Am I The Temple of God?
To provide insight into understanding this question let us take a look at Mark 11:15-17:
“15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
This actually highlights the fact that it’s beyond the physical infrastructure of a building that Jesus is addressing. Do we really understand what it means to be called “The Temple of God.” The Temple of God is His sanctuary, His dwelling place, where God abides. So many people quote the scripture “my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” without truly having an understanding of the depth of what they are saying.
Let’s follow this carefully, notice that immediately Jesus came into Jerusalem the first place He went to was the temple Mark 11:15 (Good News translation) When they arrived in Jerusalem Jesus went to the Temple and began to drive out all those who were buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the stools of those who sold pigeons. He didn’t go to see anyone, he didn’t go and look for accommodation. What was paramount to him was the temple. He was interested in the state in which the temple was kept. And as christians we should be concerned how our personal temple is. Jesus wanted to know the present conditions in which the temple was. He came in for an inspection unexpectedly unannounced. And that is exactly what He’s going to do during His second coming. When Jesus entered the temple he saw them buying and selling in the temple.
In John 2:15 the scripture says And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers money, and overthrew the tables. Jesus threw them all out of the temple, he came upsetting everything around.
In Mark 11:17 KJV And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
A den is a place, a hideout where people meet in secret, especially for some illegal or immoral activity. So the question is what are we hiding from God that we don’t want exposed? What illegal or immoral activity are we engaged in? What are we buying and selling in our temple that is giving God displeasure about us?
Brothers and sisters when we put more emphasis on carnal things, the desire to satisfy the flesh. When we begin to love the things of the world more than God we are buying and selling. In Matthew 16:26 KJV it says For What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul. Please don’t buy the world and sell your soul to the devil. Let’s learn to pay more attention to spiritual matters. In Colossians 3:2 KJV it says set your affection on things above not on things on the earth. Let’s not get distracted or contaminated by buying and selling at the detriment of our spiritual relationship with God and do damage to our spiritual temple.
Just like the days we find ourselves in, His temple is where you find all sorts of vices like gossip, backbiting, envyings, hatred, malice, strife, wrath, uncleanness and so on and so forth. These are the things we are buying and selling, things we are trading in His temple. So you see Jesus made a whip which he used to upset those trading and also correct whatever that was going wrong. In Jeremiah 7:11(Good News translation) Do you think that my Temple is a hiding place for robbers? I have seen what you are doing. Jesus is saying I have carried out my inspection and it’s high time we clean up our act. It’s time to straighten out our lives, to fall back in line before we get wasted. He’s saying it’s time for Him to come in and clean up our temple for those of us who are finding it difficult even if it will take Jesus to whip out that mess in our lives and give us His message that will save us. Jesus Loves you Brother, Sister He wants to dwell in your temple. Give Him a chance. In Revelation 3:20 KJV it says 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.
It is my prayer that this loveletter delivers to you the inspiration and wisdom to give attention to what we do and the transactions we carry out in the temple of God, may we always and at all time be a people of prayer, worship and adoration to the Most High God Who found us worthy to put His Precious Spirit in us that we have become not just His Temple but also His Holy habitation to the Glory of our God. Hallelujah!
