1 Corinthians 3:16

“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?”  (1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV). The paragraph just before our verse is about the works we do. Those works will be tested by fire at the end of our life to determine their quality and thus our reward. It is possible that the fire will burn up everything and we will suffer great lost and experience great shame, but we are assured that we will not lose our salvation.

With this reminder of the importance of building on the foundation of Jesus Christ with gold, silver and precious stones and not with wood, hay or straw, we come to our verse of focus. In view of working to build things, God has created within each of us believers, a temple in which God’s Spirit dwells. This temple sets us apart from those of the world and determines that we are holy and of special value. God then gives a solemn warning that if anyone were to destroy this temple of God, God will destroy him. It is questionable whether anyone can destroy this temple because some have killed believers and then later they themselves became believers. The apostle Paul is an example, but those who kill believers and remain unsaved will face God’s wrath for an eternity.

Prayer

Father, thank you that as born again believers we have been created as temples in which the Holy Spirit dwells, providing us with evidence that we are saved. What an awesome concept, to realize that God lives within each of us. How sobering this should be and how radically this should affect our behavior, especially in view of the trial by fire that each of will face in our evaluation.