Day 81

"Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." (I Corinthians 3:9)

The first letter to the Corinthian church is fascinating. In it, Paul teaches us more deeply about God's working within us and our relationship with each other and Christ. But notice how he tells us that we are his husbandry - his cultivated field. It is God who works in us and through us to change us, redeem us, and reform us. We are the product of his building.

Let's take a look at some of the ways he works through us. First, Paul teaches us that we are the temple of God.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." (I Corinthians 3:16-17)

In this we see some fulfillment of God's promise to restore and live within the temple for all eternity. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, have been built up in Christ as the very temple of God: The place where God dwells. Jesus was the first to make reference to his body being the temple of God when he said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). Everyone thought he was speaking of the temple located in Jerusalem, but that is not at all what he meant. This even became an important accusation at his trial and point of mocking at his crucifixion. But Paul teaches us that just as Jesus was raised from the dead to live forever with God, so are we raised that God may dwell with us. What a blessing!

Secondly, we learn that we are the Body of Christ.

"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." (I Corinthians 12:27; cf. vv. 12:12-27)

Now, we all know that body is made up of many parts: Hands, feet, eyes, ears, et al. Just as your body is made up of several interconnected parts and organs, so is the church. We are called the body of Christ. Some of us represent the feet of Christ while others of us represent the hands. The point of teaching here is that we all need each other to do the work of the ministry. You can not cut off your hand and expect it to continue functioning, neither can you remove yourself from the fellowship of saints (the church) and do the work of the ministry. But just as we learn that we are all different members of the same body, he also breathes life into us that we may function properly. Consider the next thing we learn...

Third, we see that God's Spirit empowers us to serve each other with spiritual gifts.

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." (I Corinthians 12:4-7; cf. vv. 12:1-11 & 28-31)

Just as the body is dead with out life and cannot move, so is the body of Christ without the animating power of God's Spirit. And God's Spirit gives us each a unique gift so that we can operate as the hand, or the foot, or the eye, or the ear. Without the gift of the Spirit, we can not serve as a member of Christ's body.

So, what is the main point of teaching? It is simply this: "We do not do the Christian life. God does the doing through the work of the trinity in us and through us. It is God's work, not ours." But the most extraordinary thing is that God rewards us as if it is our own obedience and our own work!

We are God's husbandry, we are God's building,

Jay Silvas