Sep 22
18
Old Testament Reading: Exodus 31:1-11
“The LORD said to Moses, ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.’”(Exodus 31:1-11, ESV)
New Testament Reading: 1 Peter 2:1–12
“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:1–12, ESV)
*****
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
I trust that you can see why I have set Exodus 31 alongside 1 Peter 2. Both of these passages that I have just read speak of the building up of God’s tabernacle, or temple.
In Exodus 31 we learn that the LORD commanded the Old Covenant tabernacle to be built out of the precious materials and according to the heavenly design that was shown to Moses on the mountain and that its construction fall under the oversight of a man name Bezalel of the tribe of Judah, whom the LORD had anointed with his Spirit for the skillful and wise accomplishment of this task.
And 1 Peter 2 also speaks of the building of God’s temple. The temple of which 1 Peter 2 speaks is not the tabernacle, or temple, of the Old Covenant, but is the New Covenant temple of God. It is not a temple made with earthly materials, but of people made holy by the blood of the Lamb. And who has been anointed with the Spirit and commissioned to build this spiritual New Covenant temple? Not Bezalel of the tribe of Judah, but Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the lion of the tribe of Judah.
I do believe that these two things ought to be compared, for clearly this theme of temple or tabernacle building is one that is developed throughout the story of the Bible. In fact, there are a number of themes that tie the story of scripture together. For example, you have heard me speak of the theme of the kingdom of God and its development using the terms “offered, promised, prefigured, inaugurated, and consummated.”If you have been here at Emmaus for any length of time, those terms will be familiar to you. And I think that the same terms may be used to describe the development of the theme of temple, or tabernacle, in the holy scriptures.
What is the Bible about?
Well, it is the story of creation, man’s fall into sin, redemption in Christ Jesus, and the consummation of all things at the end of time when Christ returns to make all things new – creation, fall, redemption, consummation. .
Or to summarize the message of scripture in another way, it is the story of the establishment of God’s kingdom. His kingdom was offered to Adam but forfeited. By God’s grace, its full establishment was promised to Adam. Adam would not usher in the eternal Kingdom of God. Instead, one of his descendants would – the seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head. Now please here. This kingdom – the kingdom of God – was prefigured on earth through the Old Covenant nation of Israel. Israel was a holy people brought into a holy land to worship and serve the Holy God as king. So then, the kingdom was offered, promised, and then prefigured in Israel. When I say that the kingdom was prefigured in Old Covenant Israel, I mean that it was present on earth, but only in a prototypical way. God’s kingdom was present, but not with full power. It was present, but only as a picture, prototype, and promise of something greater yet to come. And this is why John the Baptist came preaching saying, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In other words, as John prepared the way for the Messiah, the Anointed son of Adam, Abraham, and God who would crush the serpent’s head, John did also announce the soon arrival of the kingdom of God on earth. Some might wonder, but wasn’t God’s kingdom on earth already? Well, yes, in a certain way. Generally, God has always been Sovereign over all things. But that is not what we are talking about here. Yes, God’s kingdom was present in the form of a promise from Adam to Moses. And it was present in the form of promise and prototype in Old Covenant Israel from Moses to Christ. But the kingdom of God came in power through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all who believed from every tongue tribe, and nation. When did God’s kingdom come in power? Answer: When the Messiah came to accomplish the redemption of God’s elect, to establish the New Covenant in his blood, to ascend to the Father’s right hand with all authority in heaven and earth being given to him, and to pour out the Holy Spirit. You see, the kingdom of God was inaugurated then. The kingdom of God was inaugurated when Jesus Christ, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, accomplished the work that was given to him by the Father in the Covenant of Redemption, and having finished his work, bound the Evil One, ascended to the Father, sat down upon his throne, sent forth the Holy Spirit, so that with all authority in heaven and earth having been given to him, his disciples might go with confidence and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded. You see, the kingdom of God is present on earth now, not in a prototypical way only, but in power, for all who have Jesus as Lord and King are citizens of this kingdom now. This kingdom expands as the gospel of the kingdom goes forth, and as the Holy Spirit works, to move men and women, boys and girls, to turn from their sins, to bow the knee, and to confess with their mouths and believe in their hearts Jesus is Lord. This kingdom is manifest on earth wherever God’s people assemble before God’s table, Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day, in Jesus’ What do we await except the consummation of this kingdom which will happen when Christ returns. When Christ returns he will judge all who are not united to him by faith, and he will usher his people – those washed in his blood through faith in him – in the new heaven and earth which he has earned. According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:24, At that time Christ will deliver “the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For ‘God has put all things in subjection under his feet.’ But when it says, ‘all things are put in subjection,’ it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.” (1 Corinthians 15:24–27, ESV).
