Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT)
One Sunday when he and his royal party arrived at church, no one was there except Archbishop Fenelon, the court preacher. Surprised to see all the vacant seats, the King inquired, "Where is everybody?" Why isn't anyone else present this morning?"
The minister answered, "I announced that Your Majesty would not be here today, because I wanted you to see who came to the service just to flatter you and who came to worship God."
Most people do not have opportunities to be in meetings where such dignitaries are in attendance. Yet, many go to church for reasons other than communing with the Lord, enjoying Christian fellowship, and being instructed from the Word. They may not be there to impress royalty, but their motives for coming are just as vain and selfish. Some think it's good for business or that it enhances their social standing. Others put in an appearance to display their piety; and some merely attend out of a sense of duty. But not one of these actions truly brings honor to God.
As we reflect on ancient Jerusalem, an essential part of rebuilding the city was to cleanse and refurbish the temple. Everyone needs purging. There are no exceptions. We are all from the same mold. Yes, we are uniquely created. But our uniqueness does not remove the fact we are all offspring of Adam. And because we are, we are all born with the tendency to sin. We all carry that sin-nature originating with Adam’s disobedience.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23 NIV)
Not only have we all sinned and find ourselves in need of cleansing; it is not a one-time event. Granted, when we come to the altar, we are made entirely clean. But, as the Apostle Paul often reminds us, especially in Romans 7, we live in a body that loves to draw us back toward our old sinful nature. So, we all need repeated cleansing.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7-9 NIV)
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