The House of God: June 2007
Table of Contents
Privilege and Responsibility in the House of God
It has always been the desire of God to dwell among His people, both to enjoy their company and to have them enjoy His. It is true that we do not find the house of God in Genesis, but as soon as redemption was brought in and God’s people Israel were delivered from Egypt, God immediately asked them to build Him a tabernacle, in order that He might dwell among them.
In a similar way in the New Testament we find God wanting to dwell among His people as the house of God and forming this house on the day of Pentecost. However, there is this difference, that the tabernacle was characterized by communications from God which demanded something from man, while the day of Pentecost was characterized by God’s communicating blessing to man. In each case, however, we find that the house of God is connected with both privilege and responsibility.
If the truth of the church as the body of Christ takes our thoughts up to our Head in heaven, the house of God brings before us the place of the church now on earth. Responsibility is certainly prominent when we think of the house of God, but it is noticeable that Scripture brings before us first of all our wonderful privileges in God’s house. There are at least three privileges that characterize the house of God in the New Testament, privileges that were not present previously.
Privilege — Sins Forgiven
First of all, believers in God’s house (at least according to God’s original thoughts about His house) know their sins forgiven, and thus can be completely comfortable in God’s presence. Peter could say, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). Believers in the Lord Jesus have the assurance that the blood of Christ has put away every sin, for “the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). We are at home in God’s house, for those in that house have “no more conscience of sins” (Heb. 10:2).
The Presence of the Holy Spirit
Second, the house of God today is characterized by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God, for “ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22). Not only are believers indwelt individually by the Spirit, but they are brought into the house of God where the Spirit dwells. This is an inestimable privilege that was not part of any previous dispensation and will not be so after the church is called home.
The Spirit is there for two reasons. First of all, He is there to make God known to man and to minister the glories of Christ to the redeemed. The Lord Jesus could say of the Spirit, “He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you” (John 16:14). All the glories of Christ are now revealed by the Spirit, as Paul could say, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard . . . the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:9-10). Second, the Spirit is in the house of God to lead out our hearts in praise and thanksgiving to God, in response to His love. Peter tells us that we are “a spiritual house . . . to offer up spiritual sacrifices” and to “show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:5,9).
The Privilege of Baptism
Finally, those in the house of God have the privilege of baptism — of taking practically the position of being dead with Christ and bearing His name in this world. We enter the house by faith in the work of Christ, and then by baptism in His name. What a privilege it is to bear His name and to honor Him in the world that has rejected Him!
Responsibility — Holiness
It is a principle with God, however, that privilege always brings with it responsibility. In the house of God, there are serious responsibilities that go with our being there, and these must not be slighted or neglected. First of all, holiness must characterize God’s house. The principle is clearly stated even in the Old Testament: “Holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, forever” (Psa. 93:5). How much more important this becomes in the light of Christianity! Paul wrote to Timothy so that he would know how to behave himself in the house of God (1 Tim. 3:15), and as soon as Peter introduces the thought of the house of God in his first epistle, he gives instruction as to our behavior there.
Scripture brings before us the house of God as He builds it, in perfection, but it also shows us the aspect of man’s responsibility in building. In connection with this responsibility, Paul could speak of his having laid the foundation, but then issues the warning, “Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon” (1 Cor. 3:10). In this case one might be a true believer, but build in such a way as to dishonor the Lord, whose house it is. How much bad doctrine and practice has been introduced into the house of God on earth, and how many have been brought in who were not even true believers! This is far more serious than if one were to do this under the umbrella of a false religion, for it is bringing the evil right into the place where the Spirit of God dwells. God’s holiness must be paramount, whether in our personal walk or in our work for the Lord.
The Lordship of Christ
Another responsibility is connected with holiness, namely, the recognition of the Lordship of Christ. Christ is “Son over His own house” (Heb. 3:6), and those in the house are responsible to submit to His authority. We cannot behave in a disorderly way in God’s house any more than we could in a house under man’s authority. “Let every one who names the name of the Lord withdraw from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19 JND).
