MY
BODY: THE TEMPLE
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the
Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him
shall God destroy: for the temple of God is holy which temple ye are.” (1
Cor.3:16-17).
The difference between PAGAN
RELIGIONS and CHRISTIANITY is enormous. In fact, there is no comparison! The
Cults, New Age Movement and Eastern religions are fearful of their gods, while
Christians love their Creator, Saviour and Deliverer. The pagans try to curry
favour from their deities by their good works and pilgrimages, whereas
Christians have received the gift of God by faith through Jesus Christ, and joyfully
thank Him for His goodness and mercy.
Christians have been
accepted into the ‘Family of God’ solely on the merits of Jesus Christ’s all atoning,
redemptive work on the Calvary’s Cross outside Jerusalem’s city walls nearly
2,000 years ago. His vicarious, pure and eternal blood was shed on Golgatha to
meet the ‘Demands of Justice’ by a thrice holy God, in order to forgive
the sins of rebellion and high treason committed by Adam and his progeny since
that disastrous fall in Eden!
CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION!
Christianity is not a religion! It is a
relationship with God the Father through His crucified, resurrected and
glorified SON, Jesus Christ our Lord! Religion is man seeking after God, but
Christianity is God searching for man! The Bible says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John
3: 16)
St. Paul stated: “Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in Heavenly places IN
CHRIST: According as He has chosen us IN
HIM before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love:
“Having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by
Jesus Christ to HIMSELF, according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein
He hath made us accepted in the BELOVED.
In Whom we have redemption through HIS
BLOOD, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph.1:
3-7)
Jesus Christ said: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt.11: 28); “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me: and him that cometh
unto Me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37); “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with Me.”
(Rev.3: 20)
ST. PAUL, who met Jesus of Nazareth in a
blinding light on the Damascus Road and who had been transported to Heaven and
seen things too holy to publish, wrote extensively of being connected to God by
the Holy Spirit and able to come into the presence of God through the shed
blood of Christ.
“But now IN CHRIST ye
who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the BLOOD of CHRIST. For through
HIM we both have access by one SPIRIT unto the FATHER.” (Eph.2:13,18)
THE REAL GOSPEL OF CHRIST!
Here is one of the
greatest Gospel Messages preached: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be EQUAL
WITH GOD: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon HIM the form of a
servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being in fashion as a man, He
humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted
Him and given Him a name that which is above every name: That at the name of JESUS
every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
(Phil.2: 5-11)
We were lost, doomed by
sin and death, marching toward an eternal HELL when God reached down His hand
of mercy and saved us. Glory to His name forever! Again St. Paul writes:
Therefore being justified by FAITH, we have PEACE with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ. For when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for
the ungodly. But God commendeth His LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet
SINNERS, Christ died for us.
JUSTIFIED
BY CHRIST’S BLOOD!
“Much more then, being
now justified by His Blood, we shall be SAVED from wrath through HIM. For if,
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much
more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His LIFE.” (Rom.5: 1,6-10)
Again, St. Paul
admonishes: “What? know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in
your body, and in your spirit which are God’s.” (1
Cor. 6:19-20).
The Bible says: “Even
the MYSTERY which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made
manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the
glory of this MYSTERY among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory.” (Col.1: 26, 27)
God did not tell Noah,
Moses or Abraham the great secret which He revealed to St. Paul, called the Mystery
of the Gospel. What is that MYSTERY? It is Christ in the believer, the hope of
Glory! It is God making human beings partakers of His Nature and becoming His
child by receiving His only begotten Son as their Lord and Saviour!
PARTAKERS OF HIS DIVINE NATURE!
PARTAKERS OF HIS DIVINE NATURE!
The Gospel of Christ is
greater than anything the human mind could comprehend. It is beyond our mental
faculties to grasp, because it was created by the One Who made the universe and
gives life to us all. It is impossible for even the most learned, dedicated and
wise Christian to fully understand the Gospel of Christ and workings of the
Holy Spirit. JOHN WESLEY wisely said: “Can a worm understand a man?”
God has, however, gives
us the gift of faith to believe Him! During the Gold Rush, a man lay dying in a
little shack in California. A Christian lady read to him from John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son that whosever believeth in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.”
He whispered: “Is
that in the Bible?” The lady answered: “Yes, it is.” He asked: “Is
He speaking to me?” She answered: “Yes. He is speaking to you.” The
dying man eagerly asked, “Did He say anything else?” She
said: “Yes. He said, To as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to
become the sons of God.” In a weak voice the dying man said: “I
receive Him. I am satisfied.” And then, he passed into eternity!
St. Paul warned: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the
temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in
them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be
ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive
you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters saith
the Lord.” (2
Cor. 6:16-17).
There is a price to pay to receive the blessings
of God and to be used in His Kingdom. That price is Trust and Obedience! And
when we trust Him completely we will obey Him gladly! That means that we must cut
the cord that ties us to unbelief, pride and selfishness. We must humble
ourselves in His presence and renounce the world, the flesh and the devil!
The Bible says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (Rom.12: 1,2)
How can we do what is right in the sight of a Holy, Righteous and
Perfect God? God’s Word has the answer, as always: “Wherefore seeing we also
are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every
weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience
the race that is set before us.
LOOKING UNTO JESUS!
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the Throne of
God.” (Heb.12:
1,2). Finally, may God help us to walk
worthy of the calling wherewith He has called us: “Come ye out from among them
and touch not the unclean thing.” (2 Cor. 6: 17) Amen.