So what does all of this talk about the kingdom of God being offered, promised, prefigured, inaugurated, and one day consummated, have to do with the tabernacle, and later temple, of Old Covenant Isarel? Well, I want for you to see that the same terms and concepts that we have applied to the theme of “God’s kingdom” can also be applied to the theme of “God’s temple”.
I think you can see that the Holy Scriptures tell the story of the establishment of God’s eternal Kingdom through Christ Jesus, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. And I hope that you can also see that the Holy Scriptures tell the story of the establishment of God’s eternal through Christ Jesus. He is the son of David who was set apart to build a house for God, wherein God’s redeemed will commune with him – not a house of wood or stone – but a renewed creation, a “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
After all, what is a temple or tabernacle, biblically speaking? Is it not a holy place wherein a holy people are invited to commune with, worship, and serve, the Holy One – God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth? Indeed, that is what a temple is. It is a special place set apart by God wherein man is invited to approach him, commune with him, and to worship and serve him.
You have heard me say that Eden was a temple, and it was. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and all that is within. But afterward, “ the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed” (Genesis 2:8, ESV). There Adam and Eve enjoyed sweet communion with God. Adam, the priest of Eden, was to keep the garden temple. There he was to serve the LORD. He was to work to expand its borders to the furthest reaches of the earth. In this way, the worldwide, eschatological – that is to say, full and final – temple of God was offered to Adam, Eve, and their posterity. Can you picture it? Eden was a temple. Adam, through his obedience and faithful work, was to expand it to make the whole earth into the temple of God so that heaven and earth would be one. And I am saying that in this way, through the Covenant of Works, Adam was called to build God’s temple. As you know, he failed and was expelled, for no unclean thing can dwell within God’s temple.
The temple was offered to Adam, Eve, and their posterity, but it was forfeited. After this, the temple was promised to Adam. When I say that the temple was promised to Adam after his fall into sin, I am obviously referring to the first promise of the gospel that was announced to him through the curse that was pronounced upon the serpent as recorded in Genesis 3:15. Though the word “tabernacle” or “temple” is not found there, it is strongly implied that the seed of the woman – the one who would crush the serpents head – would undo the damage that he caused through his tempting of the man and woman. If the original thing offered to Adam was a worldwide temple, then it is implied that this Savior that was promised – this Champion who would defeat the Evil One to undo his works – woud obtain the thing that Adam failed to obtain. The rest of the scriptures prove this theory to be true.
So the worldwide, eternal temple of God was offered to Adam but lost. God, by his grace, did promise to recover what was lost, through the one who would arise from the women, that is to say, through the Messiah. So then, this promise concerning an eternal Kingdom, or an eternal temple (the new heavens and earth in which righteousness dwells), was present in the world from Adam’s day onward. But in the days of Moses, through Isarel, and in the covenant that God transacted with them, this promise was made visible and tangible. From Adam to Moses, God people who trusted in the promises of God – people like Abraham and Melchezadec – worshiped at simple altars. But in the days of Moses, the descendants of Abraham were commanded to construct a tabernacle. Later, in the days of King Solomon, this portable tabernacle would be made into a permanent temple in Jerusalem. It has been observed in previous sermons that the design of this tabernacle, and later temple, was meant to remind the worshipper of the original creation. It was to remind the worship of God who is in heaven and our approach to him from on earth. It was to remind the worshipper of Eden, and especially of what was lost. Adam and Eve were cast out because of their sin. The way to God and to the tree of life that was offered to them was blocked by angels with flaming swords, and so there was a veil in the tabernacle that separated the holy place from the most holy place, wherein God was enthonmed. And on that veil were embroidered cherubim – a constant reminder that the way to God was not fully open.
So then, the tabernacle was a visible reminder of the original creation, of the heavens and earth as God made them, of Eden, and of the communion with God that was lost when man fell into sin. In this way, the tabernacle delivered bad news. But consider the good news of the tabernacle. Just think of it. God commanded Isarel to build a tabernacle. Think of the good news that was communicated to Isarel, and through them to the world, when God gave Isarel the tabernacle. That little portable temple communicated something wonderful. God is gracious. Though he would have done no wrong to leave the children of Adam in their sin and without hope, he showed mercy and grace. He has determined to make a way for man to be cleansed, to approach him, and commune with him. He has graciously determined to establish his eternal kingdom and his eternal, worldwide temple – not through Adam nor though the Covenant of works that God transacted with him, but in another way – though the one who would descend from Adam and Eve, and through a New Covenant the Covenant of Grace. As you picture the tabernacle that Isarel built, it is imperative that you think of it of it as a visible promise – as a prototype, or picture, of much greater things yet to come.
