Who are you? Ask that question to most Christians and their responses will probably sound something like this...
- “I’m a carpenter and have spent most of my life building houses.”
- “I’m a failure because I couldn’t keep my marriage together, even though I tried with all my heart.”
- “I’m a little girl who grew up on a dirt street on the other side of the railroad tracks. We were just poor people with nothing to our names.”
- “I’m an addict that keeps relapsing into the same destructive patterns that keep me enslaved.”
- “I’m a successful business man/woman that built my business from the ground up.”
Our identity shouldn’t primarily be related to something we do, have been told by others, or some difficult personal trial we’ve faced. The tendency to define ourselves in terms of our vocation or some particularly formative or emotional life experience is a grave mistake for the believer in Christ.
It’s not the type of work we do or the successes we achieve that tell who we really are. Nor are our failures or struggles in life the right representation of us as believers. As followers of Christ, our identity should be found in our union with Him. We aren’t what’s been done to us or even what we do daily. We are what Christ has already done for us and declared us to be. God wants who we are in Christ (our spiritual identity) to determine what we do and how we live.
Satan has deceived us into living by the visible (life experiences/accomplishments/failures/etc.), rather than the invisible qualities of being “in Christ.” When we become dominated by the visible (life experiences/accomplishments/failures/etc.), our attraction to it becomes just another form of addiction. We end up living according to the visible more than the invisible things that God has made us to be. We value all the wrong things in life. Consequently, our faith is frustrated and we fail to experience the abundant life God intended for us!
When asked the question, “Who am I?,” the best answer is to explain who we are related to our position in Jesus Christ. We are saints, new creations in Christ Jesus, people that have been born from above with a supernatural life within us.
But, we’re even more than that. We are also the temple of the Holy Spirit.
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:15-20)
Paul makes a similar statement in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, but there he is specifically speaking of the church collectively as God’s temple (plural pronouns). In this passage he explains that each individual believer is the dwelling place of God the Holy Spirit.
To understand the significance of this declaration you have to understand the functioning of the OT Temple and the most sacred place in it, the Holy of Holies. To get a picture of this inner sanctuary where the presence of God resided, you have to turn to Leviticus 16 where we are told about the only day of the year when the High Priest was allowed into that inner sanctum. It is called the Day of Atonement and there were strict rules that governed that day’s activities.
Instead of reading Leviticus 16, let me give you a summary of the instructions given by God to the High Priest about his approach to the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement.
It begins with...
(1) Aaron (High Priest at the time this was given by God) taking off his normal priestly garments, washing, and then putting on special linen garments prescribed for the sacrifices which ultimately took him into the holy of holies (v. 4; cf. Exod. 28; 39 ).
(2) He then secured the necessary sacrificial animals: a bull for his own sin offering and two male goats for the people’s sin offering; two rams, one for Aaron’s and the other for the people’s burnt offering (vv. 3, 5).
(3) He slaughtered the bull for his own sin offering (vv. 6, 11).
(4) Entering into the Holy of Holies with the blood of the bull, he created a “cloud” of incense in the Holy of Holies to “veil” the glory of God covering the mercy seat so that he could enter, thus sparing his life (vv. 12-13).
(5) He then took some of the blood of the bull and sprinkled it on the mercy seat seven times (v. 14).
(6) Lots were then cast for the two goats, to determine which would be slaughtered and which would be driven away...called the scapegoat (vv. 7-8).
(7) The goat for slaughter, the one for the people’s sin offering, was sacrificed, and its blood was taken into the Holy of Holies and applied to the mercy seat, in a similar fashion to the bull’s blood earlier (v. 15).
(8) Cleansing was then made for the holy place (v. 16), seemingly by the sprinkling of the blood of both the bull and the goat. The atonement of the holy place is done alone, without anyone present to help, or to watch (v. 17).
(9) Next, outside the tent, he made atonement for the altar of burnt offering using (it seems) the blood of both the bull and the goat (vv. 18-19). There is a difference of opinion as to whether the “altar” in verse 18 is the altar of incense inside the veil or the altar of burnt offering outside. Some argue forcefully for the latter, which is my opinion also: “(1) The term ‘altar’ in verse 20 must clearly refer to the altar of burnt offering, yet it would have no previous reference apart from verses 18 and 19. (2) Verses 20 and 33 speak of atonement for the ‘Holy Place,’ the ‘Tent of Meeting,’ and the ‘altar.’ Since the ‘altar of incense’ is a part of the ‘Tent of Meeting’ there is no need to specify it, while there would be a need to specify the altar of burnt offering, outside the tent.” A. Noordtzij, Leviticus, trans. by Raymond Togtman (Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, Zondervan Publishing House, 1982, pp. 167-168.
(10) Then the second goat that was kept alive had the sins of the nation symbolically laid on its head, and was driven from the camp to a desolate place, from which it must never return (vv. 20-22).
(11) Aaron then entered the tent of meeting, removed his linen garments, washed, and put on his normal priestly garments.
(12) Following his change of clothes into his normal priestly garments, he sacrificed the burnt offerings of rams, one for himself and his family...the other for the people (v. 24).
(13) The final details of the earlier sacrifices (the bull and goat) were completed. The fat of the sin offering was burned on the altar (v. 25), and the remains of the bull and the goat were taken outside the camp, where they were burned (v. 27).