The Pillar and Base of the Truth
In the early days of the church, Paul could write to Timothy and use the expression, “God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15 JND). The church, in its character as the house of God, is responsible to be “the pillar and base of the truth.” These words are directly related to the church as a building, for an edifice that will stand must have a proper base and a sound structure on that base. The church itself does not teach, but rather is taught by the Holy Spirit through God’s Word and the various gifts that God has given to it. Then it is responsible to use what it has been taught to support the truth committed to it.
The history of the church shows how poorly man has conducted himself in God’s house, and by the time Paul wrote the second epistle to Timothy, the Holy Spirit characterized it as a “great house” (2 Tim. 2:20). If the foundations are not maintained and the structure is not built according to the Word of God, the house will cease to be the house of God and will no longer be the “pillar and base of the truth.” The declension had already begun while Paul was still alive, but the expression “a great house” anticipates the full-blown ruin of God’s testimony in this world and the resultant “great house” called Christendom. What God builds in perfection, of course, can never be spoiled by man, but what God has committed to man in responsibility has been sadly marred in his hand. For this reason, the church as such is not even mentioned in 2 Timothy; instead it has become the “great house” of profession.
Sanctification in the Great House
The great house not only has “vessels of gold and of silver,” but also has those “of wood and of earth” (2 Tim. 2:20). Some vessels are “to honor,” but some “to dishonor.” A true believer is not called to leave the great house, nor can he do so, but now he must be prepared to “purge himself” from vessels to dishonor. Only in this way can he be a “vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21). When he has done this, he will find himself in the company of others who have also done so and who “call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22).
In spite of the house of God having become a “great house,” the privileges and responsibilities connected with it remain the same. The Lord is the same, His Spirit is still here until the Lord comes, and we may still bear His name before the world. We have a responsibility in the house, for the expression “the man of God” (2 Tim. 3:17) is always used in connection with faithfulness when there is a general departure from God. It will always be possible to act in faithfulness in and to enjoy the privileges of God’s house until the Lord comes and calls us home. W. J. Prost
Theme of the next issue
Apostolic Lodgings
Two houses art thou given wherein to dwell;
Happy art thou, if both thou usest well;
To one thou climbest high, with willing feet,
Above the world, thy risen Lord to meet;
The other to the busy street stands open free,
That sin-sick men may come to meet with thee.
The breath of heaven thy “upper room” delights;
Thy “hired house” the groans of earth invites;
So with a dual grace thy life is crowned:
Communion pure, and sympathy profound;
Love to thy Lord, and love to all around.
J. S. Tait
The Great House
Now the first epistle to Timothy depicts for us the order of the house of God, and how man should behave himself in the house of God. The second epistle to Timothy directs the conduct of the faithful when confusion has come in. Already [when Paul wrote] Christian things were no longer in the condition in which they had been formerly. At the beginning, “the Lord added to the assembly daily such as should be saved.” They were manifested and were added in the sight of the world to a well-known body. Now when the Apostle writes his second epistle to Timothy, this was already changed. All he can say is, “The Lord knoweth them that are His.” They might indeed be hidden from man, as the seven thousand were from Elijah. But along with this, there is a rule for the faithful one: “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” Then comes the thought of the great house. We must expect to find in a great house vessels to dishonor as well as vessels to honor, but again there is a rule for the faithful one. He must purify himself from the vessels to dishonor, and not only so, he must “pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.” In this state of disorder I cannot know, as at the beginning, all those who belong to God, but as to my own walk, I am to associate with those who have a pure heart.
J. N. Darby
The House of God
I used to pass a real estate office with a sign that said, “Your home is where your heart is!” God’s heart has always been taken up with man, His creature. He loves us so much He wants to dwell with us, and so He has, He does and He will. In Old Testament times He dwelt among His people in the tabernacle and later the temple. Now the church has become a “habitation of God through the Spirit.”
