When the glory of God comes into our midst, things change. When we become complacent and resist change, God’s glory departs over time. I believe we lose our desperation for God. We would rather not change, so we settle for a form of godliness rather than seek God Himself. We are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth of God’s glory (2 Timothy 3:5-7). We have access to the glory and the presence of God; yet because we do not recognize and honor His glory and presence in our midst, He allows Himself to be removed.
A believer’s spiritual inheritance is to live a “Heaven-on-earth” life. This life is not based on what we have done nor what we have materially, but on our intimacy with Christ. God inhabits the praises of His people. We are His dwelling place. We being built together in Christ into a dwelling place of God. He transforms you through the power of the Holy Spirit living in you!
We are God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. His Spirit dwells in you. Satan’s scheme is to get you to defile God’s temple. How? What defiles a person? Sin defiles God’s temple. Scripture says, “There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him (Mark 7:14-16). What things are we talking about here? “Out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 17-23).
When you defile something, you make it dirty or make it lose its purity. In the New Testament Greek Lexicon the word is phtheiro, corrupt, to destroy. What truly contaminates a person is not what he puts into his body, but what comes out. That’s what makes a person defiled.
Our lives must line up with the truths of our faith. Titus 1:15-16 gives us a picture of how having a corrupt heart impacts our relationship with God. “It’s true that all is pure to those who have pure hearts, but to the corrupt unbelievers nothing is pure. Their minds and consciences are defiled. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are disgusting, disobedient, and disqualified from doing anything good.”
Psalm 94:20 says that a throne of iniquity cannot be joined with God. If we hide iniquity (disobedience to God and His Word) in our hearts our prayers God does not hear and go unanswered (Psalm 66:18).
Christ in you is the hope of glory. Take a look and see what’s enthroned on your heart. Sin that seems small and harmless at first can take control before we know it. When we realize we have sinned, we have a choice. We can see it for the evil it is and repent. When we do, we find the forgiveness and cleansing of God.
Blessings,
Dr. Francine
BEYOND CHURCH WALLS 