1 Corinthians 3:16-18 

¹⁶Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. ¹⁸Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise.

Transfer

How many times have you ever transferred from dwelling place to another? If you can remember your experiences, how many houses or apartments have you resided ever since you left the house of your parents until now?

Together with my family, I can only recall about more or less 30 times, and I stopped counting the number of times we transferred from one house to another ever since. From that experience of transferring from one house to another, it teaches me that we cannot keep all things we want to keep. And surely, you know how taxing and exhausting to transfer belongings from one place to another.

Many people may spend much to improve their house yard but others have different outlooks; they may plan to sell their house after few years later on. And older people may sell their houses, and they would just rent apartment, why? The demand of house maintenance is too strenuous and difficult for them physically.

Together, let us reflect personally on what it was declared in Psalm 90:10.

¹⁰Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

What do you expect? How long will you live on earth? What have you planned for your life, if the Lord allows you to live on earth more than 70 or more than 80 years? If God gives you life on earth lesser than that, what is your plan?

No matter how long we live on earth, we do the best we can and take care of our physical body as practical expression of gratitude to the Lord; and, we also take care of our relationship with members of the family of God? Why? We are God’s temple, and the Holy Spirit of Christ dwells in us and in our midst.

1.  Dwell

¹⁶Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 

All genuine Christians are part of God’s temple. The Holy Spirit of Christ dwells in us and in our midst. His presence is practical proof to identify genuine Christians from pretenders. The fruit of the Holy Spirit of God in our life (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) should motivate earnest desire and enthusiastic obedience to his instructions.

The Holy Spirit is our warranty that we are children of God. He also gives us firm confidence that we will live with our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven forever. You have prayed and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but still you sense like you are not very sure to enter heaven. Is it possible for genuine Christians to have doubts, if they enter heaven? What do you think? Why do Christians doubt?

Personally reflect on what the Lord Jesus Christ declares in John 15:7-8, 16.

⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples… ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 

Don’t be too quick to think that God grants whatever we wish or ask in the name of Christ Jesus. If you can accept it, there’s condition. What’s the condition?

Anything we wish or ask that can be useful to bear fruit and make disciples, the Lord grants it. Christ promised it. Of course anything we wish or ask him, the Lord determines it, if it benefits us to be fruitful in making disciples, he certainly grants them. And when we sense little doubt, he helps us trust his faithfulness.

Medical Exam

Almost 14 years ago, when we were processing our documents to come to Canada, we have to go through Medical Examination. At that time, my wife was recovering from her surgery and presumed that it could affect her Medical Exam. So, she had to review, not for the Medical Exam. She reviewed any probability.

She said, “If I don’t pass the Medical Exam, you can go ahead, and I will just follow later when I recovered.” Reflect on it. Did she doubt that we come together to Canada? Or did she express her preparedness for other possible options?

I told her, “I believe that if God has called me to be a pastor in Canada, we can go together as family. If we are not going together, we will not go ahead.”

What do you think? Where did that confidence come from? I think the Holy Spirit gave me confidence that wherever he leads, his grace is sufficient enough to sustain whatever we need to accomplish his purposes in us. Do you believe that God grants anything beneficial to accomplish his mission purposes through you?

Are you hopeful about what God can do for you? What reasons could cause hesitation to follow and obey the will of the Lord? What are you anxious of? You’ve got expectations in life but doubts and worries can also cause hesitations.

Be prayerful and rely upon the Holy Spirit of God always. He surely provides joyful peace in our hearts so that we may enjoy our pilgrimage in this world.

It declares hope in Psalm 126:1-6, ¹When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. ²Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” ³The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. ⁴Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. ⁵Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. ⁶ Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Personally, whenever I come to this part of the Scripture I have wondered quietly in my heart what fortune God may restore to me. Since in the first place, I didn’t have material fortunes, what fortune should I ask God to restore to me?

I could have been satisfied with whatever God provided for us, that’s all.

