Saturday, March 23, 2013

By: Rachelle Hitt Bilbo

 

 My House, God's Rules

 

1 Corinthians 3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?"

  

Once my siblings and I reached junior high school age, we were allowed to remain home alone for a couple of hours until my parents returned from work. We had outgrown the babysitters!

 

From the moment we walked into the house, we took out everything! We prepared snacks, left dishes in the sink, scattered our belongings everywhere... About five minutes before my parents would return, we'd frantically try to get the house back in order. However, there were times...many times...that we didn't get it together in time.

 

Mom and dad--exhausted from work--would discover an overwhelming disaster. I am sure they thought, "This is NOT how I left the house this morning!"

 

In John 2, Jesus returns to HIS house to find a disgraceful scene. In the sacred place of worship, Jesus observed "people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. (vs 14)"

 

The people and ministers of that time had turned the temple into a place of filth, hypocrisy and selfish bartering.

 

What did Jesus do? "....He made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves He said, 'Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father's house into a market! (vs 15-17).'"

 

Jesus' reaction may seem a bit strong, but God will not allow sin in His house. He had a very specific purpose for that temple--it was designed to be a place filled with God's presence for people to worship Him freely.

 

Although I am certain that you, too, would not allow those things to go on in your church, I believe that Jesus' reaction was based on more than a physical building.

 

Today's verse reveals, "That YOU yourselves are God's temple..."

 

Our lives are vessels for the presence of God. We serve a loving, gracious God, but He LOVES us enough to make a passionate plea to rid our lives of sin and hypocrisy.

 

I challenge you today to clean out your "temple" of the things that dishearten God. Jesus physically laid down His life for us. The LEAST we could do is lay down our selfish desires to live out our "intended purpose" and to bring Him honor.

 

Dear Lord, I invite You to clean out my temple. I desire for my life to be pleasing to You. Forgive me for times that I have dishonored You.

 

I thank You Jesus for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.