A house generally reflects the character of its owner. The queen of Sheba was suitably impressed when she met Solomon and had seen his wisdom, the house that he had built and all that was in it, including the food, the people and their apparel. God’s house is to be a place where His holiness, His love, His order, and, in short, His nature are displayed and maintained.
God has perfectly designed His house. He has provided rich and wholesome spiritual food for all within. He has provided His servants with beautiful garments of salvation. He has given perfect instructions for how they are to behave in His house, manifesting His character in their lives and together being the pillar and base of truth in the world where the house is.
Let’s take a fresh look at God’s house, where He dwells with us, to enjoy the privilege of being there and to reflect on our deportment in the house as well.
Recent Developments in Russia
The meeting of the foreign ministers of India, China and Russia in New Delhi, India, on February 14, 2007, signaled increasingly closer ties between the three nations. In addition, it is clear that Russia especially is very keen on trilateral cooperation between these three large countries and has fostered the idea of greater consultation between them. No doubt all three are seeking to follow foreign policies that increasingly serve their national interests, but it is Russia which probably has the most to gain from strong ties with India and China. With China’s economy now fourth in the world and India becoming a larger economic force, it is certainly to Russia’s advantage to seek closer association with them.
All three are concerned with problems in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Korea, and each also has separatist movements within its own borders. Also, China and India are energy-deficient, while Russia has enormous resources in oil and natural gas. All three countries have traditionally directed their foreign policies in a similar direction, as their political thinking has generally been against the West. For these and other reasons they have much in common.
Vladimir Putin
Back in the 1990s, after the former Soviet Union fell apart, Russia was in desperate straits. Her economy was in tatters, food was scarce, and the basic machinery of the state virtually at a standstill. National security was inept and unable to deal with the void produced by the collapse of the Communist government, and the country was left open to chaos and exploitation. In addition, she was relegated by the West to strategic irrelevance in the post-Cold War era. When various measures failed to correct the problem, Boris Yeltsin at length appointed Vladimir Putin as prime minister in 1999, and shortly afterward he became acting president in Yeltsin’s place. When he ran for president in the year 2000, he was elected with a majority vote, and in 2004 he was reelected with a landslide majority.
A former agent of the KGB, Putin is tough, outspoken and very nationalistic. While claiming to guarantee the democratic achievements in Russia, he has become increasingly authoritarian. In a country that has traditionally been ruled with an “iron fist,” he enjoys a 75% approval rating and the confidence of most of the business community. High prices for oil and gas exports have fueled prosperity and economic recovery, producing a sense of stability that appeals to many Russians. To his admirers, he represents order and stability, although his critics fear that repression lurks in the background. His patriotism and nostalgia for the USSR are very evident. His aim clearly is to foster economic recovery and ultimately to restore Russia’s clout in the world.
The Future Role of Russia
Where does all this leave us in the light of the Word of God? It is clear from prophecy that Russia will not only be a powerful nation, but will also play a major part in world events at the end of the great tribulation. When the collapse of the Soviet Union resulted in the dramatic lessening of Russia’s power and influence, many believers who understood prophecy wondered how she would rise to prominence again. Now we see a man in power who may well bring it about.
The Three Confederacies
We may well ask where it will all end, but God’s Word clearly gives us the answer. At the end of the great tribulation, there will be three great confederacies that will be involved with Israel. First of all, the western confederacy under the Roman beast will meet its doom at the hand of the Lord and the armies of heaven. We read about it in Revelation: “I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with the false prophet that wrought miracles before him. . . . These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse” (Rev. 19:19-21).