I have used the terms “type” and “prototype” often in our study of the book of Exodus. These are important terms. In fact, they are biblical terms. Paul speaks of “types” and “anti-types” in his writings. A “type” or “prototype” is a person, event, or thing through which God works in the history of redemption that anticipates the arrival of a greater, person, event, or thing in the future. Adam was a type of Christ, Paul says? How so? Adam was the Federal head of the Covenant of works. Christ is the Federal head of the Covenant of Grace. Both men acted as representatives on behalf of others – Adam on behalf of humanity, and Christ on behalf of God’s elect. But there are many, many more examples. The Exodus was a type of the redemption that Christ would accomplish. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was a type of the final judgment. When Moses lifted up the serpent on the pole in the wilderness and all who looked upon were healed, that was a type, or picture, of the salvation that God would provide from sin and eternal damnation through the lifting up of Christ on the cross. If you wish to read the Old Testament well as a Christian, you must be mindful of typology. Indeed, many Christians are aware of the direct prophesies found in the Old Testament concerning the coming Messiah. I am thinking here of Psalm 110, Isaiah 7, and other such passages that speak of the coming Messiah in a direct way. But we must not miss the fact that many Old Testament persons, places, events, and institutions, are embued with a kind of prophetic quality. For example, when Abraham took Isaac up on that mountain, built an altar, laid the young man upon it, and raised his knife, and when the LORD stopped him and provided a ram as a substitute, that was not only good news for Isaac – that was good news for the whole world. That was a picture – a prophecy in the form of an event – concerning the coming Messiah who would, the only begotten Son of God, who died as a substitute for sinners. The Old Testament is jampacked full of people, places, institutions, and events that have a prophetic quality to them. These things were pictures of greater things yet to come.
Brothers and sisters, it is important for you to think of the tabernacle, and later, temple, of Old Covenant Israel in this way. These structures were filled with symbolism. They pointed back to Eden, upward to the throneroom of God in heaven, and forward to the coming of the Messiah and to the work that he would accomplish. The structure, the furnishings, the blood sacrifices, the washings, the priesthood, and even their garments all had reference to Christ. And this is a part of what Christ meant when he claimed to be the fulfillment of all the law, prophets, and Psalms.
*****
Bezalel, The Tabernacle Builder
.
The passage that is before us today is really quite simple. In verse 1 of chapter 31 we learn that a man named Bezalel of the tribe of Judah was to oversee the construction of the tabernacle and all of its furnishings, utensils, and accouterments. We should not take this to mean that Bezalel was to build the tabernacle alone. No, in 31:6 we learn that the LORD appointed “Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan…”, to serve as an assistant to Bezalel. Furthermore, as the story of the construction of the tabernacle continues in Exodus it becomes clear that these men were appointed as overseers. The people of Israel would bring in contributions of fine materials and precious metals. Bezalel and Oholiab would receive them and oversee the work that was done to be sure that everything was done according to the design revealed to Moses, and that the craftsmanship be of the highest quality.
Notice also in verse 1 that it was the LORD who called Bezalel. And in verse 6 we learn that it was the LORD who appointed Oholiab. So then, it was the LORD who called Moses to serve as prophet and mediator of the Old Covenant. It was the LORD who called Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. And it was the LORD who called Bezalel and Oholiab to serve as craftsmen and foremen in the building of the tabernacle. Indeed, the LORD had called all of Israel to freely and cheeerfully make contributions of fine materials so that the tabernacle of God would be constructed by all of the people.
One of the points of application that can be drawn from this is that the LORD calls all of his people to participate in the building of his temple. And he furnishes them was a diversity of gifts by the power of his Holy Spirit for the accomplishment of this work. This was true in the days of Moses. This was true in the days of Solomon (indeed, when the temple was built in Solomons’s day, even the Gentiles contributed (1 Kings 5:1). And this is true now under the New Covenant.
Though all were to make contributions of talent or materials, it was Bezalel of the tribe of Judah who was to oversee the work. And the text says that he was filled with the Spirit. In verse 3 the LORD says, “and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft” (Exodus 31:3–5, ESV).
