look at our passage in the larger context.  Since 2 Corinthians 7 begins with the word “therefore,” we need to understand what it is there for.  So, we will need to go back to 2 Corinthians 6 to get a better idea:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NIV)

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (Satan)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Cf. Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:27)

17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” (Cf. Isaiah 52:11; Ezekiel 20:34, 41)

18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (Cf. 2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8)

Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

So as we look at the larger context, we see Paul admonish us regarding the nature of our walk with God.  His concern is about our pursuit of holiness as temples of the living God.  And from this perspective, we need to look at how to keep our lives clean and righteous.  To that end, Paul stresses that believers should not seek a “yoked” relationship with unbelievers because there is an inherent spiritual incompatibility that ensues from the relationship. He is saying we should not “bind” ourselves in such arrangements where spiritual conflict is inevitable.   He asks what does righteousness and wickedness have in common?  What fellowship can light have with darkness?  What agreement is there between the worship of God and the worship of idols?  The answer, of course, is there can be no harmony between two opposite or opposing forces. There is a natural separation in this realm.  And so, Paul takes us to the higher reality that we (the church) are the temple of the living God.  We are the Body of Christ through His indwelling/abiding Spirit within each of us….

So with this view in mind, Paul sets out to address the scriptural promises that God has made with His people; believers whom He has called “out of the world” and who represent His temple.  God says, “I will live WITH them and walk among them.  I will be their God and they will be my people.”  God calls us out of the world and says to be separate … sanctified (holy) and set apart for service to God. And in another place, God says, “I will be a Father to you.  You will be my sons and daughters.”  How wonderful are His thoughts toward us!  How miraculous is it that the Creator of the universe expresses such a passionate desire to have intimate relationship with His people … those who have consecrated themselves to Him?

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.  Now our verse makes perfect sense!  When we separate ourselves from the things of the world and commit ourselves unto the Father, we prepare ourselves for Him to enter into relationship with us.  For it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (Cf. Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16) So Paul urges us to purify ourselves from EVERYTHING that defiles our bodies and our spirits. And the reason we want to do so is because of our reverence for God … our reverent fear of Him.  This is more than a “have to” motivation. (Law) This is a “want to” motivation. (Spirit)

It is clear that the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ desire to have intimate relationship with us. The question is: “Do we want to have an intimate relationship with God?”  If so, then we need to do those things with separate us from the world.  The Apostle John taught: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17) These are the three avenues of temptation for us, and so we need to consider our spiritual strategies for separation from the world. Our greatest tool (spiritual weapon) is the Word of God! We need to read it, understand it, and put it into practice! I believe the more we engage the Word of God in our lives, the more we will find, feel, and express reverence for God.

In His teaching on intimacy with Him, Jesus used a vine and branches metaphor to help His disciples understand the necessity of abiding in Him in order to “remain in His love” and to “Love one another as Jesus has loved us.”  He goes on to reflect: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”  Do you see it?  Jesus said, “I have chosen you OUT of the world.”  The Church, His Body, are known as “the called-out ones”. This is our call to holiness and sanctification in Christ! In His High Priestly prayer to the Father, Jesus affirmed, “I have given them your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” (Cf. John 17:14-16) And as the Psalmist wrote: “I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Cf. Psalm 119:11)

So, I think the application for our Verse of the Day is self-evident. We have been chosen “out of the world” by Jesus Christ.  We have received a great honor and privilege to enter into His sanctifying work through the Spirit in order to be separated from the world unto the Father.  And the promise is that God will receive us in Christ Jesus.  God Himself will love us and be a father unto us. He will dwell among us. He will be our God and we will be His chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light! (Cf. 1 Peter 2:9) This is why we pursue holiness and righteousness in our lives. Consecration is our expression of reverence for Father God who sent His Beloved Son to rescue us from darkness … to redeem us from sin … to release us from captivity … to reconcile us to Himself and to restore us to reverence.  Let these things be our prayer this morning with all thanksgiving for the great mercy shown to us … that we would be CHOSEN to be separated and to have intimate relationship with our Creator.  Amen.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” ~ Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

“Sanctify them by the Truth. Your Word is Truth” ~ Jesus (John 17:17)

So Now You Know….

Have a Blessed Day!