Prior to this, the king of the north (called in Scripture the Assyrian, and probably a confederacy of the Arab nations), will have come down to attack Israel. It is clear from Daniel 8:24 that he “shall be mighty, but not by his own power.” Another nation will be backing him, very likely Russia and her allies. He will go through the land of Israel, causing terrible bloodshed and destruction, and continue on into Egypt. But then “tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him” (Dan. 11:44), causing him to return to the land of Israel. Possibly these tidings will announce the arrival of the armies of the beast, who comes to defend Israel, having heard of the invasion of the king of the north. He (the king of the north) will stand up against the Lord in battle (Dan. 8:25), but will be destroyed (Dan. 11:45). It is evident that Russia will not come to his aid — “none shall help him” (Dan. 11:45).
Israel Reestablished
At this time the Lord reestablishes the true remnant of Israel in her land, and under His protection she prospers and is at rest. Then Russia and her allies, seeing that all other enemies are destroyed, think to “take a spoil, and to take a prey” (Ezek. 38:12). Russia will come down against Israel “as a cloud to cover the land” (Ezek. 38:16), so great will be the armies involved. However, this time they will not be allowed to touch Israel. The Lord says, “I will turn thee back and . . . thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel” (Ezek. 39:2,4). So massive will be the destruction that the people of Israel will be seven months burying the dead (Ezek. 39:12), and seven years burning the weapons of war (Ezek. 39:910). The end result will be that the Lord “will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezek. 38:23).
Although Russia (along with many other nations) is flexing her muscles today, God tells us that “the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day” (Isa. 2:11). The judgment necessary to accomplish this is awful to contemplate, but our hearts can look up, for the hope of the believer is for the Lord to call us home before all this happens. The judgments, although terrible, will usher in a time of wonderful blessing for this world. “When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isa. 26:9). Most important, the Lord Jesus will then be vindicated in the world that has rejected Him and will have His rightful place of power and authority. For this reason we who know and love the Lord Jesus also “love His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8), and there will be a “crown of righteousness” for those who long for that day. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”! W. J. Prost
The Pattern of the House
“Thou son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. This is the law of the house” (Ezek. 43:10-12).
Ezekiel’s Pattern and Law
Ezekiel was the prophet of the captivity; he was speaking to the people of Israel when they were held in captivity because of their iniquities. There are two things the prophet was told to do. First, he was to show them the pattern “of the house.” Then he goes on to say in substance a second thing: “If these people are ashamed of the way they have departed from the pattern, you may go on and show them the law of the house.” There are then these two things: (1) the pattern of the house, and (2) the law of the house.
God has His house, and He has His principles for the administration of His house; you cannot have a pattern of your own, and then try to work that pattern on God’s principles. Hence, unless the people repented, the prophet had nothing more to tell them, but if they did repent, if they owned that they had departed from the pattern, he could tell them the law of the house.
God’s House Today
Coming now to New Testament times, we find that God has still His house upon earth. From Ephesians 2 and 1 Timothy 3, it is very evident that God’s house today is not formed of material stones. It is a house formed of living stones, of believers. Moreover, God has given us the pattern of His house, as well as the law — the principle — on which His house is administered. Now in order to bring before you the immense importance of this great truth, let us briefly see what a major place the house of God has in the New Testament.
1. In Acts we see the pattern exemplified in a practical way.
2. In 1 Timothy we find the pattern of the house in a doctrinal way.
3. In 1 and 2 Corinthians we have the law of the house — the divine principles for the administration of the house, such as association, fellowship, holiness, liberty, love, edification and separation.
4. In Revelation 23 we get the prophetic history of the church as the house of God in the responsibility of men, and the resulting judgment.
5. In 2 Timothy, we get instruction how to walk in a day of ruin.
6. In Revelation 21, in the vision of that magnificent city, we have presented to us symbolically the house of God in millennial display.
From these scriptures you will see that a very large part of the New Testament is taken up with instructions as to the assembly, viewed as the house of God.
The Pattern in Acts 2
Turn to Acts 2 for a few definite facts that bring before us the pattern of God’s house in a practical way. As we look around today, we see Christendom broken up into innumerable sects, each having a special form of church government, holding distinguishing creeds and conducting services according to special forms and ceremonies. We see, too, vast numbers of societies and organizations for sending out missionaries and generally conducting religious work, and in them all we see devoted men for whom we can truly thank God.
