Tying A Rope Around The House

I love to tie knots. I am not talking about the kind of knot that uses a rope, but tying together concepts. We live in the realm of ideas and concepts. When we study the Bible, we are concerned about what each particular word means. But more than that, we are concerned about the concepts behind the words. We do this all the time during the day. We use many different words to speak of the same concept. If we are trying to explain a concept to a person, we will use an array of words to do so. Somehow we come to the Bible and get all weird about it.

I am reading Hebrews 3. The author says that Moses was faithful IN all of God's house. Then says that Jesus is faithful OVER God's house. Then he goes on to explain that the builder of a house has more glory than the house itself. The house is glorious, but is meant to point to the builder and designer of the house. The builder is the one who is glorious.

Then verse 6 it tells us that we are God's house. I am God's house? I remember that the text just got done telling me that the builder of a house is to have more honor than the house itself. I am the house itself (this should keep me somewhat humble because I am not the builder).

This concept is in other places in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells me that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 6:16 tells us that we are the temple. Jesus in John 2 is standing in the Jerusalem Temple. He tells the Jews standing there that if they destroy this temple, He will raise it up again in three days. The text tells us that Jesus was not talking about the rock temple building, He was speaking about His body. His body is the temple.

Lets pull the knot tighter. There was a literal rock temple. There was no longer any purpose for the rock temple once Jesus came. Jesus says He is the true temple. Jesus dies. The temple is destroyed. Jesus did what He said He would do and raised Himself up three days later. Jesus ascends to heaven. He sends His Holy Spirit to dwell inside other humans, His brothers and sisters. They become Christians. The Holy Spirit makes a sinful person into a temple, or a house of God. When Christians gather together, they are the together the temple. Jesus is faithful over the house of God. We are the house of God. Any glory the house of God has is meant to point to the builder of the house, which is God. God built us. The Spirit dwells in us. Jesus is the faithful high priest over us.

That's all the tighter I can pull the knot this morning. I am not a dispensationalist. I am not looking for another rock temple to be built that Jesus will reign over. We are the temple of the living God. Jesus is our Priest!