By Dr. Michael L. Williams
Matthew 7:24–25 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Many Christians refer to the local church as the “house if God.” In fact, over the years many people were raised being taught that when you are in church that you should speak softly, dress a certain way, and be respectful of the time of worship. This teaching is often based on a historical practice and reflective of a time when people in general were more reverent in all things pertaining to the tenets of our faith.
The Old Testament is very clear about the respect and honor toward the activities and practices that took place at the temple. There were hundreds of prescribed ways of performing the duties of a priest and assuring that reverence, respect, and honor were maintained. Of most importance was the fact that the Shekinah Glory of God inhabited the Holy of Holies, the place where God abode amongst humanity. Unfortunately, it was only the High Priest that was allowed into His presence during a certain prescribed time of the year.
With the coming of the New Testament, Jesus demonstrated the Old Testament laws and teachings were more than just rules of behavior but were also matters of the heart. When discussing adultery, He preached that not only was it literally wrong, but pondering the same in our heart made us just as guilty. Likewise, He said the same about murder, that just being angry with someone in our heart without just cause was also murder. Overall, Jesus made the law more relatable to us as humans in that when we fully apply the law to our hearts, not just our deeds, all of us fall short of the glory of God.
It is the same when it comes to the house of God. God demonstrated this truth when He tore the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place at the very moment Jesus died on the cross for our sins. In doing so, He demonstrated that direct access to the very presence of God was no longer limited to the High Priest. No longer were sins addressed through the death of animals offered by human priests mediating for us with God. More importantly, God revealed that He was no longer there, living in a house of wood and stone made with human hands. This act of God literally shook the very foundations of the earth.
Likewise, God now offers us a more perfect sacrifice: holy, perfect, and complete through the death, burial, and resurrection of our eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ. He provides the foundation for a new temple and Holy of Holies for God to live in our hearts. Let us prayerfully consider how we behave in our new House of God by standing on the Rock of a new Foundation, Jesus Christ. He will inspire and enable us to speak softly to others and put off the former curtain of selfishness and pride. He will inspire and enable us to put on a new curtain, opened by the hand of God for all to see, of selfless service and love toward others where the storms of life will never shake its firm foundation.