(14) Those who had been rendered unclean by handling the animals on which the sins of Aaron or the people were laid were to wash themselves and then return to camp (vv. 26, 28).
There is also a legend about this day that says whenever the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies a scarlet rope would be tied around him so that he could be pulled from that inner sanctuary if he died in the presence of the Lord.
Dr. W.E. Nunnally writes about this legend, “The rope on the high priest legend is just that: a legend. It has obscure beginnings in the Middle Ages and keeps getting repeated. It cannot be found anywhere in the Bible, the Apocrypha , the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, the Pseudepigrapha, the Talmud, Mishna, or any other Jewish source. It just is not there.” (Dr. W.E. Nunnally is Associate Professor of Early Judaism and Christian Origins at Central Bible College and Adjunct Professor of Hebrew at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.)
In addition, it is highly unlikely that you would have been able to drag the High Priest out, even if he died in the Holy of Holies. The curtains of the temple were designed such that it would make it nearly impossible to do so. Some people say that the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was made using layers of cloth possibly reaching three feet in thickness (The Talmud says it was 4 inches thick...still too great for a human to tear). The curtains probably overlapped in such a fashion so as to create a maze-like effect through which the priest would enter and exit the Holy of Holies in the NT Temple.
If you also take into account the fact that the High Priest didn’t wear his normal garments (16:4, 23-24) that included alternating bells and pomegranates along the hem of the garment so that you could hear whether he was moving and alive, the argument for the use of this rope grows even weaker.
There is no factual or biblical evidence that this practice actually occurred, but I think the legend may have grown in the minds of some people because the Holy of Holies was the most sacred place on earth. Entering the presence of the Lord was not something to be taken lightly or carelessly.
On a November night in 2009 a sophisticated looking couple by the names of Michaele and Tareq Salahi, sneaked into a White House dinner honoring the Prime Minister of India. Following the event Michaele Salahi posted pictures on her Facebook page of the couple with Vice President Joe Biden, chief of staff (at the time) Rahm Emanuel, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty, CBS News anchor Katie Couric, Rep. Ed Royce, and three Marines in their dress blues.
Most of us remember hearing about the incident and the embarrassment it caused the White House staff and Secret Service. Apparently, no one was in any real danger, but these White House party crashers quickly learned the consequences of their actions.
There was no one in Israel’s recorded history that ever decided one night to sneak into (“crash”) the Temple to do some exploring and get a few minutes with one of the Priests.
Even more significant is the fact that no ordinary citizen of Israel ever dared enter the Holy Place, let alone the Holy of Holies. Why not? Because God was in there! To do so would have been an immediate death sentence.
I imagine that even the High Priest prepared for days in advance for the rituals of this holy day. He would have been prayed-up, read-up, and studied-up on every detail of his approach to God.
The significance of all this is that mankind could not come close to God (the symbolism of the Temple curtain) in the OT and only those prescribed to be intermediaries (High Priest & priests) could represent God to man and man to God.
Stop for a moment and consider what Jesus did in His death on Calvary to this Temple curtain.
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split... (Matthew 27:50-51)
The death of Jesus opened the way for men to approach God because once for all, Jesus paid the penalty of mankind’s sin in full on Calvary.
...then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:9-14)
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
There are no more barriers keeping you from being reconciled to God. Jesus will make you a new creation, forgive your sins, make you His child, give you life from above, impart the presence of the Holy Spirit into your life, if you’ll only come to Him and trust Him as your Savior.
Now, here’s an incredible truth about who you are in Christ Jesus. Since you trusted Jesus you are now “the temple of the Holy Spirit.” That’s what Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 6:15-20. Everywhere you go, He goes! Think of it this way...after you finish your morning coffee and head out the door to your day’s assignments, you are God’s “sacred mobile home” everywhere you go. I’ll bet you that will affect the way you live your life each day!
You might not feel as if He’s always at home in you or that He’s entirely happy with all He finds in His new dwelling place. But, the scripture is clear that each and every believer is His new Holy of Holies in which He dwells.
In other words, He has made you an excellent place in which to live. “He that has ears to hear let him hear...” If you are a child of God through faith in His Son, the Temple where God lives today is listening to this message right now. That means God has made you compatible with His presence. I know, I know! That’s hard to get your mind around, but it’s biblical truth, nevertheless.
If you’ve ever worked with computers you know how frustrating it is to find out that something you already own is INCOMPATIBLE with your new hardware. You can tinker with it and try to make it work, but it’s never right or able to do what it’s supposed to do. God didn’t just tinker with the old hardware of your life to force it to be compatible with His holy presence. He totally replaced the old hardware with new components that will always be up-to-date and never need replacing again. He made you holy in your standing before God so that practical holiness could be worked out in your life.
Listen to some additional scriptures that teach that each of God’s children are His holy dwelling place.
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:24-27)
What we have to do is what God taught Peter to do. We have to stop calling unclean what God has called clean! Peter was given a dream filled with non-kosher creatures, which he refused to eat. God quickly corrected him and said, “...What God has cleansed you must not call common.” (Acts 10:15) Regardless of your attitude, look, or actions, if you are God’s child you have been cleansed and made compatible with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
Satan doesn’t want you to believe God’s description of you. He only wants you to see your failures, struggles, and shortcomings. If you believe those things define who you really are then you will become fixated and fascinated with something other than God!! Don’t let him cheat you out of your spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus!
