OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: MONDAY, AUGUST 21ST 2017- THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Memorise: For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1st Corinthians 6:20
Read: 1st Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Bible in one year: 2nd Kings 24-25, Ezekiel 28:11-24

1. The response of the Lord Jesus Christ to the question of a Samaritan woman on God’s approved location of acceptable worship, in John 4:20, put an end to the era where God could only be worshipped in specific places. John 4:21& 23 says, “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
2. Jesus taught her that the time has come when true worshippers of God are not required to visit any physical temple or be present in any particular location in order to worship God acceptably. True worshipper can now worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
3. Building on this teaching, Apostle Paul expounded that the dwelling of God is no longer in temples made by human hands (Acts 17:24). He further revealed that God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, now dwells in the body of those who have yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In 1st Corinthians 6:19 He wrote this: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
4. If you are indeed a Christian, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
5. Out of love for you, God gave you a unique body; and He wants you to reciprocate His love by making good use of it.
6. The question is, are you conscious of the fact that God’s Holy Spirit dwells in you? Are you aware that you are not your own, and that you are bought with a price? Are you aware that you are to glorify God in your body (1st Corinthians 6:20)?
7. As a child of God, God has taken ownership of your body. You therefore have no preferences in matters concerning your body.
8. You must commit your body to God as a living sacrifice and consciously conduct yourself as the dwelling place of His Holy Spirit.
9. A Christian cannot therefore make choices about sexual orientation or engage in behaviours on the basis of personal preference.
10. Without any ambiguity, God has made clear the purpose of our body; therefore, any notion about freedom of choice regarding sexuality and sexual acts is essentially incompatible with God’s word.
11. God also warns that He will destroy those who defile His temple, which is our body. Take note of this and be wise!

God desires our praise and worship to be in spirit and truth. It’s amazing some believers do most of the things they do for recognition or just to be noticed. We should make our worship of great quality and from within us because this is what God deserves. Even as we worship Him we are blessed. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. Psalms 67:5‭-‬6. May God continually increase Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, please abide in me; make my body Your dwelling place, and give me the grace to resist any temptation to misuse my body, in Jesus’ Name.
HYMN
Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

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