GOD NEED YOU TO SURVIVE Part 2

We are the temple of God

Christians are God’s “temple.” Some of you may ask, how are we God’s temple or why are Christians God’s temple and what does it mean to be the temple of God?

We (the Church) is His “naos” which is the Greek word for “Temple.”

Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.(1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

God’s Spirit—God's indwelling, and the Holy Spirit are one; therefore the Holy Spirit is God. No literal "temple" is recognized by the New Testament in the Christian Church. The only temple is a spiritual one, the whole body of believing Christians in which the Holy Spirit dwells (1Corinthians 6:19; John 4:23, 24). So Apostle Paul says to the Church of Corinth; “Do ye not know,” implying that their conduct could only be pursued by those who were either ignorant or forgetful of the truth of which He now reminds them. “That ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

You are God's building"; and must remember you are the noblest kind of building, "the temple of God." Today as the congregation of believers follow Christ we shape our lives into His likeness, to become more like Him every day. God’s Holy Spirit dwells in all true believers, they are holy by profession, and should be pure and clean, both in heart and conversation (Ephesians 4:29).

Apostle Paul became aware that false teachers among the Corinthians taught unholy doctrines. This kind of teaching can corrupt, pollute, and destroy the body of Christ (the Church), which should be kept pure and holy for God. Those who spread false doctrine and ungodly principles, render the church of God unholy, and bring destruction upon themselves. And these false teachers have deceived themselves to think they are the temple of God, but yet they are unconcerned about the sanctity of the Church, their personal holiness, or the peace and purity of the Church, they teach false doctrine that can destroy souls.

Destroying God’s “temple”

As God commanded the punishment of death to be inflicted on whoever defiled the actual Temple (see Exodus 28:43; Leviticus 16:2), because it was holy unto the Lord, and His presence dwelt there; so they, having the same Spirit in them, were a temple also holy unto the Lord, and God would not let them go unpunished who destroyed or marred this spiritual temple. How can a Christian commit “suicide” (destroy God’s temple) where Christ (the Holy Spirit) dwells (lives)? The Word tells us also in 1Corinthians 6:19–Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.

The temple was holy; and if any man subsequently destroyed it, God would destroy him. (1 Corinthians 3:17). If any man by his own doctrines or precepts shall pursue such a course as to destroy the church, God shall destroy him. False doctrine can destroy member of the body of Christ, and cause much confusion in weak Christians. Many pastors tell their members suicide is not a sin, therefore saying it’s okay to destroy their temples, the place where the Jesus Christ lives.

Your body (temple) don’t belong to you if Christ (Holy Spirit) has possession it, your bodies is not our own, you have been bought with a price, with the blood of Christ; it is a completed purchase (1 Peter 1:18-19). Therefore Christians can’t to do as they please with their bodies, God’s temple, they have no right to give the temple of Christ over to sin or destroy their bodies by committing suicide or any other defilement. Jesus Christ didn’t give into Satan’s deception and temptation in (Matthew 4:6), he solicits Christ to throw himself down from a precipice, a temptation, in effect, to destroy himself (commit suicide); which is one of those fiery darts he commonly throws at the God’s people in time of melancholy, (sadness, sorrow, mournful, woe or depressed state), or under great pressures of affliction.

But the special protection God promised to His people, in (Psalm 91:11). Here He transforms Himself into an angel of light, according to (2 Corinthians 11:1), and lets us know that truth can be abused to the patronage of lies; and that there is nothing more dangerous to the body of Christ, than being baited with Scripture misinterpreted and misapplied, and interpreted or applied to a argument to cause sin.

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) (Romans 8:9)

We being united to Christ, who lives in us, by living faith, we are a new creature; and are not in the “flesh,” Not under the influence of corrupt desires and passions, on a “unpardoned, unrenewed state,” not carnally minded; but in the Spirit, under His authority, and spiritually minded, and therefore is accepted of God, and approved of by him. If the Spirit of God dwell in you and wherever He dwells, He reigns, and regenerates the soul, and makes it truly holy. You are spiritually minded; you are under the direction and influence of the Holy Spirit.

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ: He does not live in him, whatever he may pretend, he don’t belong to Christ. He’s not a disciple or member of Christ; not a Christian; not in a state of salvation. A plain declaration, which admits of no exception. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. (Romans 14:7).

Though there are strong and weak Christian, yet all must not live for themselves, only for his own advantage, and according to his own pleasures, and do as he pleases. Our lives is not to please ourselves, but to please God, that is true Christianity, which makes Christ all in all. No one who has given up his name to Christ is allowed to be a self-seeker; that is against true Christianity. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord: Spend our lives in his service, and according to His will; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; Either by sacrificing our lives to His glory, if He demand it of us; or, if we expire in a natural way, living for Him until the very end with His love in our hearts. In consequence of being truly devoted to Christ, both in life and death, we have the pleasure of knowing that living or dying we are His servants; yea, and in His favor and care.

Christians become the temple of God, by virtue of His Holy Spirit sent into their hearts, and consecrates their bodies for His service, and make ever effort not to harm or taint His temple, even when fallen into sin, the Holy Spirit and His Word corrects us and guide us into repentance. “A Christian decides on taking his or her own life are not operating in the Spirit of Christ, but under the devices of Satan’s deception, God is the giver and taker of life (1 Samuel 2:6).”

