Monday, December 29, 2014

Living As The Temple Of God


And He came and preached peace to you
who were afar off and to those who were near.
For through Him we both have access
by one Spirit to the Father.  Now, therefore,
you are no longer strangers and foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints
and members of the household of God,
having been built on the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building,
being fit together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
in the home you also are being built together for a
dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:17 -- 22

            This preaching of peace was a message of glad tidings, as the Greek word indicates and can also be translated simply a message, but this was a special message for was the message of glad tidings.  This glad tidings was peace could be had by anyone from afar are more from those who are near.  What does this peace mean and how can it be worked out any person's life?  It is simply this that by the one Spirit we have access to the Father.  You're no longer a stranger or a foreigner but you are a fellow citizen with saints and who are now a member of the household of God.  This is also due to one fact that the apostles and prophets set forth the foundation so that you can become one member of the household of God.  The pillar stone, the chief cornerstone, is Jesus Christ Himself for you all are one member that makes up the whole building or temple of the Lord and it is in this temple where the Spirit of God dwells.  Contemplate for a moment on this fact: you are the temple of God and it is in this temple that the Holy Spirit dwells.  Therefore, how should you protect this temple?  How should this temple be viewed by others?  By your protection to ensure that temple is viewed by others as the temple of God how then should do manifest your life before others?  This temple, you, is where the Holy Spirit dwell and if we are not keeping this temple then we are bringing impurity upon the Holy Spirit Who is there to guide our lives.  There is a responsibility placed upon us and we must not shirk this responsibility even though it may cause hardship or persecution.  We are the representatives of God and of his only begotten son the Lord Jesus Christ who came to be seen God's children and as one of God's children we take this responsibility seriously.  As a child of God we are called to serve Him and we serve because we have been saved we then commit to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His claims and this committal must come to a person before it can be activated by that person so that He will commit us to the Spirit’s power for service.  Why did God call anyone?  The calling of God is made up of two parts: 1.  The calling.  2.  The sending.  You have been called and you have been order to go.  We first respond to the call by becoming disciples, that he is this learning time, a time in which you will be made into an ambassador, or simply an apostle, one being sent for to serve the sender.  We began by receiving what God has to offer through his holy Word the Bible it is when we read this word that we feel the touch of Lord upon us and we dedicate our life to Him.  We receive practical training and we become ambassadors were messengers of Jesus Christ and we become prepared to propagate the truth and we seek to bring this truth and impart it to others.  As a temple of the Lord or the Holy Spirit dwells that we have this promised Holy Spirit who will aid us in our mission as an ambassador for it is by Him we receive a source of wisdom, comfort and strength.  Let me ask this question: are you too proud to be called an ambassador of Jesus Christ?  If so how can you expect to become a prince His kingdom? Are you just waiting until you get to heaven and then everything will be bestowed upon you? God has not chosen those who are necessarily of highly educational learning, no, he has chosen the foolish things of this world and it is by those foolish things that the world is confounded his chosen the weak things of the world to show His mighty strength and power and this is done through His children who are His temple.  You are a delegate, a messenger, one who bears a commission and has the commissioner's authority and by this authority as the representative of Jesus Christ you are to bring to the world, your world, this message of salvation.
            Has the culture of this world so influenced you that you seek to be successful in this world according to be way this world views success, or are you attempting in every way to be successful as the representative of the One who has saved you? Let's get this one thing straight; God does not care about how successful you all are in accordance with how this world views success.  We must go out into this world and make a living for ourselves and our family and if you are successful in doing this that isn't good, but that is not the best good, for the best good is when you are acting as what you have commissioned to be by God and His calling and his sending.  We work to make a living but we also work so that we can become His representatives in every way possible, starting at home, teaching our families, studying, praying, and then allow your faith to be seen in your works and that works is to bring to this world that good news message and that is what you have been commissioned to do and to be as His ambassador.  Watch has the priority in your life?  God or worldly success?  Only you can answer that question.  Praise God for those to whom he has commission He will also be there to aid them in this work.

Whatever my eyes desired
            I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart
            from any pleasure,
and this was my reward from
            all my labor.
Then I looked on all the works
            that my hands had done
an ongoing labor in which
            I had toiled;
and indeed all was vanity and
            grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.
                        Ecclesiastes 2: 10 -- 11

Prepare now to be God's ambassador

Richard L. Crumb

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