Temple Design
“‘Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider its perfection, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement, its exits and entrances—its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.’”
Today’s Text: Ezekiel 43:1-12 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
Why should the design of the temple make the people ashamed of their sins? Well, it’s because the design of the temple came from God, but the temple was destroyed due to the sins of the people. It’s because God gave His people the temple as His dwelling place so that He might dwell among the people, but the temple was destroyed due to the sins of the people.
And so it is with every local church. The temple was not just some architectural structure. The people of God are the temple of God. And the design of the temple of God—that is, the people of God, the church—is love practiced in the bond of unity.
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
— 1 Corinthians 3:16-17Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
— Ephesians 4:15-16
God will not dwell in a “temple” where there is no love and unity among the people. Such a temple is the temple of man, not the temple of God. And such a temple will self-destruct sooner or later.
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
— Galatians 5:13-15
We see these principles at work all around us all the time. Praise God. Because of His grace and patience, GCC still exists.
The hard work of building up any church is not ministry. It’s love practiced in the bond of unity. Or maybe to put it another way, true ministry is love practiced in the bond of unity.
Father, You are love. And You have told us how pleasing it is to You when Your people live in unity. We often forget or overlook these principles of love and unity. Forgive us. So thank You for Your forbearance. But teach us Your ways, Lord, and let Your glory be revealed in us according to Your design. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