But as we see all this vast machinery for carrying on the service of God, we may well ask ourselves, Is it according to the pattern? This, surely, is a proper question to ask, and in order to answer this question we must go back to the Book to see the proper order for the house of God. To get a true conception of the house of God, we must seek the pattern of the house of God as presented in Scripture, going back to Pentecostal days. We hear a very great deal today of going back to the outward power of Pentecost; they would like to get back to tongues and healing and miracles. I have no such thought of trying to go back to the outward power of Pentecost, yet I would seek to get back to the divine principles of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is still here.
Three Great Facts
In the opening chapter of the Acts we are faced with three great facts. First, redemption is accomplished. Second, the Lord Jesus Christ is received up into glory, and, third, the Holy Spirit is received upon earth. The church could have no existence apart from the accomplishment of these three stupendous facts. Redemption must be accomplished to remove everything that would hinder God having His church, then the Lord Jesus Christ must take His place in glory, and the Holy Spirit must come down to earth. Today there is a Man, a real Man, in the glory, and there is a divine person on earth. They are perfectly adequate and perfectly competent to show these things to you and me.
Seven Practices in Acts 2
Now, I want to present to you in a simple way seven statements in Acts 2 that I think will give us an idea of the pattern of God’s house. The first great thing that comes before us in this chapter is the presence, power and control of the Holy Spirit. The instant the Holy Spirit comes, everything that these disciples do is in the power and under the control of the Holy Spirit. They proclaim the glad tidings “as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The Holy Spirit is present in the house of God to take entire control. Let me say also that where the Holy Spirit is, there can be no room for the flesh.
The second great statement that comes out in this chapter is that the house of God is the place where the disposition of God towards men is made known. This is one great, leading thought in the house of God. When the house of God is formed, men begin to hear the wonderful works of God. When the house of God is formed, there goes out from the house this wonderful message which tells to the world the disposition of God to those very people who had cast out His Son. The house of God is the place where God is made known. Brethren, if we give up the gospel, we depart from the pattern of the house.
A third statement is in verse 41. The house of God was formed by a people who were separate from this world. It says, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized.” They were a separate company. Baptism presents the idea of separation. The converts were separated from this world’s circle and were brought into the Christian circle by baptism — the figure of death.
A fourth statement is in verse 42: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine,” or the apostles’ teaching. The house of God is the place of divine teaching. We have the apostles’ doctrine in the epistles. We have the whole revealed mind of God in the Scriptures, and especially in Paul’s epistles. We want to get back to the Word and have our thoughts formed by the apostles’ teaching.
The fifth statement is that they continued in “fellowship.” It is the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord — not only fellowship with His Son, but the fellowship of His Son. Fellowship is a very simple thought; it means that we participate in common, and that involves a bond which binds us together. We participate in common in the dominion and administration of the Lord Jesus Christ, we own one Lord, He is the bond of our fellowship, and, beloved brethren, we are responsible to be true to that fellowship.
The sixth statement is: “They continued . . . in the breaking of bread.” In the breaking of bread we formally commit ourselves to fellowship in the death of Christ. “The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” When we take the Lord’s supper, it is something we do. We formally commit ourselves to the death of Christ. We remember Him in His death.
The seventh statement is: “They continued . . . in prayers.” Here then is the last great mark of the house of God. It is marked by being a place of prayer. It is a place where we can get in touch with God. It is a place where we express our dependence upon God.
May the Lord give us a deeper sense of the pattern of the house according to His own mind, and may that pattern be transferred from Scripture to our hearts and minds so that we may seek to walk and live according to the principles and pattern of God’s house!
