Sunday, May 13, 2018

Setting up the Temple -1 (SD21)

As a new Christian, you have just presented yourself before the Bronze Altar, where the servant of God (Priest), had led you in the sinner's prayer of salvation (Jesus Christ was offered as the sacrificial Lamb). Immediately, the blood of Jesus cleanses you of all sins and unrighteousness and the Holy Spirit of redemption then dwells in you making your physical body the temple of God.
    Since your body is the temple of God you must not grieve the Holy Spirit with sins. Instead, you must ensure that you body is holy and worthy for Him to dwell joyfully within you by setting it up with the various articles that He had designed.

1. The Bronze Altar
Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
    If we believe the gospel and come before the Lord to confess and repent of our sins, then we have established the bronze Altar in the Temple within us.
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Royal Priesthood
1Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light
    At our salvation, we are all called to be His royal priesthood or disciples. To be His disciples we must deny ourselves and then follow Him and His words.
Mat 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

2. The Bronze Laver
Eph 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
   By obeying His commandments, we are being cleansed from our lusts, carnality, worldliness and wickedness, then we have established the bronze Laver in the Temple. As we love Him more we will slowly forsake the world and the things therein, till we can enter into the Holy Place.
2Cor 4:2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

3. Table of Showbread
Mat 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"      
    After entering into the Holy Place, when we will hunger for His words in the Bible (not books), then we have established the table of showbread.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

4. Golden Lampstand
Eph 1:17-18 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
    As we express our love for Him by keeping His commandments, He will baptised us with the Holy Spirit of truth, to guide us into all truth thus establishing the Lampstand.
John 16:13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, buy whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

Praise the Lord that the Holy Spirit will be happy dwelling inside the Holy Place within us.