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Introduction

Children of God are citizens of the Kingdom of God (in this case, Heaven) because of their adoption by God through Jesus Christ, the Lord. Though they are in the World, they are not of the World (Joh 17:16) because their habitation is with Christ Jesus in Heaven as discussed in this edition of our Newsletter.

Believers´ Place in Christ

You have died with Christ and have been buried with Him in baptism (Col 2:12). You were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God (Col 2:12). God has (quickened) made you alive together with Him (Col 2:13) and you have been raised with Christ. If you have risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth because you are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:1-3).

Thus, as Christ died for man´s sins, Christians are being exhorted to die unto sin: dying to sin means sin has no power or control over one´s life (Rom 6:13-14). One must die for herself/himself by constantly resisting lust and its desires. A believer is not supposed to die to some sins and keep the rest in their bosoms and claim to be dead. Christ Jesus came to suffer physically so that we might be pardoned for our sins and receive power over sin and death.

As evidenced in the Gospel of John, in the 19th chapter, Christ Jesus was completely dead before he was buried. If believers are buried with him in baptism (Rom 6:4), then they should be dead to their sins to be buried in baptism. Again, when Christ Jesus rose from the dead, He put on a glorified body, so if Christians are raised with Him as they come out of the baptismal water, then they should walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4).

Dead to the rudimentary elements of this world

Christ Jesus did not only die to redeem us from the Mosaic laws and their demands, but also from the rudimentary elements of this world. Salvation is not about what to eat or what not to eat Peter was informed by God in a vision repeatedly for him to accept this truth” (Acts 10: 9-28). This does not only refer to the inclusion of the Gentiles in the plan of God but it literally means that what people eat is irrelevant to their salvation.

This is supported by the teachings of Paul that: ”For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth” (Rom 14:20-22 KJV). However, for the sake of Christ Jesus and His Gospel, let not your eating of those things offend your neighbor.

Paul reiterates that “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed, a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh” (Col 2:20-23).

Paul wants his audience to understand that their salvation is not based on fulfilling the requirements
of the Law but solely on the gracious work of Christ, the Son of the Living God. He, therefore, contends that the “law of the Spirit” which is the Gospel of Christ Jesus, overcomes the “law of sin and death” (that is the Old Testament (2Co 3:6-7) and it brings the life which is in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:2). So then, the Gospel of Christ is not merely to give rules, but mainly to give life and motives to holiness and that makes one a new creation for being in Christ Jesus (2Co 5:17).

The Heavenly Home

Believers, being a new creation, live in heaven with Christ as recorded in Col 3:1-3. For it is written: the old (sinful) nature is earthly and the new nature is heavenly. Sinners are of the first Adam (living soul and earthly) but the new nature is of the second Adam (quickening spirit and heavenly) (1Co 15:45-49)). Because Christ lives, believers shall live also (Joh 14:19). Christ is the life of believers. In other words, He supplies them with life and that their lives depend on Him. Paul, therefore, writes: “I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). Christ Jesus, the head of all believers, is in heaven and that is where their home is.

Conclusion

Christians, upon their regeneration, become new creatures. Their baptism in water is an indication of their burial with Christ Jesus, and as they come out of their baptismal water, they resurrect with the Messiah with a newness of life just as He also rose from the dead with glorified body. The lives of these glorified believers are hidden with Christ in God in heaven. They should, therefore, not take their faith and lives lightly.

Prayer: Our eternal Father, we pray that you might help us to know and understand our place and position in you. May we die always to sin so that we might live for you in absolute purity. In Jesus´ name, we pray. AMEN!

Introduction

In this Newsletter, the concept of “a household” is discussed. A household is synonymous with a house, a temple or a family. It means those who dwell under the same roof and compose a family; those who belong to a family (Webster). A household in this Newsletter refers to a local assembly or congregation of believers and individual believers themselves.

God´s Habitation in the O.T.

“And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp” (Ex 33:7).

In the times of the Old Testament God was thought to be living in tents, buildings or tabernacles. God commanded Moses to collect items from the Israelites and make Him a habitation, a sanctuary, according to a specific pattern of a tabernacle and its content as was revealed to him (Exo 25:1-9). King David sought to build a habitation for the Lord God when he vowed that he would not go into
the tabernacle of his house, nor go up into his bed, neither would he give sleep to his eyes, nor
slumber to his eyelids, until he finds out a place for the LORD, a habitation for the mighty God of
Jacob (Psa 132:3-5).

The Lord God prevented David from building Him a habitation because of the numerous wars he had waged, but his son Solomon built it. It is read that during the dedication of the temple, the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: because the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God (2Ch 5:14).

Believers as the tabernacle and household of God

Stephen, in his defense speech, contended that:

“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Who found favor before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him an house. Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?” (Acts 7:44-49 KJV).

As could be read from the preceding paragraph, God does not dwell in tents, temples or buildings made by man. Where then, does God reside? This question has been answered by Apostle Paul as has been discussed below.

A household of God

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1Co 3:16-17).

Apostle Paul informs us that individual believers themselves are the temple of God (1Co 6:19) and that all believers are budded or fitly framed together in Christ for a habitation or indwelling of the Spirit of the Most High God (Eph 2:21-22). He adds plainly that believers are God’s building (1Co 3:9). Peter also writes of believers as being lively stones, built up as a spiritual house (1Pe 2:5). God, therefore, lives in each believer and among all believers. Paul continues to write that the bodies of believers are not their own but God´s, so they should use their bodies to glorify God. Yielding one´s body as an instrument of unrighteousness is a practice that is greatly abhorred by God (1Co 3:19-20).

Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets

It is established that believers are the temple of God of which the foundation was laid by the Spirit of God through the Apostle and the Prophets. As Paul puts it: “Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone (Eph 2:19-21, Gal 2:9) or a living stone (1Pe 2:4). In fact, the foundation of the Apostles has to do with the teaching of the Gospel which was strongly preached and defended by them. It is the protection of the Good News of Christ that Paul writes that if any man or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto the church than that which the Apostles have preached, that person or angel should be made accursed (Gal 1:8-9). He adds that “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” (1Co 3:10).

Jesus Christ, the Head of the Household

In this household of God, Christ Jesus the Messiah is the head and the cornerstone, as detailed in the preceding paragraph. The foundation of the Apostles was built upon that which Christ Himself had built of which He was. They had no foundation of their own. This has categorically been stated by Paul that “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble” (1Co 3:11-12).

God has put all things under the feet of His Christ and has given him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all (Eph 1:22-23, Eph 4: 15, Col 1:17-19). The Apostle continues to write that it is the Messiah that the whole body is fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supply according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (Eph 4:16). Christ is not only the head of the household but also its savior (Eph 5:23).

Conclusion

God does not live in building made by man but in believers. Believers are the spiritual temple or household of the Holy Spirit, a household and a house whose foundation is Christ Jesus Himself. The Apostles laid upon this foundation and vehemently defended its integrity. Believers being the temple of Christ, they ought to pursue lives of purity because Christ hates evil and cannot inhabit in contaminated temples.

Prayer: Dear Lord God, thank you for counting us worthy to be your habitation. May you help us to continually cleanse ourselves of filth and stay pure for you, as we live together as a family, all the days of our lives. In Jesus´s name. AMEN!