Man as the Dwelling Place of God

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” – John 14:23 NIV

The dwelling place of God is where there is a concentration of God’s presence. It is a place that is determined by God’s sovereign choice. Throughout scripture, we have seen many forms of God’s dwelling place. We know God dwells in Heaven (Rev. 4:2). We also know that God chose the tabernacle (holy of holies) and the temple (2 Chron. 7:15-16) as His dwelling place. The Lord also chose Zion as His dwelling place (Ps. 132:13). Lastly and the most important of all is that God has chosen to dwell in man.

The mind of God from creation was to create man to be His dwelling place. His plan was that in and through man, He will rule and establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. God created man in His image and after His likeness. We are God’s imager and representation on earth. The first Adam sinned and lost his functionality as the standard of the Image of God but we see the last Adam, who overcame all obstacles and bore the fullness of God. Jesus has now become the standard of the Image of God.

Rom. 8:29 confirms our call to be conformed to the image of His son, Jesus, who has bore the image of God and has become the firstborn amongst all that’ll bear God’s image. We are looking at ‘Image of God’ as a functionality rather than a quality.

The emphasis of this devotion is the characteristics of God’s dwelling place. Throughout scripture, there are certain qualities that characterizes anywhere God chooses as His dwelling place. The dwelling place of God must be holy, righteous, full of God’s glory and power. Similarly, man as God’s dwelling place must also possess these characteristics.

Unlike the tabernacle and temple that needed to be perfect before God dwells in, man’s formula is the opposite. God’s dwelling in us is what makes us perfect. The transformation happens after we have believed and received the Spirit of God (2Cor. 5:17). This transformation isn’t achieved carelessly. We must actively collaborate with the Spirit of God to achieve this stature. A lot of us, after believing in Jesus, fail to work towards making our bodies habitable for the Spirit of God. While the Spirit cleanses and purifies us, we still meddle and actively participate in all forms of ungodliness and uncleanness. That is not how to bear God’s image.

Paul asks in Rom. 6:1 if we should continue to sin because grace abounds? He replied with ‘God forbid’. God forbid that we deliberately continue in sin. God forbid that we become careless with our life and our faith. God forbid that we grieve the Spirit of God that is in us. God forbid that we make our bodies Inhabitable for the Spirit of God.

Brethren, God has chosen us to be His perpetual dwelling place. This is a great honor and opportunity. Our greatest Glory is that God dwells in us. Let us not trample this great treasure underfoot. Let us not live for self anymore but rather live for Jesus who dwells in us. Let our lives reflect Gal. 2:20, that we can boldly declare that it is no longer I who lives but God that lives in me lives my life.

Further readings: John 14:17, Romans 8:15–17, Galatians 5:22–23, 1 Cor 6:19-20