The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-03-08
THE TEMPLE OF GOD.

|
This sermon which was given in tht
First Baptist church of Denison. Sun
day, Feb. 26th, by the pastor, Rev. E
p. Williams, is printed at the earnes
solicitation OF those who heard it,
! Text Cor. 6:19.20.
know We rot that your body is tho
temple of the Holy Spirit which is il
you, which We have of God"
There are many sincere Christian
people who believe that our church
edifIces to-day should be the anti-type
of the Jewish Temple. We do not wish
to say aught to detract from the sig
nficance of the fact that the church
edifice is set apart and dedicated tc
the worship of God, but we dc
want to emphasize the further fact
that it is ''our body" and not the church
edifice which is the Temple of God in
reality just as the body. of Jesus the
Christ was in anti-type. For "Know We
not that your body is the temple of the
Holy Spirit which is in you, which We
have CT God"
From the day in which Adam and
Eve forfeited, through disobedience,
their claim to the presence of God in
the Garden of Eden up to the time of
the dedication of the Tabernacle in the
Wilderness, God longed for place to
dwell with His creatures.
At that time the shekina cloud
which had lowered over the children
OF Israel since their cry to God for
protection from the Egyptians, who
hemmed them in between the noun
tains and the Red Sea; came down be-
tween the cherubin and rested upon
the mercy seat Gods presence was
sllrouded in this cloud of glory, and
in the cloud He led the people; rising
up and moving on Just above and be-
fore them and stopping when they
We're to camp and descending to the
mercy seat within the holy of holes
when the Tabernacle was again set
up.
But because OF sin this too became
for God cannot stay where
there is sin. And God left the mercy
seat ard the Tabernacle and sin and
idolatry reigned. Il Sam. 4:11-21. Ps.
7S:60-61.) Then came the great Tenn.
pie OF Solomon. and like the Taber
nacle III the wilderness it was design
ed by God himself, and when all was in
readiness and while Solomon prayed
and all the people lifted up their
voices i'll one accord in praising God
the glory again suddenly reappeared
and descended and completely filled
the building so that the priests could
not stand to minister. e Chron. 5:13.
IA, 7:1.) But again the people went in.
to sin and for the third time God
had to withdraw Himself and His glory
Ger 7:14.) Their magnificent Temple
was left unto them desolate.
This ends the three comings of God
seeking to dwell with men, and all
three were complete failufest from
the human side through sin. But they
all served in type, only: not of this
church building, but of the house not
made with hands, a building OF God.
Christ was the fulfillment of that
type for God dwelt in him bodily; thus
ending the personal presence of God
in houses of stone. But Jesus Christ
having purchased your body with his
own blood has a right to live in his
own purchased possession. Therefore
we are exhorted to "glorify God in
our bodies and in our spirits which
are God's.'' And furthermore we are
"lf any man detile the
temple or, house of God, him will God
destroy" You really have no claim
to your body only as you keep it pure,
"for We are not your own for We are
bought with price" For if we. de-
file. our body God will vacate and
charge up to us the loss of the same.