Truly, the presence of Holy Spirit in our heart practically confirms active faith in Christ, and we could be satisfied whether he provides abundant material things or just enough to get by. Make sure that you grow in your faith in the Lord. God won’t allow his children to be destroyed without any reason, will he?

2.   Destroy

¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

Take this time to personally reflect if your faith in Christ is active or not yet. Ask yourself: Do I have the Holy Spirit in my heart? Do I sense joyful peace in me? If you have but still sense doubt about your probability to live with God in heaven, pray that the Holy Spirit helps you grow stronger in your faith in Christ.

Most often, our faith in Christ is tested unexpectedly with good things. Did you know that? What good things would God use to test the level of our faith? Most often good things we are accustomed to like: talent, hobby, work, studies and even ministry involvement. God would test our faith to test our priority.

If we prioritize our talent, hobby, work, studies or ministry involvement more than the Lord, will God be pleased? Will God accept half-hearted devotion? How can we prioritize God more than talent, hobby, work, studies or ministry?

Weekends

Working on weekends is very tempting because the payment is doubled.

But a devout Christian was very anxious whenever she worked on weekends. She cannot feel comfortable missing Sunday worship services. So, she prayed for better opportunity that should allow her to attend worship services regularly.

God granted her heart desire. Truly, all Christians are challenged to meet and fellowship regularly. Do you believe that God will grant anything we ask him, if it is beneficial to our obedience to his instruction? Regular worship of the Lord as congregation serves also as practical proof of his grace and love for us.

1 Peter 3:12 declares, ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

It’s true! We can worship God anytime anywhere. We regularly worship the Lord with our brothers and sisters in Christ as practical proof that we are essential parts of God’s temple, and his Holy Spirit lives among us, in our midst.

To grow stronger in our faith in the Lord, our presence should encourage one another. However, the Lord warned against causing believers to stumble and stop prioritizing him in Matthew 18:6-7, ⁶If anyone causes one of these little ones —those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. ⁷Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!

The term “little ones” is properly interpreted as disciples of Christ Jesus.

The term “stumble” is properly interpreted also as “sin against the Lord.”

It is possible that disciples may stumble and sin against the Lord. Material things can also cause believers to replace the Lord from their priority. The term “woe” warns against probable horrible and regrettable punishment. The Lord is just. Eternal punishment for wickedness had been decreed. What can we do?

We must always pray that his Holy Spirit may guide us in everything we do, think or say. We can pray that the Lord may even remind us to always seek his help in all circumstances, during pleasant moments and not just in the times of needs. Pray for godly wisdom so that you won’t be deceived or become fools.

3.  Deceive

¹⁸Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise.

To become fools so that we may become wise, how should we explain that?

How could we become fools to become wise anyway? Have you ever heard that Christians are foolish to attend worship services during weekends instead of working overtime? The world may think we are foolish to give the tithes of God rather than investing in stocks or spend in recreation and leisure.

1 Corinthians 1:18, 21 says, ¹⁸The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God… ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

It is great to see more and more church attendees have realized that it much beneficial to completely trust the Lord rather than half-hearted devotion. We do not want to be deceived; we expect that Christ is coming sooner, right?

Foreclose

A popular actor heard one of his staffs was worried that his house is about to be foreclosed if he cannot pay the remaining balance on a particular date. The actor transferred the needed amount into the bank account of the needy staff.

Accordingly, a reporter was curious; secretly, he followed and observed the popular actor spends time and resources with needy people without publicity stunts of what he does. He’s just seriously generous and compassionate to others.

He did not want to talk about religious matters that may affect his work as actor.

If he has faith in Christ, his good deeds are eternal treasures for himself.

Reflect: Christ commands in Matthew 24:42-47, ⁴²Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. ⁴⁵Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

How strong do you hope that Christ might return anytime in the next days?

Think about it: If Christ returns in the next moment, what will he find me doing? Have you stored up eternal treasures for yourselves in heaven, yet? Make sure that you are essential part of the temple of God. Get involved in his ministries!

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