Pastor's Ponderings, April 15, 2020

Let’s Protect God’s Temple

Daily, I go to my mailbox to retrieve my mail. I put on my mask, bring the mail into the house, wipe the pieces down with wipes, wipe the doorknobs and wash my hands.  We have to be vigilant about not bringing any of the dread COVID-19 into our house.  We don’t go to gatherings of friends, we stay at least six feet from other people, and keep our masks on continually.  We have our food and medicine delivered and then sanitize before using. We are attempting to protect ourselves from the virus. This is a new world.

Just like our litany of new practices that we have to do to separate ourselves from the virus, the Bible talks about separating ourselves from the world (2 Corinthians 6:17).  Jesus prayed to the Father that His followers were to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:15-16).  We must think of ourselves as dead to sinful practices of the world (Romans 6:11).  Just like we cannot allow the virus to enter our lives, we must know that we have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13) so that we will not bring any sin or rebellion into our bodies, the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). 

Perhaps we should let this time of avoiding the COVID-19 virus so that it does not touch our bodies give us insight into the necessity of avoiding sin in our lives.  Just like we are to be careful about preserving our earthly bodies from possible death, we ought to be vigilant about turning away from the deadly sins of our flesh and obey God with all of our hearts.  It is a new day in Christ Jesus. Let’s not let anything that would separate us from God enter our holy temple.

2 Corinthians 6:17
New International Version (NIV)

17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

John 17:15-16
New International Version (NIV)

15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

Romans 6:11
New International Version (NIV)

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus

Colossians 1:13
New International Version (NIV)

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

1 Corinthians 3:16
New International Version (NIV)

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?