Our Abode John 14:23 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In the Old Testament, when God revealed to Moses that he would dwell among the Jews, he instructed Moses to build the tabernacle [Ex 25:8-9].  And God gave Moses the pattern of the tabernacle and the instruments.  In other words, he designed his dwelling place like he wanted it.

After David’s reign, when the Jews were secure and at peace in their own land, God instructed Solomon to build him a house [1 Ki 5:3-5] and he promised he would dwell there as long as they kept his words [1 Ki 6:11-14].  As with the tabernacle, God gave the pattern of the building and its furniture [1 Chr 28:11-12, 18-19].

Once again, God dwelt among the Jews when he was manifest in the flesh [Jn 1:14].  As with the tabernacle and the temple, God prepared the body of Jesus [Heb 10:5] and chose the woman in whom he would be conceived [Lk 1:26-35].  In that body, Jesus did always those things that pleased his Father [Jn 8:29].

So, when the Lord dwelt among men he dwelt in a tabernacle, a temple and a body.  Today, however, the Lord makes his abode in the bodies of those who have received Jesus [Jn 14:23].  The Lord said, We will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  Our bodies are his dwelling place on earth now.  And as the Lord designed the pattern of his other dwelling places so he has designed the pattern of his current dwelling place.

In Jn 14:23 God said that you body is “our abode,” therefore, you need to let God:

Design his temple the way he wants it to look – he wants your body conformed to his image [Rom 8:29] and so he needs to start with the dirt not a finished product just like he started with raw materials in the temple and tabernacle – it is the nature of man to spruce up his life before he gives it to God – men put on an outward image of piety like the Pharisees – thus God can’t get his design because you are to tied up with your own design – you are the one making his abode look like you want it to look.

Decide what contents belong in his temple – God gave the pattern and placement of every article in the tabernacle – and then he chose and gifted the men who built everything – then he had the articles placed – that’s exactly what he wants to do with you – he wants to get out your junk [Rom 7:17-18] and put in his stuff and arrange it just the way he wants it arranged – the trouble is that most of us are like the Jews – over time we pile the temple up with our stuff – the Jews brought in idols and so do we [2 Cor 6:16] – you can’t do that with God’s temple.

Determine when and where he wants his temple to go – the tabernacle moved when God wanted it to move and stayed put as long as God wanted it to stay – it went where and when he said – the Lord has a plan for you as well whether in business or in the ministry or on the mission field and he has plans for you in the church – you need to let him move you around as he pleases not as you please.

Devise what regularly takes place in his temple – the Lord ordered the events of the tabernacle [the changing of the showbread, the lighting of the lamps, the sacrificing of the offerings, etc] – the Lord has a schedule for you and he can’t get what he wants done if you have already scheduled all of the events of the tabernacle – men get to the duties of the temple only when they have completed everything they have to do first – eventually they get to running everything in the temple like they want it – the Pharisees turned his house into a den of thieves.

Decides who can enter his temple and who can’t – the tabernacle and the temple were reserved for the Levites and the priests – only the high priest could enter the holy of holies – the Lord is the one who set down those rules – and likewise the Lord is the one who should decide who he wants accessing your temple and who he wants kept out – that shouldn’t be your decision; you should leave it to him – friends and associates often have more influence in your life than anyone else on earth – you need to be careful who you let in.

Conclusion: Therefore, our bodies should be a place where God is pleased to dwell – a place where he is perfectly at home – where everything is where he wants it to be – where there is nothing going on that disturbs him – where he is the man of the house.