Notice here that the filling with the Holy Spirit that Bezalel received was of a particular kind. The LORD had filled him with the Spirit to give him the ability and intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship, for the purpose of devising “artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.” I have no reason to believe that Bezalel was not a believer in the Messiah, and therefore regenerated by the Holy Spirit to the salvation of his soul. But the thing I am drawing your attention to here is that this particular filling of the Spirit was not unto salvation, but for the purpose of furnishing this man with the gifts he would need to fulfill his calling. Bezalel was called to build and furnish the tabernacle, and so the LORD furnished him with the gifts required – he gave him ability intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship so that he might do the work that he had called him to do. This is a helpful thing to remember. When the scriptures speak of filling or anointing, with the Holy Spirit, this does not always refer to the forgiveness of sins or the salvation of the soul. Sometimes the scriptures speak of filling or anointing of the Spirit for the purpose of furnishing a person with what they need to fulfill a particular office or accomplish a particular task. King Saul was anointed with the Holy Spirit in this sense – he was anointed to serve as king. And when the Spirit departed from Saul (1 Samuel 16:23), he did not loose his salvation (there is no indication he ever had that). No, he lost the LORD’s anointing and blessing to serve as King of Israel.
So, when we read that Bezalel was filled with the Holy Spirit we are to understand that to mean that the LORD called him and equipped him with the skill, knowledge, and wisdom required to construct God’s tabernacle in a glorious and beautiful way.
*****
Jesus Christ, The Temple Builder
I took the time in the introduction of this sermon to talk about the typology of the tabernacle and temple in part so that I might make a connection between Bezalel the son of Uri and Jesus Christ the Son of David. I do not think it is a stretch to view Bezalel as a type of the Christ who was to come.
One, notice that both Bezalel and Jesus were of the tribe of Judah. I suppose it is also important to point out that King David, who desired to build a permanent temple for the LORD, and his son, King Solomon, who would build a permanent temple for the Lord, were also of the tribe of Judah. So then, these temple builders were of the tribe of Judah.
Two, Bezalel was anointed with the Holy Spirit for the accomplishment of this task. He was furnished with all he would need – ability and intelligence, knowledge and all craftsmanship – for the accomplishment of this work. Indeed, Jesus Christ was God’s anointed one. That is what Christ, or Messiah, means – Anointed One. And he was anointed to do many things, one of them being to build God’s eschatological temple.
And three, both Bezalel the son of Uri and Jesus Christ the Son of David were called and equipped to do the same work, namely, to build God’s tabernacle or temple. Bezalel’s work was earthly, temporary, and prototypical. Christ’s work was much, much greater. It was heavenly, eternal, and ultimate.
You see, while it is important for you to know the facts about the construction of the tabernacle under the Old Covenant – that it was to be built by Bezalel of the tribe of Judah, one set apart by God for the work and anointed by the Holy Spirit – it is even more important for you to see Christ and his work prefigured here.
Jesus Christ of the tribe of Judah was set apart by God and anointed with the Holy Spirit beyond measure to skilfully build the temple of God – a temple not made with earthy materials, but one that will fill heaven and earth, be populated by sinners made holy by his shed blood, and filled with the glory of God forever and ever.
You know, there is a passage that I have alluded to which makes it very clear that it was Christ’s work to build God’s house or temple, and it is found in 1 Chronicles 17. This is that passage wherein King David expresses his desire to build a permanent and glorious temple for God, and Nathan the prophet is called to speak to David and to inform him that he is not the man for the job. His son would build the temple, not him. As you read this passage it is clear that it has an immediate fulfillment in King Solomon, David’s immediate son, doing the work of temple building after David’s death. But it is also apparent that what is promised goes far beyond Solomon and finds its fulfillment in Christ, the true son of David. Listen to what the Lord said to David regarding his kingdom and God’s temple.
“When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’ In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David” (1 Chronicles 17:11–15, ESV).
When we consider these promises in the light of the rest of the scripture it becomes clear that they found their partial fulfillment in the work that King Solomon would do to establish David’s kingdom and to build God’s temple. But it is also clear that these promises find their ultimate fulfillment, not in Solomon, but in Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham, the Son of David.
