Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Healing and Holiness

1 Cor. 3:16-21

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and God’s spirit lives in you?

‘Healing through Christ’ is written into the foundation of the universe. We know this through Old Testament and New Testament stories. Jesus is a holistic healer of body, mind and soul (Mark7:37). Holistic healing refers to an integrated approach of dealing with the entire person and his/her needs – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Health is not the absence of disease; it is part of the jigsaw of an abundant life in Christ. Paul said, ‘For in him we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17: 28).

The context:
Paul’s first letter to Corinth is of relevance to us at many levels. The church in Corinth was not a model church; the list of their problems included: immorality, division, boasting, lawsuits, rich people parading their privileges and influences, abuses of spiritual gifts and so on; we see some of these in our churches too. Corinth had large number of temples adorning its skyline dedicated to Greek and Roman gods. Paul’s mission challenged the temple worship in a major way; For Paul temple is not of human design and construction anymore, but one constructed of people through the preaching about Jesus’ atonement, justification through faith and grace (1 Cor 6:19-20). In creating the universe, God made a home for mankind, but building the ‘tabernacle’ and a temple in Jerusalem Israelites made a home for God. However, we read that God does not live in shrines (Acts 17:24). There is no temple in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21: 22). Are we still worship-ping our golden calves in man made temples?

The implications of becoming a Temple of God:

Temple is a place for purification, healing; reconciliation, hospitality, fellowship and holy living. Holiness is an interior state of having a right relationship with God. God told Moses at the burn-ing bush to take off his sandals because the place he stood was holy because of the presence of God (Exodus 3:5). Joshua had a similar experience (Joshua 5: 15). Those called in our times, Christians, are also to be holy because it is written, “Be holy for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16). The signs of holiness include: humility, longings for perfection, justice and love, and a sense of voca-tion that God wants us to do something in particular or be some one very special. God helps us in various ways to achieve holiness and become His temple for His mission of healing a fractured world.

Prayer: Dear Lord and Father of mankind bless us to offer sacrifices of broken and contrite hearts of repentance before thy sacred altar; abide with us and heal us. Amen!


Dr. Zac Varghese, Sinai MTC, London, UK

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