Church is the One Temple of God

Key Passages: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:19-22

Key Idea: The church is the one Temple of God, formed by his presence to be his eternal dwelling and the place in which his people love him, love people, and teach others to do the same.

We live in a world of distractions, some good and some bad, which can capture our attention and turn our faces away from God. Individualism is prioritized, and community is too often neglected. Consumerism tempts us to look at everything and everyone as a resource for our own gain. Siblings, it ought not to be so among us, for we are the people of God.

God is with and among his people forever, uniting them as one people who live together in God's presence toward one shared purpose: love. God calls and forms his singular and unique church into a temple comprising all who trust Christ and only those who trust Christ. He alone chooses, protects, and disciplines this global and local, timely and timeless church. He alone is God-with-us, the source and center of our life.

As the temple of God, the church is the dwelling place of the Spirit, making division both impossible and despicable. Indeed, God the Spirit will bring destructive consequences on any who divide his church and profane God's temple. God gives every Christian a ministry assignment that builds up the Body of Christ, so we may serve alongside our siblings to maintain the church's unity, live worshipfully, and carry out our duties as priests.

The people of God form the temple where God dwells, and his people lead others in worship. Christians are valued structure set aside to bring God glory. Neither the physical building nor the gatherings form this structure. We do. Christians across time and space, generation and language, denomination and tradition, are one temple with a unity that never ends and never fails. This temple is secure in Christ, for we are his building, his temple, and he is our foundation and cornerstone. He holds us together forever and builds us up to be like him.

Since we together form the very temple of God, how should we live in this world? Our love for God and identity as his temple demand that we prioritize and practice Christ-centered worship and make time to be present with our siblings. (1) This love stands against the consumerism that tries to infect the church with works righteousness and the judgmentalism of personal preferences. We live by grace, so we treat one another with grace: the preferences of others and the needs of the Body come before ours. (2) This love stands against cultural individualism that tries to attack the mutual care and unity of the church. As God's one temple, the church remains a community of priests and siblings who choose to love one another. While individualism may try to turn us inward and trap us in silos, we choose to share our diversity as fellow priests of God, united as one in Christ. In him, we live as one building, one dwelling of God, one temple, declaring his glory everywhere. (3) This love stands against the distractions that can turn our faces and turns them into prayers to our Father, ways to worship him together wherever we are, and new ideas for ministry in the world. The sum of it all is this: as his temple, we reflect God's splendor and weightiness by pointing to him, not ourselves.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

For additional discussion see the following Musings by Laura:

• Made One to Glorify
• Temple and Family
• Being One Temple
  

Present God, Our God

by Laura Springer

Key Passages: Deuteronomy 6.4-‬9; Haggai 2.5-9; 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 2 Corinthians 5.1-5]; Ephesians 1.3-14; 2:19-22; Philippians 4.6-7

Key Idea: Because God is present with and for his people, starting now as the indwelling Spirit and continuing eternally in our face-to-face presence with Father, Son, and Spirit, those who trust him can live with courage and generosity.

God is present with his people, for God the Spirit lives in each and all who trust Jesus. He is with us now and through eternity. Because he is in us, our bodies are temples where God is worshiped. Because God is among us, we together are God's building.

God is present for his people as our strong protector and capable carer. He gives us the courage to come to him and rest and forms us from the inside out to dwell in his presence forever. He has covenanted to be our one God and make us his one people. Therefore, he blesses us beyond measure and comforts us beyond understanding. His affection for us spills out in our affection for one another and our care for the world.

God is present with and for us right now. He abides in us, so we need not wait to abide in God. He is right here to comfort and correct, to guide and restore. We can do whatever ministry assignments he has given us, for he equips us with capacity and opportunity. We can become the people he has called us to be, for he will bring salvation to its glorious end.

Best of all, the presence of God that starts now continues forever and gets better, for all who trust God will live face-to-face with Father, Son, and Spirit forever. No matter what is happening in our moments, our end is sure, and that end is a life of love and service in God's direct presence.

So, let us come to him and rest in him as stained imagers bringing blunt mutterings and messy whole-self abiding. We need not and cannot clean ourselves up. We come just as we are, deciding day by day, and sometimes moment by moment, to live in his direction. So, let us keep choosing to direct our minds, will, and emotions toward his glory and by his grace. Let us rest in his ability and do our work without fear. Let us give of ourselves generously; his presence supplies everything we need.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band.

One God, Our God

 By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4-9; Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 8:26-30; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; Ephesians 4:1-6

Key Idea: God is one God, and he has made us one people. Therefore, the unity of the church is both necessary and beautiful.

Silos and division are everywhere. So many things drift in, separating us from one another: age gaps, political differences, social and cultural distance, marital status, and much more. Society should not have such divisions, much less in the family of God's people.

God is one. Scripture teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 4:35). No matter how many spiritual powers may exist, God is unique (1 Corinthians 8:5-6). His singular glory shines through all creation (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 19:1-6).

