This study was first taught on February 2, 2020

Topic: The New Way (2): The Temple of God

(use the audio to study)

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Background
When last we discussed the subject matter of "<em>The New Way</em>" we emphasized the truth that once we become Christians, we are new creations and old things are passed away—all things have become new. Therefore, for Peter and John—foremose apostles of the Lord—to go to the temple in Jerusalem, a symbol of Judaism, the old way, was an issue that we needed to look at. We also saw that God does not dwell in buildings built with human hands. Indeed, what God asked Moses to erect, was a tabernacle in the wilderness.

In later years in the early church, we saw that God vowed to rebuild the tabernacle of David; not that of Moses. The tabernacle of David was the simple tent within which was the Ark of God, or the Ark of His Presence, signifying the manifest presence of God in the tabernacle of David. In rebuilding the tabernacle of David, therefore, God was referring to the gathering of those who have come to the salvation of God through Jesus Christ—both Jews and Gentiles—into one body—the church.

Indeed, when the Lord had an encounter with the Samaritan woman, He told her that the worship of God was not a matter of location—neither on one of the mountains in Samaria nor in Jerusalem. This we said would be the subject of further discussion.

Scripture Text(s)
Acts 3:1
We shall take off from where we left off discussing temples in general to discussing the temple of God specifically, as we continue to discuss . . .
The temple of God more specifically is one that is not built with human hands and it is spiritual, not physical. We shall also be looking at the implication of the temple of God for us today's Christians. May the Holy Spirit bring us to full understanding on this subject matter, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Daniel 2:34, 44-45; John 2:19-22; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:15-20; John 4:20-23; Revelation 21:3; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 7:1; Psalm 15:1-5; 24:3-4; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; 5:6-9; 30:6; 10:16; 1 Corinthians 10:1-12; Haggai 1:3ff.

Conclusion
The temple of God is indeed not a building built with human hands but one that God builds and that temple is you and I—provided we are born again and sanctified and being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. We are thus the dwelling place of God (<strong>John 4:23-26</strong>).

For this reason, our priority must be to make our bodies and inner man habitable for God (<strong>1 Peter 1:13—2:12</strong>). Indeed the bible urges us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God (<strong>Romans 12:1</strong>).

Unfortunately, most ministers are devoting time, money, and energy in building physical structures rather than in building the temples that God wants to indwell. The error of mistaking a physical building for the temple that God desires, has led many ministers to pursue building projects instead of the real building of saved souls (<strong>Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:11-16ff</strong>).

We must never lose track of the truth that we are temples of God, and as such we must be holy in all manner of conversation: our thoughts, speech, and actions. This is the essence of the reiteration by God that we be holy!

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