God with us: His Living Temple | Dec. 20
2 Chronicles 6:1-2, Acts 7:47-50
Andoret Bernard | East Abbotsford & Community and Care Pastoral Intern
The magnificence of cathedrals signifies God’s glory, holiness, and presence as a centre for worship. Despite David’s desire to build God a permanent house, God raised David’s offspring, Solomon, who built His glorious temple as an everlasting dwelling place (Acts 7:47, 2 Chronicles 6:2). Yet, Solomon recognized that if the heavens couldn’t contain God, the temple wouldn’t either (1 Kings 8:27).
In response to the accusation of speaking against the temple, Stephen asserts that “the Most High does not dwell in houses made by (human) hands.” He then quotes Isaiah 66:1-2: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?” (Acts 7:48-50).
While cathedrals and places of worship serve significant roles in expressing faith and gathering believers, the true essence of worship and God’s dwelling is not in the grandeur of human-made structures but in the collective body of believers—the living temple in which His Spirit resides.
Jesus, as David’s Offspring, is building God’s living temple for His everlasting indwelling, replacing the ‘static’ physical temple with the people of God as living stones.
“16 Do you not know that you (plural) are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
– 1 Corinthians 3:16
“22 In Him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
– Ephesians 2:22
Do you walk in spiritual isolation? Remember, you are part of an interdependent faith community where the Spirit dwells individually and collectively. Each contributes to the health and strength of the church’s spiritual structure. Recognizing yourself as part of God’s temple encourages spiritual discipline and dedication toward spiritual maturity and holiness. As a dynamic temple, each believer plays a role in strengthening the body, offering encouragement for endurance, and adding new believers through the power and indwelling of the Spirit.
PRAYER: Thank you, Father, for sending your Son, Immanuel—God with us—to offer us salvation and unite us as a community of believers in whom the Spirit resides. By your working, transform us into a living temple that embraces the spiritually isolated and be a beacon of hope to those outside the church. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.