By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”

This Scripture continues to ring in my mind as I meditate on Romans 1:8, where Paul is praising the faith of the church in Rome, a faith that was being reported throughout the world.

My friends, do you believe that, together with the believers in your congregation and throughout the world we are God’s temple?

Notice, I did not ask, “Do you feel it?”

Feelings are fleeting, but knowing and believing should be evident in the lives of those who understand that they are God’s temple.

The sisters and brothers in the Corinthian church had to be reminded that God’s Spirit dwelled among them and that together they were His temple. They were also given a serious warning: Do not destroy God’s temple, because God’s temple is sacred.

When was the last time you truly meditated on what it means, to know that, when you surrendered your life to Jesus, your body became a sacred dwelling place that carries the Spirit of God?

Have you considered your body sacred?

And if news about your life traveled throughout your community, or even throughout the world, what would be said about your temple?

Would your temple be known as a pillar of faith, reflected through purity, actions, righteous decisions, and speech?

Or would your life reflect what Paul warns about in Philippians 3:18 - living as an enemy of the cross of Christ?

My friends, take some time to count the cost.

God’s temple is sacred.
God’s temple has value.
And if you belong to Jesus, how you live in His temple matters.

Weekly Scripture 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 NIV