H. Smith, adapted from an address
The House of God Traced Through Scripture
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness
It is clear from Scripture that God did not dwell on earth before the redemption of Israel out of Egypt. He visited Adam in paradise, and He appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He also revealed Himself to Moses in the desert and at the mount of God. But after the redemption from Egypt the Lord said to Moses, “Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Ex. 25:8). This is really the first mention of a dwelling for God on earth.
The thought of dwelling in the midst of His people came first from God Himself, and this is in harmony with His own purposes of grace in redemption. We read that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ “hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Eph. 1:4). In that past eternity God dwelt in the perfection of His own bliss, but in the fullness of His grace He purposed to surround Himself with a redeemed people who should be for His own joy and for the glory of His beloved Son. Gradually His purposes were unfolded in types and shadows, in His ways with Abel, Enoch, Noah and the patriarchs, and finally in the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt. Henceforth they were a redeemed people.
Having now chosen and redeemed a people for Himself, the Lord announces His desire to come and dwell among them. However, while His taking up His abode in the midst of Israel indicated the whole truth of redemption, it was but a shadow of the fulfillment of His entire counsels of grace in eternity. It was only an anticipation of the time when the tabernacle of God (the church, the holy city, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband) shall be with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people (Rev. 21).
The Temple of Solomon
The tabernacle was carried by the children of Israel into Canaan and was pitched in Shiloh. Here it was called “the tabernacle of the congregation” (1 Sam. 2:22), but also “the temple of the Lord” and “the house of the Lord” (1 Sam. 3:3,15). These latter names foreshadowed the house which would later be built in Jerusalem. While the children of Israel were pilgrims, God Himself dwelt in a tent, but when He had established the glory of the kingdom, a house was erected which in some measure should be the expression of His majesty.
As with the tabernacle, the plan of the temple was divinely communicated. Everything that Solomon did and made was in accordance with the instructions he had received. The site itself had been divinely chosen, as well as the design and manner of the building. Though entrusted to human hands to erect, the building was divine, for human thoughts and human conceptions must not intrude themselves into the things of God.
The Temple After the Return From Babylon
The temple of Solomon lasted until its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, and Ezekiel describes the departing of the glory of the Lord from it, even before it was consumed with fire by the Chaldeans. But then after seventy years, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia “to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah” (Ezra 1:2). This house took the place of that which Solomon had built. There were, however, important differences. No cloud or glory of the Lord filled this house, as in the case of the tabernacle and the first temple, and no fire descended from heaven to consume their sacrifices, as with Moses and with Solomon. It is this fact which makes the parallel between this remnant and the church so interesting. The position of this feeble remnant typifies ourselves. God accepted their sacrifices and dwelt in His house, but it was entirely a matter of faith based upon God’s Word. In the same way, the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of those gathered to His name is apprehended only by faith (Matt. 18). But the Lord regarded this as His house, and through the prophet Haggai He identified it with the one it succeeded. The house was but one in the divine mind, and hence God’s habitation equally with Solomon’s temple.
This house existed until the time of Herod the Great, who rebuilt it on a scale of surpassing grandeur and magnificence. It is a most noteworthy fact that, built as this temple was by an alien king, the Lord Himself recognized it as His Father’s house. Not until His rejection by His people did He abandon it. Then He pronounced the sentence, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:38).
The Church — the House of God
We have traced the history of God’s house from Exodus until the close of the Mosaic dispensation. During the life of our Lord on the earth there were, however, premonitions of the coming change. Speaking to the Jews He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. . . . But,” the evangelist tells us, “He spake of the temple of His body” (John 2:19,21). He said to Peter, moreover, on his confessing that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18). If we pass to the day of Pentecost, we see that God commenced then to dwell on earth in a new and a twofold way. The Holy Spirit came down according to the Lord’s word. The effect was that God made His temple by the Spirit in the individual believer (see 1 Cor. 6:19), and He made His habitation with believers collectively, as Paul writes to the Ephesians, “Ye are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22). The house of God, which is the church of the living God, was now formed.
