Carrying the Presence of God
Part 1
As part of Christ's body, we carry God's presence with and in us. Some people and religious doctrines try to diminish this Christian responsibility because they believe that it limits or obscures God's holiness and ultimately His sovereignty by filling imperfect people or because the thought that humans carry God's presence may imply universalism – people are gods because they are carrying part of God with them. These unbiblical positions are extreme and speculative. However, the bible is clear that the Holy Spirit, and thus God's presence, is carried by each believer.
We are the temple of God and God's Spirit lives in us
Paul says: "1CO 3:16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 1CO 3:17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." Therefore, knowing that we are a sacred temple, how should we live?
Keep in mind that until Plato, people did not think of the person being segregated into mind, body, spirit, soul, emotions...; they were thought of the whole person being completely integrated. Therefore when Paul says that we are God's temple, he is not saying that our souls or minds are God's temple. He is saying that all our being is God's temple. Further, Paul's mindset would be directed not only on the individual, which is the primary focus in 1 Cor 3, but he would also be concerned with how individuals related when they are gathered in the congregation. When believers gather, the combined group is the temple; you don't have a lot of individual temples in one location. This points to the supernatural uniqueness of fellowship.
As God's temple, what does scripture say about being carrier of God's presence.
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This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.