God has made his church one people. The church belongs to God, and we bear his image in the world. Since God is one, unity is essential to our being, for our unity rests in God, and he is our perfect example. Just as God is one God, the church is one church. Culture, language, preference, and denomination must not divide us. Instead, we must love one another just as Father, Son, and Spirit love one another. We must be of one mind just as Father, Son, and Spirit are of one mind. When disagreements arise, we must work together to reach an agreement that aligns with God’s will. Unity is not optional but necessary.

God calls his church to live as one people. God has given his people the capacity to be one, for he has saved us, indwells us, and will make us like himself. He has delivered us from sin and the death, destruction, and division it brings. He lives within and among us, forming us as one in Christ. He works within us to conform us to the image of Christ. He calls and equips us to live as one people, a family of Sibling-Priests who share life and work together toward God’s good ends. He calls us to love one another as siblings, to carry out loving justice, and to wait on him as a  community.

Let us live as one. So, let those of us who know the one true God live as his one people. Knowing that he blesses us with his love, let us love boldly. Knowing that we abide in his presence now and forever, let us dwell together in ways that show the world our great and awesome God. Knowing we have life in his presence forever, let us live toward him now through lives of hopeful, joyful worship.

Despite much division, we see community and connection everywhere in society and God’s church. Friendships form across social and cultural barriers. People team up from across the political spectrum to do good work. Old, young, and those in between labor and play together. Singles and married people form communities and friendships. The church should do no less. So, as much as it depends on us, let’s do our part to live out God-reflecting unity. The one God has made us his one people (Ephesians 4:1-6); let us determine to live like it.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

Holy God, Our God

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Psalm 46.8-11; Hosea 6.1-10; Amos 4.12-13; Micah 6:8

Key Idea: God, who is holy, sovereign, and powerful, reveals his holiness alongside his hesed, and protects his people and his glory by strictly guarding his holiness.

We live in a culture where many put much of life on social media, yet talking to one another face-to-face about deep things is rare. When we mess up, we assume we can handle it ourselves. While every person and community has baggage, we too often sweep it under the rug and let it fester. But we cannot follow Jesus alone. We cannot handle our problems alone. We cannot heal our community without confession of God's holiness and our weakness as a community.

God is holy. He is fiercely passionate about goodness, and he demands a holy people. His requirements are clear: God’s people must contribute to moral righteousness, do and maintain kindness, and humbly live life alongside him. But he does not leave us to do this in our own strength. Instead, he forms us. He gives the grace of blunt and repeated warnings about sinful choices so we might turn back to him. Even more, his blunt warnings are always accompanied by his covenant love: we are safe in his care, for he is our God, and we are his people.

God is our God. He has made an eternal covenant in Christ that we will be his people, and he will be our God, the one who has united us and made us family. He promises to be with us always and draw us to himself to dwell in his presence for eternity. These promises are certain. When we have completed our days in time, we will live in his holy and loving presence forever. But his presence is not just assured for eternity. No. He is present among us right now, for God the Spirit has taken up residence in and among us. He is the first installment of life forever with God. He is right here with us.

If we’re honest, sometimes God’s presence makes us uncomfortable, especially when we have turned our faces away. When our hearts are toward him, we experience the Spirit as the Lover of our souls. When our hearts are toward ourselves and our desires, we experience him as Judge or distant Sovereign.

God will never leave us. But neither will he leave us alone when we’re messing up. Our loving, ever-present God is a holy God who expects a holy people. Without one another, being a Christian is just too hard. Without relying on God, becoming like Christ is impossible. We need one another, and we need him. We must confess and repent and press into him as a church family. We must faithfully walk beside one another with open ears, open hands, and tender hearts. We need to help one another rest in God's unrelenting covenant love. God is always right here with us, and we have no need to fear anything or anyone but the God who loves us most and best.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

Being the One People of the One God

By Laura Springer

Key Idea: God declares to those he has chosen, You will be my people, and I will be your God. Our God makes us the one people of God in Christ. Therefore, we who trust Christ are the one people of the one God, called and commanded to think and behave in ways that live out that identity.


We live in a culture where differences are too often magnified. Sometimes the differences are small; sometimes, they are big. Brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so for God's people. We are the people of the one God, Father, Son, and Spirit. We, who are many, are one Church in Christ. We are his people, and he is our God.

God declares to those he has chosen, You will be my people, and I will be your God (Exodus 6:7; Revelation 21:3). From the beginning of the story, when God chose the children of Abraham, to the end of the story when God declares he will live forever with all who are his, he is our God, and we are his people. He was present with Israel in the tabernacle. He was present when the Son lived (tabernacled: John 1:14) as a human among us. He is present now, as the Spirit lives within and among us, transforming our time-bound bodies into eternal tabernacles ready for eternity in God's presence (2 Corinthians 5:1-5). Finally, the Father awaits our eternal presence in his house, where he will forever tabernacle with his people (Revelation 21:3).

