A TEMPLE OF GOD FILLED WITH IDOLS?????

"Every Christian is a living temple of the living God. God dwelt in the Jewish temple, took possession of it, and resided in it, by that glorious cloud that was the token of His presence with that people. So Christ by His Spirit dwells in all true believers. The temple was devoted and consecrated to God, and set apart from every common to a holy use, to the immediate service of God. So all Christians are separated from common uses, and set apart for God and his service." - Matthew Henry

"That is a man's idol or god from which he seeks his happiness; no matter whether it be Jupiter, Juno, Apollo, Minerva, Venus, or Diana; or pleasure, wealth, fame, a fine house, superb furniture, splendid equipage, medals, curiosities, books, titles, human friendships, or any earthly or heavenly thing, God, the supreme good, only excepted. That is a man's idol which prevents him from seeking and finding his All in God." - Adam Clarke
"Whatever takes our worship from God is an idol." - People's New Testament
"The sense is, that for Christians to mingle with the sinful world; to partake of their pleasures, pursuits, and follies, is as detestable and hateful in the sight of God as if his temple were profaned by erecting a deformed, and shapeless, and senseless block in it as an object of worship. And, assuredly, if Christians had such a sense of the abomination of mingling with the world, they would feel the obligation to be separate and pure." - Barnes' Notes

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says - "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
1 Corinthians 3:9 says - "...ye are God's building."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says - "What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost Which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
2 Corinthians 6:16 says - "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

"ye are the temple of God"
"which temple ye are"
"ye are God's building"
"your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost"
"ye are the temple of the living God"

The Apostle Paul was definitely trying to get a point across to the Corinthian believers. What was the message? That their bodies were temples wherein the Holy Spirit dwelt.

The temple was a place where God dwelt and was also sacred to His use. It was the place where the visible symbol - the Shekinah glory or manifested Presence of God - was found. In the New Testament, Paul takes this same image and applies it to the Christian. God no longer dwells in buildings made with hands. On the contrary, He dwells within His believers who are occupied and inhabited by the Holy Spirit. Every real Christian is now a temple of the Holy Ghost. He is yielded up to God and possessed by and for Him.

"Where God is, there is His temple" (Adam Clarke). Every believer is now considered to be "God's building" - the place where He intends to dwell.

If this is so - and it certainly is - then how should every Christian conduct himself in this world? Being the "temple of the living God" - "God's Building" - shouldn't his life reflect a sacredness - a purity and holiness about his heart and conversation?

Matthew Henry, the renowned Bible Commentator made this statement - "The temple of the Holy Ghost must be kept holy. Our bodies must be kept as His Whose they are, and fit for His use and residence."

This is a great argument against the allowance of all fleshly lusts or doctrines which excuse such in the believer's walk. Being the "temple of the Holy Ghost," the Christian should now guard against anything which would bring corruption or pollution to his temple - making it an unfit "house" for the Manifested Presence of Jesus.

In his argument for the believer's body to be the dwelling place of God, Paul added these thoughts - "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?"

If any man "defiles" - corrupts - his temple through the wisdom of this world...errors or heresies...philosophies and vain deceit... idols...or fleshly lusts, God will "destroy" him. One commentator explains this by saying that God will take his part out of the Book of Life. This is extremely serious, wouldn't you agree?

Paul uses very strong language here. And we must get his point in doing so.

The "temple of God" has no connection with "idols" - things which God absolutely detests and cannot look upon without the utmost abhorrence. Idols are rivals for His honor. He is a jealous God and will not share His glory with another or give glory to another. He insists that the heart of every believer be His "house." Hence, every heart must be separated from a sinful and polluted world in its pleasures, pursuits, and follies. That which ought to be sacred must not be prostituted.

It is possible to love with an attachment the things of the world as - wealth, pleasures, fashion, and honor - and totally exclude God from the heart. This would be considered to be - Practical Idolatry.

Knowing this, the Apostle Paul admonished the Corinthian believers with these words as found in 1 Corinthians 10:14 - "flee from idolatry." In other words, escape...run from...and avoid at all costs everything that would have a tendency to lead into this sin. Abstain from the very appearance of anything that would be considered as a idol in your life.

The People's New Testament explained it in this way - "Sin must not be dallied with, but shunned." In other words, the sin of IDOLATRY must be 'SHUNNED."

The Apostle John admonished the believers with these words - "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen" (1 John 5:21). That is - guard against everything which would occupy the place due to God... would usurp the throne of dominion in the heart...would alienate the mind and heart from God...or would take away time and affection due to Him.

Barnes' Notes offers this comment - "God should have the supreme place in our affections. The love of everything else should be held in strict subordination to the love of Him."

In 1 Samuel 12:21, the Prophet Samuel gave the children of Israel a strong warning. This same Prophet "yet speaketh" today by saying - "And turn ye not side: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain." He told them of yesteryear and tells us the same today - "Do no turn from the worship of your God to 'vain things' or idols which cannot answer your expectations...profit you in your lack...or deliver you in your straits."

Adam Clarke made this comment - "That is a man's idol or god from which he seeks his happiness."

O Saint of God, do you realize that you are the "temple of God" and that the Spirit of God dwells within you just as the Shekinah glory rested in the tabernacle and temple of old? It would have been abominable for anyone to attempt to bring in an idol into the temple. Instant death would have been the result.

Nevertheless, in this day and time, it seems that it is nothing for a Christian to claim to be the dwelling place of God yet entertain many idols in his heart.

This, too, is abominable! God will not have it.

Remember His Word - "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

God will not be mocked.

"The temple of God is holy"

"which temple ye are"

All idolatry must go!

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon"
(Matthew 6:24).

Never forget the word of the Lord to you today - "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

Are you going to dare to continue to "defile your temple" after reading this message?

Whatever it takes - "flee from idolatry." "Keep yourselves from idols."

"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God..."

"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?" (1 Corinthians 10:21-22)

"If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy..."

Will you contend with God?

"God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar..." (Romans 3:4)

May God Bless His Word,
Connie

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