Don’t Destroy the Temple – Build It Up Instead
Scripture speaks in a multi-dimensional way about the temple and it gives an assortment of related applications. For example, in 1 Cor.3:16, the Apostle Paul reminds the church at Corinth that their congregation is God’s temple. Then he adds this warning in verse 17, “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him.” This warning was necessary because of disunity threatening the Corinthian church. We still need this warning today because the temptation is always present to tear down God’s dwelling with his people. Rather than destroying and tearing down, God wants us to pursue the things that make for peace and edification.
Let me mention a few things that contribute to unity in the church and therefore build up the temple of God rather than destroying it. First of all, have the mind of Christ. Philippians 2 teaches us about the mind of Christ, how he showed his humility by being willing to go to the cross for us. We’re to have that same humble frame of mind as our Lord. It says in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” So when some issue arises in church life, or some issue comes up between you and another church member, ask yourself, “How can I have the mind of Christ as I deal with this?”
Closely connected with humility is being charitable, thinking the best of others, rather than right away jumping to thinking the worst. This is connected to being humble because a humble person realizes that they might not know everything. A humble person realizes there could be things they don’t know about another person or another situation. If you love someone, you’ll be inclined to think the best of them. This is why 1 Corinthians 13:7 says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Further, 1 Corinthians 14:1 tells us to pursue love. We’re to aim to love one another in the church. As we do, we’ll be kind and gentle with one another and that will build up rather than destroy. So loved ones, when you hear some tidbit about another church member that could be construed in a negative way, resist the temptation. Instead, ask yourself, “Could there be more to this story that I don’t know? There probably is, so I should be careful and not jump to conclusions.” Being charitable contributes to the unity of the church.
Dealing directly with people when you have a problem with them is another thing conducive to peace and unity. Leviticus 19:17 says, “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbour, lest you incur sin because of him.” Similarly, Proverbs 27:5-6 says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” It breaks down the church and its unity when people have problems with one another, but refuse to address them directly with one another. That’s destructive inter-personal behaviour. I’m not referring to situations where there’s abuse and where one party is an authority over the other. That’s something else. But ordinarily when church members have problems with one another, they should sit down face to face and try to sort it out. So you could ask yourself, “Do I have a problem with someone else in the church? Have I tried to work it out with him or her?” Refusing to deal with our issues destroys God’s temple. Dealing directly with issues can be tough, it’s not fun, but it builds up the church in the long run.
There’s one last thing that promotes harmony in the church: using our mouths to build one another up. Using our communication, whether verbally or online or whatever, to edify others. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Similarly, Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be gracious…” On the flip side, we have the warning of Galatians 5:15, “But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” Biting and devouring happens through gossip and slander. In Romans 1:29-30, gossips and slanderers are lumped in the same category as God-haters. By the way, please remember that the nature of gossip has nothing to do with whether or not it’s true. Gossip is simply spreading unflattering things about other people – whether they’re true or not is irrelevant. Paul reminded Titus in Titus 3:2 to teach his congregation “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy to all people.” So as we use our words to build each other up, we’ll be not only encouraging one another, but also contributing to the unity of God’s temple.
When it comes down to it, all of this can be summed up in a simple way. If you want to build up God’s temple, act like a Christian, speak like a Christian, think like a Christian. Show with your life how you’re a follower of Jesus. That’s how we avoid the terrible sin of destroying God’s temple and do the right thing instead.
