Ephesians (W4D5) Where the Spirit Lives
Week 4. Friday: Where the Spirit Lives
PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word.
READ: Ephesians 2:21-22
21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words
Whole Building (Greek: pas oikodomē): the whole church (body of Christ)
We are Christ’s body and God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9).
God is building us and we are to build each other up (Romans 14:19; 15:2).
Joined Together (Greek: synarmologeō): to fit or frame together closely (Eph. 4:16)
Rises (Greek: auxanō): to grow up, increase, become greater
A better translation than “rises” would be “grows up” in this instance.
We are growing to become the mature body of Christ (Ephesians 4:15).
Holy Temple (Greek: hagios naos): believers are the spiritual temple of God
God’s temple is to be holy, set apart, and pure (1 Peter 1:15-16).
God does not live in physical buildings (Acts 17:24).
Built Together (Greek: synoikodomeō): put together, built up for a purpose
Dwelling (Greek: katoikētērion):
God dwells in us as His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16).
This is why we should honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Lives by his Spirit (Greek: en pneuma): refers to how God lives in us
John the Baptist taught this concept in Matthew 3:11.
God gives us the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).
The Holy Spirit in us is evidence of our salvation (Romans 8:9).
The Holy Spirit is our source of spiritual life (Romans 8:11).
APPLY: What is this passage calling me to do?
For those of us who believe, God is building us together to be His temple. This means that God dwells and lives in us. The result of that truth is that God is growing us to become a new creation that is more like Christ. This is why we’re commanded to be holy and pure. What we do with our bodies is important because God has chosen to make us His dwelling. The longer God dwells in us the more change we should experience.
If God dwells in us, how should this change the way we live?
What kind of changes have you seen in your life since you became a believer?
PRAY: Ask God to help you continue to grow in your faith.
