"Dealing With the Church"

  Do you really believe you will be with God eternally? That's a rather strange question to ask those who say they believe the Lord and His word. But when we examine it a little closer, it needs to be given serious thought and honesty.

  One thing the Lord calls us to is realize that the church is the temple of God and His Spirit dwells in His church (I Corinthians 3:16). The Spirit also indwells His saints (I Corinthians 6) but here we are speaking of the church, Christ's body. Something was terribly amiss at Corinth. They claimed the relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ, but they were divided and severed. If we could go back and ask each one in Christ that was part of the church at Corinth if they would be in heaven, I'm sure they would say, "yes, of course." But it wasn't true. Paul went on to remind them that if anyone, if anyone destroys God's holy temple, the church, God in turn would destroy that individual.
(I Corinthians 3:17) Let those words resound in your heart. To destroy means to corrupt or defile. It carries the idea of damage. How many people corrupt the church or damage the church by their personal actions and attitudes? Verbal attacks, complaining, and just out of line with others. Some are liked while others are detested. NOTICE: The church doesn't belong to you! It belongs to Jesus. The church is Jesus' body. The church is Jesus' bride. If someone came along and hurt your bride or defiled her, how would you respond to that? If someone came along and attacked your body, how would you respond? You wouldn't sit idly and let it happen. What about the Lord and His bride, His body?

  The church is God's holy temple and there are people that do damage. Thinking they are fine with the Lord, but watch out. Watch what happens in the lives of people that defile, damage, or corrupt God's holy temple. It might not be suddenly but there are things that start cropping up in the lives of those who do such. It's these very ones who do harm while believing they will end up with God eternally. They are blinded by their sins. That's what sin does. It brings a darkness over the heart. They don't see the connection between Jesus and His bride. They believe their connection with God is still intact while treating the bride of Christ any way they feel. This body, this bride, is also God's temple where God's Spirit resides. Those who corrupt, defile, and damage God's holy temple the way they wish and say what they wish, are walking on dangerous turf. God is patient. Time is given for them to repent. Time goes along and no repentance for the damage they personally did. It starts showing in their physical lives. They don't recognize it, but others do. God would rather they repent and take on a heart of humility, compassion, and mercy. Jesus encourages us to love, fellowship of the Spirit by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit and intent on one purpose (Philippians 2:1-2). 

  The question had to be asked by Paul, "Do you not know?" If people knew they wouldn't defile or damage anyone in Christ intentionally. God's temple is holy. Christ's bride is holy. The church is cleansed and glorified by Jesus. To defile her in anyway will bring judgment. It carries as far as taking the Lord's Supper while defilement is on your hands and it is spiritually killing those who corrupt the body (I Corinthians 11). Some at the church at Corinth were about to lose and lose big. Paul appeals. God appeals. Christ appeals. Do you believe you will be with God eternally? How you deal with each and every one in God's temple is a matter of life and death!