Home of the Holy Spirit

Have you ever seen old run down buildings? Maybe you’ve seen an ancient church building in person that was barely standing. Maybe you have seen pictures of dilapidated downtown offices. It’s sad to see these structures, often beautifully designed, now neglected. They were built intentionally with love and inhabited by people living with purpose.

 The verse above teaches us that our physical bodies are places like this. We’re compared to the temple in the Old Testament, which was the physical place on earth where God chose to dwell with His people. Before Jesus went to the cross, He promised His disciples and followers that He would not leave them alone, but would send the Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would live in them and with them. 

No longer would God reside in one building in a singular location on the planet. Now He would reside within every person who believes on the name of Jesus and welcomes Him by His Spirit to live within our individual bodies. Today there are not one but millions of temples placed around the globe where the God of the universe dwells and can be seen at work.

 Because our bodies are the temple–the home of the Holy Spirit on earth–in what condition is your temple? My question is less about the physical health of your body, though that is not unimportant. It is more about your spiritual condition. Are you keeping the windows of your heart clean? Are you keeping your heart pure? Are you keeping your ears tuned to hear the voice of the Spirit when He whispers your name, tries to lead you into God’s will?

 Our physical homes belong to us and not to anyone else who happens to walk by and wishes to come in. We are the owners of our homes, the tenants of our apartments. In the same way our bodies are not our own, but have been bought with a price, paid for in full by the blood of Jesus.

-Do you think about your body as the home of the Holy Spirit?

-Have you talked with your children about who owns their lives and bodies? Do they know Jesus Christ? Do you?

-Does the Holy Spirit have access to every part of you?

-How are you using your body to show the world around you the truth that Jesus by His Spirit dwells in you? 

-Are you and your family being His arms, His love, His compassion, His prayers for others?

-Many need to see Jesus in you. Will you let them?