Satan is a thief who comes to wreak havoc among the sheep, kill, steal and destroy; he come opposite of the Shepherd “Christ” who came to give us life abundantly. (John 10:10).

Did anyone commit suicide in the Bible?

It is said by many believers that seven people committed suicide in the Bible, lets look at the Scriptures to see each persons death and if there’s truth to this claim.

1. King Saul (1 Sam 31:3-5)—God had already remove His anointing from Saul, a very rare instances of self-destruction among the chosen people. Saul was severely wounded in battle and finished himself off out of pride by falling on his sword, his desire was that the Philistines might not insult or shame him as he was dying and he became his own murderer. Even in his dying speech there is something of that religious formalism which marked Saul’s character after his “falling away from God,” and which is a striking sign of “spiritual blindness.” He referred to the Philistines as as being “uncircumcised.”

2. Sauls Armor Bearer, Doeg (1 Sam 31:5)—and the armor bearer, who following the example of his master, put an end to his life also. They both died by one and the same sword, (the very weapon with which they had massacred the Lord's servants at Nob).

But the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!” And the king said to the guards who were attending him, “Turn around and put the priests of the LORD to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me.” But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hands to attack the priests of the LORD. Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and attack the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword. (1 Samuel 22-16-19).

3. Samson (Judges 16:28-30)—Samson chose to die, before that he asked the lord for strength one last time, he wasn’t seeking his own death, but Israel’s deliverance and the destruction of their enemies (Philistines). Samson sin was great and justly deserved, the judgments he brought upon himself, he found “mercy of the Lord at last,” “and every penitent shall obtain mercy, who flees for refuge to the Savior whose blood cleanses from all sin. (Proverbs 3:4; 8:35, 12:2).” But here, there’s nothing to encourage anyone to indulge sin, from a hope they shall at last repent and be saved.

4. Abimelech (Judges 9)—Abimelech “didn’t commit suicide.” (Judges 9:23) Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech. Yes God gave a commission to Satan, “the evil spirit,” to go among them, to stir up suspicions, jealousies, hatred, and ill will to one another, and sowed the seeds of discord and contention among them; or God gave them up to their own hearts' lusts, to think ill of one another, grow jealous, and meditate revenge. The same people Abimelech used to kill all his brothers so he could take the throne, was now his enemies. The Schemites secretly conspired against him, and privately consulted ways to find means to get rid of him, and shake off his government. Though wickedness may prosper a while, it will not prosper always. Abimelech day had come, the people had fled to the tower, the Tower of Shechem was without the city, and the gates around was strong to keep the enemy out, the people carried boulder rocks up to the tower, Abimelech tried to burn the tower down to no avail and a woman dropped a rock on his head and cracked his skull open (v53), as he lay dying he asked his amor bearer to finish him off with his sword so no one would say a “Woman” killed him. (v.54). There’s nothing in this chapter that implicates “suicide,” only the pride of a man who didn’t want to die by the hand of a woman.

5. Ahithophel, Bathsheba’s grandfather, (2Sam17)—“Ahithophel's Counsel overthrown by Hushai.” Ahithophel was moved, not merely by charging at the rejection of his counsel, but he was shrewd enough to see that, with this delay, Absalom’s rebellion would inevitably fail, and he himself would come to a traitor’s death, trying to kill God’s anointed servant David, so he took his own life. A wonderful effect of Divine Providence, God blinding Absalom’s heart and mind, and influencing his heart, that he could NOT rest in Ahithophel’s counsel, he took Hushai’s advice. Though neither his reputation for wisdom was equal to Ahithophel’s, his former counsel was followed, because then God intended to correct David; but his latter counsel was not followed, for God did not want to destroy David. He can overrule all counsels.

6. Zimri (1 Kings 16:1-20)—Zimri a mere servant, commander, conspired against king Elah and killed him and took the throne, he also killed the household of Baasha, which was according to the word of God spoken by the prophet Jehu, because all the evil Baasha and Elah sons had done had provoked God to anger. And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died,. (v.18). Zimri was wicked his reign was short lived, seven days to be exact. He did evil in God’s presence, he set his palace on fire and died in it.

7. Judas (Matthew 27:3-5)—When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.” Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.

Judas had bought a field with the money he received for his treachery. Falling headfirst there, his body split open, spilling out all his intestines. (Acts 1:18).

Judas hung himself out of guilt, but his death wasn’t a clean one. Judas’s purchase the field with the money gained as a reward of his treachery. Falling head first—bent forward, head forward, the idea here is, that Judas position in hanging himself was in such away, when the cord broke he fell head first, or fell forward on his face. This can easily be suggested that he threw himself from a rock or elevated place. He first hanged himself, and then fell and was burst open. Wicked men think very little of their crimes they commit, but they must answer for them all. Judas acknowledged to the chief priests that he had sinned, and betrayed an innocent person, but the rulers were cold and hardened. After throwing the money down Judas departed, and went and hanged himself, not being able to bear the terror of Divine wrath, and the anguish of despair.

Seeing all seven of these incidents there’s no indication suicide is a godly act, nor was it approved by God, all of these men did evil in the presence of God.

They suffered death by their own hands except Abimelech, he asked his armor bearer to finish him off with the sword.