The Living Temple

2 Corinthians 6:1-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

6 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.³ We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. ⁴ But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, ⁵ in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; ⁶ by purity, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, ⁷ by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸ by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; ⁹ as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (NKJV)

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.” ¹⁷ Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”
¹⁸ “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 7 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

My Comments: Beloved God loves you. God loves the whole world of people and His creation. He does not want that any should not go to Heaven. He wants all to come to Him and He gave His Son Jesus that all may come to Him through His Son Jesus and the sacrifice of the Cross which obtains redemption for all who accept the free gift of grace and follow Him who knew us from the beginning. When we do accept the gift of God through His Son Jesus, then we become God’s Daughters and Sons. Yet He gives us free will to accept or reject His gift. Those who accept go to Heaven when they pass from this world and they will live on the New Earth after this world is renewed. When one accepts this gift He doesn’t want us to continue in the life we lived before accepting His gift.

This is what He is saying when He says, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.” When He directs us to not touch unclean things He is telling us that as Children of God we are to flee sin and sinful encounters that will pull us down and soil us. The fear of God is the hatred of evil. To hate evil we stay away from it whether it is pornography, promiscuity, swearing, lying, stealing, or anything else the Lord says in His word that is abhorrent to Him. When we were in the world we did many things the Lord hates. He doesn’t want us to do those things so He tells us to stay away from unclean things. Sin is unclean. When we sin we ask God’s forgiveness and through the Cross we are forgiven but that doesn’t give us leave to sin because we can just ask forgiveness.

Those of you who are parents know there is just so far your child can go with refusing to follow your rules and then discipline ensues. Right? Well, the same is true with our Heavenly Father. A truly obedient child tries to please their parent (s). That child is rewarded with hugs, compliments or whatever is needed to encourage the child to continue on the right path and pleasing their parent (s).

The same is true with our Abba (Daddy). If we disobey Him and keep on doing what we know we should not then He has to discipline us (no everything that happens to us is not discipline) to bring us back to right living. Use discernment to know where you stand. Is what is happening in your life to discipline or grow you? For instance, if your not married and your living with someone than that is the sin of fornication and God says, “Don’t fornicate.”  If you were to continue then God loving you would have to discipline you to bring you back to where you should be. Yet if you were not doing anything except making mistakes like not being the best you could be yet not purposely sinning then when things happen it is most likely God is testing or growing or allowing life to happen so you will grow. He will go through these with you to help you but they happen for a reason that is not your fault and He is there always with you even though it may feel like you are alone.

There is a whole book of the Bible devoted to the story of Job. A man of God who God says loved God yet he had things to learn and horrible things God allowed Satan to put Job through which grew Job and showed him where his weaknesses were and in the end Job came out stronger, closer to God and having more than he had when it all started. And his friends learned lessons as well. Satan did not win, God did and Job did because he learned and grew. Going through it all though was not easy on Job. It would not be easy on anyone yet God was there with him through it all. And He will be there through everything with you and with me.

He has been with me through the pain of losing children, a Grandson, all my parents, most of my Aunts and Uncles, my first husbands’ abuse and leaving me, children rejecting me, and my husband of 36 years death from cancer this past year (fall of 2012). He has increased my joy and given me people to love and love me, a new home, and His peace. He has grown me and always He went through it all with me.

He allowed things to happen for whatever the reason yet because He is stronger than I, knows more than I (He is all knowing) and is my Rock on which I stand I trust Him to bring me through all the trials of my life knowing it will be His strength that brings me through. The more I go through the more I know His strength in me. I must decrease so He will increase in me. As a child and a young adult I thought I had to find the "inner strength" and now I know it is about letting His strength do it all and giving Him the glory. Yet there are other ways we need to be careful and be equally yolked.

One is our friends and that is important. Who we call friend and fellowship with is important yet who we date or marry is very, very important. If we are Children of God we need to be especially careful to not be swayed or swept off our feet, by a nonbeliever. I see many people young and more mature who have their heads turned because of someone who seems to be their "soul mate" or who understands them or .... well you get it. Then they go on dates alone and next thing they are getting married or moving in with the person and soon one cannot tell their lives from any who are not walking with the Lord. This happens in other areas of peoples lives like pornography, watching movies or reading books that do not exemplify the way God wants us to be, swearing, well you get the idea here as well I am sure. God loves us and He gave us He guidelines to help us and keep us safe and on the road to Heaven and a closer walk with Him.

Adam and Eve chose to go their own way and we can as well yet if we do we will not live forever. If we truly choose The Way of Christ we choose to follow His Commandments and to be equally yolked in all areas of our lives first to Him and with Him to those who are His.

God wants to give you His joy. He loves you and He calls to you to be His child. When you are ready He will be standing at the door of your heart ready to take your hand as you accept Jesus His Son as your Savior. I pray that day is today.

Abba, You call all to You. You want all to come to You through Your Son Jesus and to become Your sons and daughters. You promise all who call on Him and confess their sin will be saved. I pray all who read Your promises will accept the free gift of Salvation offered by Your Son Jesus through the blood He offered once and for all on the Cross. The final sacrifice for sin. The sacrifice of the Blood of the Lamb of God. Thank You Abba for loving us so very much.

Jesus, You are the unblemished Lamb of God and the only perfect sacrifice. May all who hear Your voice answer Your call, “Here am I Lord, I accept Your sacrifice of grace, make me Yours, forgive my sin Lord. I accept salvation and redemption through You. Thank You Jesus for Your sacrifice and grace.

Holy Spirit, fill us with Your presence and keep us equally yolked to our heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus. Let us know when we are compromising our walk with Abba and help us to not stray or be swayed by the world or anyone who is of the world. Keep us a light unto the world so we will reflect the glory of God and bring Him praise and glory in all we say, do and think.

In Jesus name we pray in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rebishka