When we talk about “God’s House”, generally everyone goes to the four cement walls where we used to perform the cults of the Creator. This is a very constant reality because it is the first thing they are told when they enter Christianity.
Many times Christians get confused by hearing repeatedly: “Respect the house of God, you should not enter here dressed like this”, “You should not come to the house of God to be on your cell phone” or “To the house from God one comes to adore him, not to gossip”.
However, it is only an expression that, due to misinformation, many contextualize. In this article, we will be explaining what the house of God is, what its purpose is, and where this sacred place is actually located.
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What is the House of God?
Christ builds the house of God not using physical wood but by making His home with us. When we love the Lord Jesus and keep his word, He comes to make his abode, his home, with us.
The Apostle Paul prayed that Christ would make His home in our hearts, reaching out from our spirit to all parts of our heart, mind, emotions, will, and conscience (Ephesians 3:17).
The house of God, the dwelling place of God, is the church, which was built by Christ growing in believers and making His home in hearts (Ephesians 2:21-22). God told David that only Christ can build his house and that he does not want a physical cedar house.
He wants a house built by Christ who comes and builds himself in us. God doesn’t want us to do anything. He wants Christ to make his home in our heart so that we, with all believers, can be His eternal home, the church.
The purpose of the church: called by many “the house of God”
Matthew 21:12-16 says:
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And he said to them: “It is written that My House will be called House of Prayerbut you are making it a den of thieves.”
Jesus was angry that God’s house of worship had become a place of extortion and a barrier to Gentiles who wanted to worship. The Lord wants his house to be:
1. A house of purity v. 12
Many people, including liberal theologians, have accused Jesus of violent behavior because of this event, which took place in the temple. These critics are wrong because they have no idea of the background of this passage.
Jesus took this drastic measure, because both those who bought and those who sold were going against God’s command regarding sacrifices. Jesus drove them out. This is the second time that Jesus cleansed the temple (see John 2:13-17).
Jesus’ action, as recounted by Matthew in this text, was part of the reason why the religious leaders planned his arrest and crucifixion. Jesus has come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, and surely this will be his last Passover.
the house of the lord, which should be a place of purity, had become a space for commerce. The Lord’s house, which should be a place of worship, had become a black market center. The situation has not even changed today. There are some churches where people carry out their illicit drug business. Some hide cocaine and other illegal drugs in the house of God.
What happens today in the churches
There are some people who join churches not because they want to worship the Lord, but because they want to use the sanctuary as an outlet to further their business. Many have entered the gospel ministry not because the Lord has called them, but because they think it is the easiest way to accumulate wealth.
That is why today when you go to some churches the gospel is not preached. People have to pay consultation fees to see the pastor for prayer, healing, travel documents, marriage and promotion of his business. They have changed the purpose of God’s calling and work into selfish personal financial gain.
The extortion prices of pigeons exacerbated the plight of the poor. Poor people could no longer come to the temple to worship and sacrifice their offerings to the Lord. Something similar is happening in some churches today, that poor people cannot attend services in these churches. There are some churches where the rich have their own special seats.
In those places, poor people are not welcome. There is no written rule that the poor are not welcome, but the reception that the poor receive in these places speaks for itself.
There are some churches where members and visitors are not allowed to wear the same clothes or dresses for two consecutive Sundays. We don’t come here to show off our suits and dresses. We come here to worship the Lord for what he has done for us and in us.
What the attitude of Jesus implies for us today
The action of Jesus in driving out and turning over the tables of those who were buying and selling also has a spiritual application for us today. What corruption has been going on in your life? Are you involved in Internet pornography or any type of pornography? Have you been involved in any kind of illegal relationship?
Are you involved in, using, or dealing drugs? Have you been working with contraband? Have you done any credit card fraud? Do you have any secret sin in a debauched way? You may have said to yourself: “nobody knows this secret.”
You are wrong, because Jesus knows everything you are doing. He wants you to get rid of them and ask yourself for help. However, if you persist in that sin, one day the Lord will blow your cover; He will expose you for who you really are and your shame will become public knowledge.
