Carefully Build the House of
the Lord (3)
“For
we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.” (1
Corinthians 3:9)
The houses we live in
require constant maintenance in order to sustain their durability. Lacking
remedial attention, even totally new houses will quickly deteriorate, and turn
into condemned structures. As well, we often see articles in the news about
houses collapsing. For example, some illegal add-ons will overwhelm the
exterior walls or supporting columns of buildings and cause their collapse.
The establishment of the
spiritual life of a Christian may begin from a solid foundation, but if removal
of the sins of the old self is overlooked, the behaviour of the old self will
gradually erode the new self in Christ, and is in fact diametrically opposed to
the blessed calling. Paul teaches us that if we truly live with Christ, the
life of the old self has died with Christ, through continually putting to death
this old self, and ridding ourselves of its practices. We should put on the new
self which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator
(Colossians 3:1-10, Ephesians 4:20-24)
Also, allowing the
concerns of the world to entangle us, such as money, fame, status, the pursuit
of power, worries about what to eat or wear etc., will obstruct the growth of
our spiritual lives. Just as in the parable of the sown seeds, those that fell
in thorns were choked by the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of
wealth, so that their way was unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22) Maybe we have not yet
been entangled by the aforementioned corruptions, but if things like work,
love, marriage, children, and family become the focus of our thoughts 24/7,
usurping our peace and joy in the Lord, and obstructing our communion with God,
then we may unconsciously fall into another kind of spiritual peril. Our body
is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Worries are illegal structures built on this
temple. The more the illegal structures, the more unbearable your burden
becomes. Eventually it will endanger the whole spiritual life. “Cast all your
anxiety on God because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
In the modern metropolis,
land is scarce and people multitudinous. The demand for housing increases
daily. In order to lure the prospective buyer, developers have brought out
“Intelligent Homes”. Besides excellent locations and desirable surroundings,
these houses feature innovative designs by famous architects, and are built of
quality, energy-efficient materials with fiber-optic systems so that residents
can connect to the web via broadband. There is also excellent building
maintenance and repair.
Similarly, through the
grace of the Lord, Christians can join together to build a magnificent holy
temple, so that God is glorified. As long as we follow the blueprints of the
Heavenly Father, choose our location upon the sturdy foundation of Christ,
through the blessings of the Holy Spirit unify and coordinate with other
members, and each select the best quality materials to build this spiritual
house. These best quality materials are the characteristics of Christ, such as
love, charity, joy, faithfulness, kindness, loyalty, watchfulness,
self-control, perseverance, righteousness, and all manner of good virtues. It
must also withstand the testing of fiery trials. Live always in the face of the
Lord; pray and read the bible; maintain surpassing and uninterrupted communion
with God and your brothers and sisters; constantly examine your spiritual life;
continually rid yourself of the bad practices of the old self; and always renew
and grow in the love and knowledge in Jesus Christ. Only such a construction
process will be pleasing to God, so that the Holy Spirit can dwell in this
spiritual temple freely and unencumbered.
“But you, dear
friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy
Spirit.” (Jude 20)
By: Daniel To