16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17. If any man defile the Temple of God, him shall God destroy: for the Temple of God is holy, which Temple ye are.
The Holy Spirit Gives Life to Your Spirit
Once a Christian is born again — born from above — God begins the ongoing work of regeneration in the life of the believer. In our natural state, even with faith alone, we are not fit for the Kingdom of God. This is exactly what Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus in John 3:6: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” The New Living Translation makes it even clearer: “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.”
In John 14:17, 15:26, and 16:13, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit can only bear witness with our spirit if we believe God’s truth: that He sent His only begotten Son, who bore our sins, died on the Cross, was buried, and rose on the third day — defeating death, healing us through His stripes, and making those who believe righteous through His shed blood. This is the Holy Gospel, and our faith as believers is rooted in it. In order to receive the Holy Spirit, faith must be rooted in the heart, not merely confessed with the mouth.
Revealed by the Risen Christ Not Taught by Man
Although Paul did not interact with Jesus during His earthly ministry, he did receive direct revelations from the risen Christ after encountering Him on his way to Damascus. Concerning the Gospel, Paul tells us in Galatians 1:12: “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” God revealed His Son in Paul and appointed him as the chosen vessel to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles (Galatians 1:15,16). After this calling, Paul spent three years in Arabia and Damascus before going to Jerusalem to meet with Peter and “James, the Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:18,19).
The disciples — not only the Twelve — received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). But in Paul we see something more: not only the work of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, but also the sanctifying work of enlightenment that comes only from the Holy Spirit dwelling within. By revelation of the risen Christ, Paul possessed an understanding of the Spirit’s indwelling that was much deeper than any of the disciples — who, even though they walked with Jesus, still wavered in faith at times.
A Temple Built by God Not by the Hands of Men
The Old Testament gives us an example for today: God revealed His truth and His judgments to prophets, judges, and kings who then delivered them to believers and unbelievers. In a similar way, Paul is an example of how the Holy Spirit reveals Christ within the believer — and how the Spirit convicts of sin to keep our walk holy and aligned with God.
The regenerating work of the Spirit makes the believer the Temple of God. This work fulfills a prophecy Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well when He said, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.” God is now found in the hearts of those made spiritually alive by His Spirit — no longer in structures made with hands.
You Are That Temple
In an attempt to comfort the disciples in His physical absence, Jesus tells them in John 16:7 that unless He goes to the Father, the Holy Spirit will not come to them. The Holy Spirit is mentioned sparingly in the Old Testament, so the disciples would have been just as clueless about the promise of His coming, as Nicodemus was when Jesus spoke of being born again. Imagine the fear this would have stirred in them: their Teacher, Protector, and Comforter would no longer walk beside them. Leaving their hearts empty, with countless questions to be asked, and many answers still hidden from them.
Jesus provided the solution to their fears only a few statements later in John 16:13 when he declared, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” Their pain and confusion would have shaded their hearts from this good news. But for us today, our hearts should be enlarged with joy — because the Spirit of Jesus dwelling within us makes us the Holy Temple of God. This is the same truth that emboldened Paul to travel wherever the Spirit directed him, preaching the Gospel and establishing churches.
Living as God’s Holy Temple
As the living Temple of God, believers are called to live Godly lives. Our sacrifices are no longer the blood of bulls and goats, but the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to God. We live Godly by abandoning the desires of the flesh —the very desires that once practiced sin, and created separation from God. Instead, we walk in the Spirit, producing the fruit of the Spirit. We know we are born from above when love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance manifest in our lives because, these are the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23).
The work of the Holy Spirit is ongoing — shaping the thoughts and actions of the believer so they align with God’s commands for all and His will for each of us individually. He does this by revealing the truth about the world around us and showing how it aligns (or conflicts) with God’s truth. When our thoughts, actions, words, or deeds drift from Christlikeness, the Spirit will convict us by stirring a holy discomfort within. Every conviction is an invitation to return to righteousness. But every time we ignore His conviction, we grieve the Holy Spirit, and our lives drift further from God’s righteous path. Ephesians 4:30 is a stern warning against this, “And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”
Just as God allowed the physical Temple to be destroyed when it was repeatedly defiled, the Temple of the believer will also face judgment if defilement becomes a pattern. Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 3:17, “If any man defile the Temple of God, him shall God destroy: for the Temple of God is holy, which Temple ye are.” These words should not be taken lightly. God will bring one of His children home early, rather than risk them falling back into the bondage of sin and the hands of the evil one — the same way he allowed the physical Temple to be destroyed rather then let pagans mock and defile His Holy ground.
A Blessing Paid for With the Shed Blood of Christ Jesus
Although the warning is sobering, the privilege of being the Temple of God is a great honor that comes without burden. It means never being alone (John 14:18), because the Holy Spirit not only dwells within you but walks beside you — constantly communing with your spirit and guiding you into all truth (John 16:13). He gives strength in times of weakness as you lean on His holy walls, steadying your feeble knees so you may walk upright in righteousness. Your countenance becomes a testimony, drawing others because the God-Light shines through you — and ever brighter when your holiness during storms brings glory to His name.
With the Holy Spirit, you have endless access to the peace that only Jesus can give, because He is the comforter who reminds you that Christ is with you always (Matthew 14:26). Being God’s Temple is a blessing paid for by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. A gift available to anyone who believes in their heart that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.
Amen.