In fact, Hebrews 1:5 sites this passage and says that it has reference to Christ when it asks, “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’? Or again, ‘I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son’?” (Hebrews 1:5, ESV) This is a citation of 1 Chronicles 17, and the writer to the Hebrews (Paul) wants us to see that this is not about Solomon, but Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the son of David of whom this passage speaks. Jesus Christ is son of David who would establish his kingdom. Jesus Christ is the son of David who would build a house for the LORD and establish his throne forever. It was to Jesus Christ whom the LORD ultimately spoke, saying, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’”
*****
Contemplations
I trust that you have thought of Jesus as the great King of God’s kingdom. But I wonder, have you thought of him as the great builder of God’s temple, or house? I think if you kept your eye open for that theme in the New Testament you would see it everywhere.
Perhaps the best example is that of 1 Peter 2 where it is said of Christians, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
The church is God’s temple now. And did not Christ himself say, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, ESV).
God’s temple is being built up not stone by stone upon the foundation of Christ, the Apostles, and Prophets. And what are these stones except people – Jews and Gentiles together – who have Jesus as Lord. These are the stones of the spiritual house that Christ is building. And when will this temple building project be completed? It will be complete when all of God’s elect are gathered in, when Christ returns to judge those in their sins and bring his people safely into the new heavens and earth, the eschatological, full and final, everlasting temple of God in which righteousness dwells. Indeed, “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27, ESV).
So what are the implications of this for us today? In other words, how does viewing Christ as God’s temple builder help us to understand who he is, what he has done, and who we are in him?
One, seeing Christ as “temple builder” helps us to realize that he did far more than earn your personal salvation and mine. No, he earned a new creation. He secured the place that was offered to Adam, but forfeited. The new heavens and earth are his, for he has earned them through his obedience. And they are our inheritance through our union with him. Christ said, “I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:2–3, ESV)
Two, seeing Christ as “temple builder” helps us to realize that his mission was not just to cleanse of sin so that we might go to heaven and stand afar off from God. No, he redeemed us from sin and darkness so as to draw us near to God. He came to reconcile us to the Father so that we might draw near to him and enjoy communion with him as Adam and Eve did in the garden temple before sin entered into the world. Christian, I ask you, are you living now as one who has been forgiven, or as one who has been forgiven and reconciled to God the Father? You can see the difference, can’t you? To be forgiven is a wonderful gift. Indeed, to be forgiven alone would be an awesome and glorious gift from God. But according to the truth of the gospel, we have been forgiven so that we might be reconciled. We have been cleansed so that we might come near to God to enjoy communion with him. I could also put this in the terms of justification and adoption. Those who have faith in Christ are justified before God. This means that they are declared not guilty in a legal way. Indeed, to be justified before God is an essential thing. It is a very blessed thing. But the justification we receive makes adoption possible. Our guilt is removed so that we might be reconciled to God as his beloved sons and daughters. So then, I ask you, Christian, are you living as one who has been justified only, or as one who has been justified and adopted? To be reconciled and adopted implies intimacy with God. Reconciliation and adoption restore communion with God. They are terms that communicate relational warmth. Thinking of Christ as “temple builder” helps us to understand this, for temples are places wherein man is invited to draw near to God, to commune with him, to adore, worship, and serve him. Are you drawing near to God in prayer, brothers and sisters? Are you drawing near to him in worship from the heart? Are you offering yourself up to him “as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1, ESV). Christ lived, died, and rose again, not only to cleanse you from your sins, but to cleanse you so that you might enter into the presence of God in his holy temple.
Three, seeing Christ as “temple builder” does also help us to understand the nature and mission of the church. If the church is God’s temple, made up of living stones, that is to say, of human souls redeemed by Christ Jesus, and if these living stones are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ himself as the cornerstone, then it is clear that the church of Jesus Christ is made up only of those who have Jesus as Lord, who believe the words of Christ, his Apostles, and Prophets, and who have been cleansed by his shed blood as signified by the waters of baptism. In other words, it is those who have made a credible profession of faith through the waters of baptism who are to be received as members of Christ’s church and recognized as living stones in his temple. God knows who are his. We cannot see the hearts of men. And so we are to receive into the church all who make a credible profession, who have been water baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Any church that willingly receives into its membership those who do not believe or those who make a mockery of their profession of faith by wicked and unrepentant living, defile God’s temple. It is those who have Jesus as Lord who are living stones in God’s spiritual temple. It is those who have been cleansed by his blood and washed with water who make up this spiritual house. And what does this say about the mission or purpose of the church? If the church is the temple, then the church has as its purpose worship, prayer, holy living, and a faithful witness to the world around. As the Apostle Peter says, “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
