Bought At God's Expense

Today at Calvary Chapel Sydney the passage mentioned King Cyrus who reigned over the Persian empire.  He was a man God spoke of by name about two hundred years before his birth, a man whom God anointed to do His will.  Cyrus was faithful to perform the word of the LORD and released the Jews from their captivity in Babylon.  He commanded the temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt so sacrifices could be offered to God.  Ezra 6:3-4 Cyrus did this early in his reign:  "In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: "Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, ⁴ with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king's treasury."  The King commanded the temple be built at his own expense.

This reminded me how Christians have been purchased by the blood of Jesus, an expense infinitely beyond any price.  How amazing it is that the King of Kings, God-made-flesh, would lay down His life for the sake of sinners!  Paul reminded Christians that as blood-bought children of God, we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.  Jesus issued a new covenant in His blood which superseded the old covenant of Law.  Under the Law when the tabernacle and temple stood, the biblical account reveals the condition of the holy place and those who served there was not always good.  "Time for Temple Inspection!" is a prior blog post which works through this in greater detail.  Because God has purchased us at His own expense, we ought to see the temple kept in condition worthy of a holy God.

The significance of the temple went far beyond sacrifices and ordinances, for it was the place where the presence of God dwelt.  When God's presence filled the tabernacle and later the temple, even those called and sanctified by God to serve there could not remain.  Exodus 40:34-35 reads, "Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."  After King Solomon dedicated the temple to God 1 Kings 8:10-11 reads, "And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, ¹¹ so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD."  God is more glorious than we can stand in our fallen frame.  Nothing sinful can abide in His presence.  Isn't it ironic that the presence of the holy God comes upon Christians and fills us to overflowing and only then can we minister unto Him?

Since we are God's precious purchased possession, we ought to live soberly, righteously, and godly.  We are enabled to do this when we allow Jesus Christ to freely live His life through ours.  Though the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, we are called to lay aside all weights and sin which easily besets us.  There are intentional steps we are called to take in regards to practical sanctification.  Like Cyrus was called as God's anointed for a good work, so followers of Jesus Christ are called to keep Christ's commandments and abide in His love.  It is our reasonable service to offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto Him.  We have been bought at God's expense, so how God must value us!  What a wonder, that we are temples of the Holy Spirit who lives within us!