(Source from “The Word Among Us”)

Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)

For Israel, the Temple at Jerusalem was the holiest place on earth. A beautiful, gilded structure, it stood as a testament to God’s faithfulness. But its splendor and holiness didn’t come from its ornate decoration. It came from God’s presence within. There, almighty God showed his glory. From there, he blessed his people and offered them a share in his mercy and love.

So when St. Paul told the Corinthians that they were the temple of God, they would have recalled the physical Temple. But the idea that they were holy, like the Temple, must have seemed almost comical. Throughout his letter to them, Paul addresses the many weaknesses of the Corinthian church: their disordered worship, sexual immorality, immature faith, and failures to love. They didn’t sound very holy at all. But Paul tells them that they aren’t just like the Temple; they are the very temple of God—and God himself lives within them, by the Holy Spirit.

How can this be? How could the all-holy God dwell amid sinful people like the Corinthians—and us, for that matter? This is the mystery of the mercy and power of God. Through the waters of baptism, God cleanses us of our sins and makes us worthy to receive his Spirit. He fills us with his own presence and makes us holy “temples,” set apart for him.

God so desires to be close to us that he chooses to inhabit imperfect groups of imperfect people. The treasure of his presence dwells in “earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7). And he dwells in you. You may not feel like a beautiful temple; you may feel more like a cracked clay pot. But what makes you holy is not your own goodness; it’s Jesus himself, helping you every day, to be perfect, as he is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

“Thank you, Holy Spirit, for living in me! Make me more like Jesus today.”