you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:5
Over the years there have been many misconceptions about the meaning of the Church of God. While many have come to define the Church as a physical building and gave more attention to such building God has shown in many instances that He places more importance on the spiritual condition of the heart of men (as a living church) more than the physical condition of a church building.
In order to demonstrate his preference, God has had to move against the physical structure of a temple in the Bible whenever the heart condition of his children continually became evil.
In 2 Kings 25:9, an invading King of Babylon burnt and destroyed the much cherished house of the Lord and took many captive as earlier predicted in Deuteronomy 8.
This was allowed to demonstrate God’s anger against the persistent corruption of the heart of his people and their refusal to turn away from sin to right living after repeated warning by a Holy God.
It is however instructive to note that even though many of the Jews were taken captive to Babylon, God used the opportunity to demonstrate and teach that his preference was an obedient church in the heart of men than mere devotion to physical building.
While in exile, God spoke through the likes of Prophet Ezekiel and Daniel who kept His spiritual Kingdom alive in the heart of the people in exile just like the Holy Spirit is also capable of doing in our lives today if we allow Him.
The New Testament offered more insight to God’s preference for a spiritual conditioning of the heart than mere building by calling believers the temple of God and living stones. 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17.
“ you [ believers] also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:5
Much more than a physical building which only serves the purpose of our coming together to fellowship with the Lord, God wants his children to groom their heart in obedience to Him.
Placing emphasis on the physical church without working on the condition of our heart through his word will only amount to hypocrisy. Only a perfect heart towards the Lord can please him and nothing else will do.
