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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll discover what it means to be the temple of the Holy Spirit and how this transforms every aspect of our Christian life.

Key Verse

Ephesians 5:18: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Introduction

We have already seen that the Holy Spirit is God. He is active in creation and in salvation. He is the same Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments. But we also have seen that the Holy Spirit was given to the church to dwell in every believer. In this lesson, we will focus on the amazing work that the Holy Spirit does in our lives.

In the Old Testament, God showed His glory and presence in very specific places. First, He filled the tabernacle that Moses built in the wilderness:

Exodus 40:34: Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Later, when Solomon built the magnificent temple in Jerusalem, God’s glory filled that sacred building as well:

1 Kings 8:11: And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.

When Jesus Christ came to earth, He brought the glory of God to live among us in human form:

John 1:14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 1:3: The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

Now, through His Holy Spirit, the glory of Christ dwells within us. Paul tells us this amazing truth:

1 Corinthians 3:16: Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

2 Corinthians 4:6-7: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

This means that every believer is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. But what does this really mean for how we live? To understand this, we need to think about what a temple is and what happens there.

Here are the main points we will explore together:

• A place of sacrifice
• A place of worship
• A place of prayer
• A place of service
• A place of holiness

A Place of Sacrifice

The temple is where sacrifices were made in obedience to God. A sacrifice is something valuable that is given up for a greater purpose. When we become the temple of the Holy Spirit, we must learn to give up our own will so that we can yield ourselves completely to Him.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Paul reminds us of a truth that changes everything about how we think about ourselves. We don’t belong to ourselves anymore. We have been bought by Jesus Christ out of the slave market of sin. Because of this great purchase price—Christ’s blood—we must now yield ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice.

This is what Paul meant when he commanded us to be filled with the Spirit:

Ephesians 5:18: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Notice that Paul contrasts being filled with wine and being filled with the Spirit. When someone is drunk with wine, the alcohol controls their thoughts, words, and actions. In the same way, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He should control every area of our lives. This happens when we sacrifice our own will and surrender control to Him.

When we refuse to sacrifice our will and insist on controlling our own lives, we grieve the Holy Spirit:

Ephesians 4:30: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

1 Thessalonians 5:19: Do not quench the Spirit.

The word “quench” means to put out a fire. When we resist the Holy Spirit’s leading and refuse to surrender our will to Him, we are putting out the fire of His work in our lives. (Notebook Moment: What areas of your life do you find it most difficult to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s control? What keeps you from offering these areas to Him as a sacrifice?)

A Place of Worship

Temples are also places of worship. One of the sacrifices we bring to the Lord is our praise and worship:

Hebrews 13:15-16: Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

When Jesus talked with the Samaritan woman at the well, He taught her an important truth about worship. This woman thought that worship was about the right place—either Mount Gerizim where the Samaritans worshiped, or Jerusalem where the Jews worshiped. But Jesus showed her that true worship is not about location:

John 4:24: God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

We worship God in the heart, not just in a mountain or a temple building. But how do we worship God “in spirit and in truth”? We can only worship God this way through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit’s main work is to point people to Christ:

John 15:26: When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.

John 16:14: He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.

The Holy Spirit testifies about Christ and glorifies Him above everything else. True worship happens when our hearts are focused completely on Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul shows us the connection between being filled with the Spirit and worshiping God:

Ephesians 5:18-19: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.

When we are truly filled with the Holy Spirit, our hearts will naturally overflow in praise to God. We see this in Paul’s own life. Even when he was imprisoned and beaten in Philippi, his Spirit-filled heart led him to worship:

Acts 16:25: About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

A Place of Prayer

We have access to God’s throne of grace because of what Christ has done for us. We can come to God in prayer at any time and in any place:

Hebrews 4:16: Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

The Holy Spirit is our helper as we pray. He brings us into close fellowship with our heavenly Father:

Romans 8:15: The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

The word “Abba” is the intimate word that children used when speaking to their fathers. It’s similar to our word “Daddy.” Even Jesus Himself used this precious word when He prayed to His heavenly Father:

Mark 14:36: “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

The Holy Spirit helps us understand that we are not approaching a distant, cold God, but our loving heavenly Father who delights to hear from His children. If Jesus, the perfect Son of God, could pray with such intimacy to the Father, how much more should we feel confident to come before God’s throne with our needs and concerns.

