Daily Devotional for Sunday, June 8

The Warning to All Christians

“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are,” 1 Corinthians 3:17.

It is clear in God’s Word that the marriage relationship was intended to be symbolic of Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:22-33). As the tradition goes, when my husband asked me to marry him, he put a ring on my finger symbolizing our commitment to one another for all to see. On our wedding day, I wore a white dress that symbolized purity and that I had been set apart for him, and him alone. It is the same with the Lord’s true churches. We belong to Christ and Him only. We are set apart for His purpose and we must remain pure and true to Him.

Paul gave the church at Corinth a grave warning concerning those that defile the Lord’s church. He makes it very clear that they will be destroyed. Sometimes we fail to understand just how precious the Lord’s churches are to Him. The church is not to be used for the glory of men, but for the glory of Christ alone. The church does not belong to the pastor, deacons, teachers, musicians or any other member or committee. The churches belong to Christ and He alone is the head (Colossians 1:18). When false teaching is accepted or immorality is tolerated, the church becomes defiled. This is a warning to us all.

Remember Paul’s words to the Corinthian church, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2). How we conduct ourselves in God’s House is important because it is the habitation of God (Ephesians 2:22) and where Christ receives glory (Ephesians 3:21). Study to know Christ’s teachings and learn to be a blessing to the church you attend. 

REFLECTION

Is the church as precious to you as it is to Christ?

Darla Goodrum