The church is the one people of God in Christ (Galatians 3:23-29). Across time, geography, culture, and language, the church is one family, the children of the one Father (John 1:12-13). She is one freed people in the Son, who bought us with his blood (1 Peter 1:17-21). She is one through the indwelling Spirit, who forms bonds among believers and between believers and Christ (Ephesians 4:1-6). Being present with God and one another is part of who we are, and we have a holy obligation to keep our bonds in good repair. All believers have this duty, whether they are pastors, deacons, or members.


We who trust Christ are the one people of the one God, called and commanded to think and behave in ways that live out that identity. Pastors and other spiritual leaders live out this identity by leading others into God's presence in ways that tend toward oneness in Christ. Ministry leaders and other decision-makers live out this identity by working with their teams to create spaces, events, and standards that encourage people to be present with God and one another. All believers live out this identity by taking responsibility for making others welcome whenever the church gathers by choosing to connect with those outside their core group. All have the responsibility to maintain the unity formed by God.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band.

Imparter Embodied

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Passages: Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:14-15; 4:14-16; 10:19-25; 12:1-4; 13:1-6; 1 Peter 2:7-10

Key Idea: Jesus, the Imparter of grace and glory, God of very God, made himself human to embody God clearly in ways we could understand. He lived among us, gave his life for us, and rose from death to deliver every human who trusts him from slavery to sin and to eternal connection with himself. So likewise, we who trust Jesus embody this Imparter, transmitting the whole of his message and portraying him clearly through sacrificial kindness and generous care that others can understand. 

~~~~~~

Veiled in flesh, he came:
Jesus, God and Human,
Revealing shrouded Glory,
Offering eternal Grace.

Creator and Sovereign,
He became one of us,
Taking our flesh and our bones,
Shedding his human blood,
To bring us into God's heart.

So we, knowing our utter inability,
Fall on his grace.
And he, sharing his glory,
Makes us his body.

This One who became Son of Man
Makes us children of God,
Eternally joined by love:
One family and one priesthood.

Yet here in dust and under the sun
We sojourn,
Carrying his glory and grace
In stories,
In logic,
In care.


Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

The Priestly Duty of Proclamation

by Laura Springer, M.Div., Th.M., Ph.D. 

Key Verses: Matthew 5:13-16; Luke 10:11; Romans 1:16-17; Colossians 4:2-6; 1 Peter 3:14b-17

Key Idea: The priestly duty of proclamation accurately and clearly declares Jesus as the one crucial message in a world filled with polarizing passions.

We live in a world of polarizing and passionate causes. There are many good things to say. But there is only one necessary thing to say: Jesus is Lord, and only Jesus saves. Every official word we speak must center on this good news, and this good news must be the measure of all we declare. Unless the good news of Jesus is our primary concern and message, everything else about church is meaningless.

Make sure the message is accurate and clear. Eternity is on the line, and eternity gives meaning to life. Therefore, our message about Jesus must be accurate and clear. Our proclamation is accurate when it flows from our immersion in Scripture. The message is clear when spoken in the languages and cultures surrounding us. But accuracy and clarity are still not enough. We must proclaim Jesus with gentleness and grace to respect the hearers without ever compromising the truth about Jesus.

Focus on Christ in all things. Everything about us is all about Christ, or it should be. We learn to focus on Jesus by reflecting on his glory in straightforward, correct ways and sharing what we know with others. When everything around us prioritizes human concerns, we proclaim Jesus. When those around us speak against us, we proclaim Jesus. Therefore, let us focus on Christ and choose to be ready with his truth no matter the surrounding circumstances.

Live Christ in every direction. Worship is life; it is not merely a gathering on Sunday morning. Our everyday actions and regular words shine the love and glory of Jesus in ways that others will understand. Whole-life worship speaks through the cultures and languages surrounding us and tells the truth about Jesus clearly and accurately.  As whole-life worshipers, we immerse ourselves in his Word in the company of our brothers and sisters so our lives and words might proclaim and portray Jesus wherever we are. We help one another become whole-life reflections of Jesus so we may influence others toward Jesus’s Kingdom, proclaiming and portraying him at every favorable moment. We hold one another as friends and siblings, knowing each other well enough to help one another be better proclaimers. As priests of God, we proclaim the good news without hesitation through every aspect of life, work, and speech to make known God’s gift of life in Christ.

The good news of Jesus is eternally weighty, and our proclamation of that good news ought to be driven by that weight, moved forward by God’s intention, and focused on Jesus. Jesus, our Great High Priest, Savior, and Lord, is our primary message and the perspective through which we understand the polarizing passions that fill our culture. Therefore, let us take every favorable moment to proclaim and portray him. Let us place his Kingdom above all other concerns, evaluating all we do as priests by his measure. Let us center our declarations on Jesus, align our lives with Jesus, and measure our success by Jesus. Let us be a community of passionate, worshiping priests who proclaim him out of our deepening knowledge of him and toward his glory.