But many times, we don’t even know how to pray or what to ask for. This is why we must pray in the power of the Spirit:

Ephesians 6:18: And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Romans 8:26-27: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

This is such an amazing truth. When we don’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for us! He knows exactly what we need and intercedes for us according to God’s perfect will. (Notebook Moment: How does it encourage you to know that the Holy Spirit is praying for you even when you don’t know what to ask for? How might this change the way you approach prayer?)

A Place of Service

In the Old Testament, the temple was a place of service and dedication to God’s work. Priests committed themselves completely to ministry. The vessels and utensils were set apart for use in serving God. Our hearts should be like this—completely dedicated to serving the Lord:

1 Chronicles 28:13: He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things.

2 Chronicles 15:18: He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

Ezra 6:5: Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.

Paul understood that he was a vessel chosen by God for service:

Acts 9:15: But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.”

But this calling to be vessels for God’s service is not just for apostles like Paul. It applies to each one of us:

2 Corinthians 4:7: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

True service flows from a heart that is controlled by the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave us the Spirit specifically so that we would have power to serve Him:

Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

True service also flows out of a heart that loves Christ. This love is a work of the Holy Spirit in our lives:

Romans 5:5: And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

2 Corinthians 5:14: For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

Romans 12:10: Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

As the Holy Spirit fills us with Christ’s love, we are able to minister that same love to others. Our service becomes not a burdensome duty, but a joyful expression of the love that God has poured into our hearts.

A Place of Holiness

God’s temple is a holy place. It is a place that is completely dedicated to God and set apart for His purposes. The vessels that were used in God’s service were sanctified—made holy and pure. Our hearts should be sanctified to the Lord in the same way:

2 Timothy 2:21-22: Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 Thessalonians 4:4: that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable.

One of the greatest works of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to purify us and make us holy:

1 Peter 1:22: Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Romans 8:13: For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Galatians 5:16: So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t make us holy by forcing us to follow a list of rules. Instead, He transforms our hearts so that we want to please God. As we walk in fellowship with Him, He gives us the power to turn away from sin and live in righteousness.

This process of sanctification—becoming more holy—continues throughout our Christian life. The Holy Spirit is always working to make us more like Jesus Christ. He convicts us of sin, helps us turn away from what is wrong, and strengthens us to do what is right. (Notebook Moment: In what specific ways have you seen the Holy Spirit working to make you more holy since you became a Christian? How can you cooperate more fully with His sanctifying work in your life?)

Conclusion

When we understand that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, our entire perspective on the Christian life comes into focus. The five aspects of temple life that we have studied work together to show us what it means to live as God’s dwelling place on earth.

Everything begins with sacrifice—the willingness to yield our own will to the Holy Spirit’s control. From sacrifice flows worship, as the Holy Spirit fills our surrendered hearts and lifts our focus to Jesus Christ. Sacrifice and worship then lead us into prayer, where the Holy Spirit becomes our helper in fellowship with our heavenly Father. This foundation prepares us for service, as the same Spirit who empowers us for personal fellowship also equips us to serve others. All of this takes place in an atmosphere of holiness, as the Holy Spirit purifies our lives and makes us more like Jesus Christ.

These five aspects work together like the parts of a beautiful symphony. You cannot have one without the others. Sacrifice without worship becomes mere duty. Worship without prayer lacks depth. Prayer without service becomes selfish. Service without holiness lacks power. But when all five are present in our lives, we become what God intended—living temples where His glory dwells and His presence is clearly seen.

The God who once filled the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple with His glory now chooses to dwell in you through His Holy Spirit. This is the amazing privilege and responsibility of every believer. Let Him fill every area of your life so that you truly become a temple where His name is honored and His presence transforms both you and everyone around you.

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