Like mere men (D. Chang ch. 3)

we don't understand. it's not about us. it's about God and what He's done for us. and what He's done for us is something that can't be taken away. and it's not about people seeing us and it's not about us doing anything. it's about us being with God and simply taking in His gifts, His Spirit, His love. that's it. that's sorta what it's all about, but even then, there is something missing, something bigger than we can say. we can feel it, we can feel that we are futile, that we are broken and weak, and that we will fall. and the thing is that God is. He just is. what does this mean? it means that if you are with Him, you will be too. so the question is how you can be with God? i don't know. you just be. it's got nothing to do with doing.

and we don't understand this. we don't understand God. some people have ideas. some people give their lives to God and they come away really blessed. they know things that even the angels want to know. this is what paul is talking about in chapter three. he says we're still "mere men," we're carnally minded. And he can see that in us because there is envy, strife, and division among us. and it makes sense to me that envy would be something carnally minded and division would probably occur because people don't agree about something and don't love each other enough to care that they are divided. what sticks out to me is strife...dictionary.com defines that as conflict or struggle. we weren't made to be mere men.

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

but when we struggle, we are being mortal. we weren't created for that. when we don't understand who God is, when we don't care about God or others, we're being mortal again. when we do things for ourselves, when we have our eyes focused on ourselves. we're missing it. we're missing out.

it goes on to say: "If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy.."

and if you're thinking what i'm thinking, this is impossible. we can't help but defile the temple of God, we already have. we struggle and we turn away and we sin. we are deserving of God's wrath. we're deserving of being destroyed, of being abandoned and forsaken and crushed.

then it goes on to say this: "Let no one deceive himself." because we have deceived ourselves. this whole idea of self righteousness or pride finds itself in practically everything we do. sometimes we even feel like we are so low that God can't reach down to save us, that we can't understand God. but this is wrong.

we can understand God. we can do it. i know i seem to be contradicting myself, because i was talking about in the opening paragraphs how we really don't understand God at all, but we can. we were made to know God, we were made to love, and we were made to worship. God made us so we could know Him and He could know us and enjoy us. we can know. we can love God and give Him everything. our bodies are like temples of God and they can really be holy. they shouldn't be defiled, but more than that - they can be. we can be holy. because of God.

the last couple verses read, a little out of nowhere (this kind of seems to show up out of nowhere): "For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come - all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's" (v. 22-23). and that word "death" comes a little out of nowhere too. i don't know what that's doing in there. maybe it says that you can have whatever you want. you get to choose what to put in your life and what you love. but you are always Christ's, and Christ is always in you, no matter what. even if you tell Him to get out, He's still sustaining you. your body is always going to be a temple of God. it's whether you defile it or keep it holy.