THE LIVING STONES

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20.  These are the words of Jesus Christ. 
The nation that this man came from, Israel, had a temple through which they performed sacrifices and worshipped God.  They did this because God’s standards that you must fulfill to get to heaven are nothing short of perfection.  When you follow this logic, you will discover that no one could make it to heaven.  That was the purpose for their temple.  They made sacrifices to atone for their sins.  This nation was God’s chosen people.  Chosen for what you ask?  Chosen to be a light unto the world and to represent God before the rest of the world, with the temple at the center of that.
Well, God, being the merciful and loving God he is, provided an end to that and a permanent solution because the sacrifices didn’t get rid of the sins, they only covered them up.  The penalty for sin is death: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23. 
Wait!!!  What about this gift, you ask.  Well, this gift comes from the permanent solution spoken of above.  The permanent solution is Jesus Christ.  God sent Jesus Christ, His Son, to die and become the ultimate sacrifice.  He lived the perfect life and, because of that, merited no condemnation in the form of death.  Then, He took our place and died.  He, an innocent man, took the place of a condemned man, us.  Then, after he was crucified, He rose again on the third day after His death to show His power over it.  Now He offers this free gift of eternal life to all who ask for it.  It is the ultimate answer.  John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  All you have to do is pray and trust.  Acknowledge that you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, admit that you are a sinner, repent or turn from your sins, allow God to have free access to your life, believe that Jesus died on the cross for you, rose again on the third day, and accept Him as the only way to God.  Just pray and ask Him, and He will take control of your life as the one who saved you from your sins.  Email me if you have questions, comments, or need more information.
         Okay, so back to the temple.  What happened, after Jesus died, to the temple?  The curtain that separated the Holy of Holies, the part that God dwelled in, separated--it was literally torn in two.  The true believers in Jesus Christ became the temple as they were filled with the Holy Spirit.  No longer did He dwell in the Holy of Holies.  No longer did He dwell in a temple made of stones, blocks, and iron.  He dwelled in the hearts of true believers that have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and the same is true today.  The temple back then was beautiful, but, today, it is much more beautiful.  Today is made of flesh and blood--people!  Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and become Living Stones.  Email or contact me if you have just made this decision or have any questions, comments, or constructive criticism.  If you have just accepted Christ:  Welcome to the Family of God!