August 11, 2015

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

“Paul is writing to the Corinthian church–a church in conflict. Some are claiming to be followers of Paul, others are claiming to be followers of Apollos, a skilled preacher much admired in the early church. In other words, some are still linked to one former pastor, some are still linked to another. Paul counsels them to grow up. “Who is Paul?” he asks. “Who is Apollos?” Paul plants, Apollos waters, but it is God who gives the growth.

Then Paul compares the church to a building. He himself laid the foundation at Corinth, now another is building on that foundation. The foundation, of course, is Christ, and that is all that matters. Then Paul adds, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him.” In this context, we can see that God’s temple is the church. WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD. What does that say to you?”  Ron Newhouse, “Daily Devotions” (website devotions)

In my neighborhood, we have a house that is having a problem with their foundation. The foundation of a house is what the house stands upon. If the foundation becomes faulty, the house is in danger of shifting, moving, and at the worst collapsing. Water seems to collect around the foundation of this house, which then weakens the soil, and thus weakens the foundation. Now the walls of the foundation are in danger of collapsing in upon themselves — and if they do, the house will collapse.

When we live without Jesus as the foundation of our lives, we live in the danger of our lives collapsing in upon us. There are a lot of forces that are putting pressure on our lives each and every day, and if we do not have Christ as the sure foundation, then when the forces become too great, we run the risk of our lives collapsing in futility. But when Jesus is our sure and present foundation, when we shore up our lives with Christ’s unconditional love, unconditional mercy, and unending Grace, nothing, nothing will be able to shake our foundation. Oh the storms will still rage around us, but the love of Christ is greater than any storm.

Pastor Dave