You see, the black market and the deceit of the priests and their children were not a one-time event. It had been going on for several years before Jesus exposed them. Sin doesn’t just happen, it takes weeks, months, and years, and if you don’t do something about it, it becomes a disaster (James 1: 13-15).
When you come to church to worship, your whole mind and heart should be focused on Jesus Christ. God’s house is not a place to promote or conduct commercial transactions, whether legitimate or illegitimate. Christians must allow ourselves to be cleansed from any contamination of sin.
You must desist from any unwholesome acts such as smuggling, gambling, bribery, or black marketing (Exodus 23:1-8). Every Christian should live a life of purity. The Bible says that your body is the temple of the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:19). Without purity, one cannot see God (Psalm 51:10; Matthew 5:8; 1 John 3:2-3).
2. A house of prayer v.13
Obviously, Jesus’ actions surprised many people, who had crowded into the temple area and probably drew onlookers from both inside and outside. Jesus chose this opportunity to teach some spiritual truth. he quoted Isaiah 56:7 and used it to explain God’s purpose for the temple.
The house of God was meant to be a house of prayer, but was used by merchants and money changers for other purposes. This was an indictment against Jerusalem and the corrupt system that ruled the temple. The temple was meant to be a place of spiritual worship, but the Jewish leaders had allowed it to become a market where extortion took place.
The merchants had made the temple their lair. This was a horrible desecration. Anyone who enters the gospel ministry or church with the intention of deceiving or extorting money from people is worse than an armed robber. No wonder Jesus was angry.
What’s happening now
Nowadays, some people with dubious practices and ulterior motives have invaded the church. Jesus said:
“It is written: My house, house of prayer will be called.”
This new building in which we worship is “a house of prayer”, we call it that, because it is about four walls where we all gather to pray and adore God. Nevertheless, the true house of God is ourselves. We should spend most of our time praying and not arguing or criticizing others.
The success of the early church was its devotion to both the Word of God and prayer. Prayer changes things, it can turn a coward into a brave person, it can free those who are under the devil’s slavery. Prayer can also make a big difference in your life. Where human efforts and persuasion have failed, prayer can make a change.
Prayer will revolutionize your life and make you walk towards perfection. A sinful church will stop praying. A praying church will prosper, but a praying church will die. Constant prayer will move the hand of God to act. How much time do you dedicate to prayer? the temple of god it was not fulfilling its God-ordained function as a witness to the nations, but had become a center of corruption and deceit.
3. A house of power v.14
It was significant that the blind and the lame came to Jesus in the temple. Before the ministry of Jesus, the blind and the lame were excluded. His exclusion from the temple was based on laws derived from 2 Samuel 5:8. However, with the coming of the Messiah, Jesus himself received them in the temple and healed them (Matt. 12:6).
In this miraculous act, Jesus was saying, the Messianic Age has dawned (Isaiah 35:5). When the church recovers its purity, it becomes a house of prayer, then the power of God can be released in people’s lives. When Jesus took care of the corruption in the temple, a supernatural healing occurred in people’s lives.
Can you imagine the joy that filled the temple when the healing took place? This physical healing had a spiritual application. This miracle means that only jesus can heal you of your spiritual blindness.
Only He can remove your chronic spiritual deformities. Jesus has brought hope of forgiveness, healing, and restoration both physically and spiritually. Jesus wants to release his power over his church, but the church must remove everything that hinders God’s power.
Perhaps you want to see a breakthrough in your life, marriage, family, business, or career. Have you gotten rid of everything that inhibits the power of God in your life? Jesus comes not only to occupy your life, but also to take control of it. I want to warn you that when Jesus restores power in the church and the church begins to prosper, there will always be opposition.
4. A house of praise v. 15-16
When Jesus exposed the sinful practices of the religious leaders, they resorted to criticism and the blame game. These spiritually powerless leaders began blaming Jesus for the noise and chaos of the children in the temple. They opposed the concept of Jesus. They knew the meaning and the implications, but they did not want to submit to the authority and power of Jesus.
Have you noticed that always those who are not well…