In Acts 2 we have not only the building of God’s house, but also the mode of entrance into it. As to the building of the house, on the day of Pentecost the disciples were all with one accord in one place. The same divine power which had saved them through faith in the Lord Jesus brought them on this day together and put them silently in their appointed places on the one foundation-stone to form the habitation of God on the earth through the Spirit. Thus the building was raised. Others might come in, and would indeed be brought in, to form part of the house — “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (vs. 47) — but still the house of God was built. In this aspect the house of God is always looked upon as complete, although other believers are continually brought in to occupy their appointed places in the building.
The house of God having been built, we find the way very plainly indicated by which souls were to be brought into it. Two things must be done — they were to repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. They were not only to believe the testimony concerning His death, resurrection and present place at the right hand of God, but they must also be identified with Him in His death. Accepting death for themselves (through baptism), they would thereby, in figure, be dissociated from man and brought upon the ground of association with Christ’s death. Henceforth they would accept for themselves the place of being dead — dead with Christ — in this world. Since this death with Christ is Christian ground, and inasmuch as baptism is the divinely-appointed mode of entrance upon it, there is consequently no other way into the house of God on earth. It was therefore necessary that these Jews should repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Belief in Christ would be produced by the Spirit of God working through the testimony they had heard, while by baptism they would be publicly separated from the nation that had crucified the Lord Jesus. They would from that moment cease to be Jews, and be brought into the house of God.
The House As Built by Man
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul shows the responsibility of God’s workmen in the work entrusted to their care. He says, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (vss. 10-11). Two things will at once strike the reader in contrast with what has been considered previously. First, the Apostle speaks of himself as laying the foundation, and second, he speaks of himself and others as building upon it. This is a very different thing from that contained in the Lord’s words to Peter, “Upon this rock I will build My church.” It is this difference which explains the two aspects of the house of God. The work of Christ in building His church must of necessity be perfect. Himself being the foundation, every stone He lays upon it must be a living stone. But as this scripture in 1 Corinthians teaches, He also entrusts the work of building to His servants, and He holds them responsible for the character of their work. Paul can say, “I have laid the foundation,” as he was the first to proclaim the gospel in Corinth, and thus was the means of forming the assembly of God in that city. He had laid the foundation as a wise master-builder, and he warns others as to the manner in which they might build upon it.
The Final Aspect of the Church
The final aspect of the church as the house of God on earth is presented in Ephesians 2:21 and Revelation 21:23. The temple in Ephesians 2 is not yet completed. The Apostle says, “The building fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (vs. 21). The temple was in the process of building — it was growing.
The temple in this aspect includes all the saints of God of this dispensation, from the day of Pentecost until the Lord’s return, whereas the house or the habitation of God, as has been before explained, is regarded as complete at any given time. If we turn to Revelation 21 we shall find the same two aspects—the church as the bride of Christ and as the tabernacle (not here the temple) of God. “I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God” (vss. 23). The first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and a new heaven and a new earth had come into existence, where righteousness could eternally dwell. The new creation had been consummated. The church as the bride, the Lamb’s wife, now descends upon the new earth, and in connection with this the proclamation is made, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men.” On earth it had been His habitation through the Spirit, and now, completed as the temple, it has become His tabernacle for eternity, a special privilege, which the saints of other dispensations are not permitted to share. They surround the tabernacle, and God will bring them into the enjoyment of relationship with Himself and will be their God.
E. Dennett, adapted
Judgment at the House of God
God judges everything according to His own nature. He desires that all should be in accordance with His nature. And in that which is nearest to Him, He must above all desire that everything should correspond to His nature and His holiness — to all that He is. Thus judgment must begin at the house of God. It is a solemn principle. No grace, no privilege, changes the nature of God, and everything must be conformed to that nature, or, in the end, must be banished from His presence. Grace can conform us, and it does. It bestows the divine nature, so that there is a principle of absolute conformity to God. J. N. Darby, abridged