To make a house a dwelling place, we often design it suitably such that we can live with ease and comfort in it. Keeping this picture in mind, think of your heart as God’s dwelling place as we dwell on the Scripture for today.

Paul was targeting the wrong behavior and practices of some in the Corinthian church and trying to correct them in both 1 & 2 Corinthians. Some improper practices pointed to their lack of understanding that a believer is the temple of God- that God dwelt in him/her by His Spirit! 1Cor.3:16: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”  In the light of our key verse, we need to examine whether we are:

• A temple with idols- In the preceding verses, Paul points to a series of contrasts- righteousness/lawlessness; light/darkness; Christ/belial, etc. If one continues in sin (lawlessness) and in the course of this world(darkness) they will be under the prince of the power of the air which works in sons of disobedience (Eph.2:2). God cannot dwell with one who is given to dark deeds, lusts of the sinful nature. Therefore, all those things that defile the body (evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander-Matt.15:19) are to be put out if our heart needs to be a temple of God.

• A temple of the living God- The body of the believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit- bought with the precious blood of Christ and thus to be lived to glorify God (1Cor.6:19.20). In those hearts who have not kept the idols of self, lust, money, impurity, etc  and is given to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, the Lord God can make His dwelling. 

God always wanted to dwell with man- we see it from the Garden of Eden…yet sin separated man from God and drove him from His presence. While taking His people to the Promised Land, God dwelt among them through the Tabernacle. Later His presence was experienced in the Temple. When Christ came into the world, Apostle John stated thus: “And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us;…” (John 1:14 AMPC). He showed us what Father God is like, paid for the price of sin through His death so that we all could come to a living relationship with Father God! 

This is the promise in the second part of our key verse when God says: I will dwell in them and walk among them. When we have separated our selves from the filthiness of the world and ways of the ungodly, not being partakers of their sin, God is ready to make His home in us through His Spirit! In such there is the fellowship of the Spirit that connects us with God and our fellow believers in faith. 

As we think on this word today, can we allow the light of God’s Word to shine into every corner of our hearts to see if any idols are lurking within? Any more of the sinful nature that is controlling us that displeases God? As the Lord reveals to us, may we confess them and ask for Christ’ s blood to cleanse us so that we can ready our heart for God to make it His dwelling place!

One day we will truly experience His manifest presence among us: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them..” (Rev.21:3). What a day to look forward to! 

To Act on:

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2Cor.7:1)

Listen: ‘In YOUR Presence’