Therefore, holy
brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High
Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed
Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One has been counted
worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more
honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all
things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for
a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a
Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and
the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. –
Hebrews 3.1-6
One of the greatest names
for the church is ‘the house of God.’ In
the Old Testament God dwelt in the Temple. Only the high priest could approach
Him. He dwelt in the Holy of Holies.
Now though the veil that
separated man from God has been torn in two. It was God’s work as it was torn
from top to bottom. After that God’s house is His church.
That doesn’t mean that when
we go to church the building is His house.
We are His house and we gather together in a building. When Immanuel came
He indeed came as God with us.
We are the House of God. Jesus
built us and is building His house.
What that should mean is
that the church should reflect its owner and the One who dwells there.
How does Jesus look if He is
judged by the appearance of His house? How does the church look to the outside?
Sometimes it doesn’t look, according to Andrew Peterson, ‘the second coming of
the Pharisees.’ God’s house gets dirty and sullied and it looks like any other
street on the block. We get involved in all kinds of things that we should not
be involved in a no one wants to some into the house. The church in many ways
is at the point where is scares people off instead of inviting them in.
God’s house ought to reflect
Him and His glory. What part are you and I doing to make that so?
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