Not A Spiritual Police Officer

Our Junior High and High School Small Groups are going through the Living Temple series alongside the adults. As of writing this, the High School students started Living Temple last night.

We had a young man consider the concept of being a “living temple” and as he began to think about what this meant, he asked, “so, is it like when I was in junior high and my parents had to come sit in the back of class to watch how I was behaving?”

His question is a valid one.  The idea is one that I think we often believe and struggle with: 

Is God following me around making sure I don’t do anything wrong?

Is a relationship with Jesus a way for God to keep a close eye on me and be there when I step out of line?  Does he want to observe my behavior so that he can point out my flaws and guilt?

The simple answer is… no.  A little bit yes. But, mostly no.

Much like the scenario where the parents are able to observe their child’s classroom behavior, since God is with us as his living temple, he is aware when we step out of line. 

But, the difference is, the purpose is not so that we can have a firm talking to when we get home.  It’s not so that God can observe how much of a difficult mess we are. I mean, he already knows how screwed up we are.

Certainly when we step out of line and sin, God is there to apply his loving correction to us.  But we are not his living temple so that he can keep a close eye on us.

We are a living temple because, as the creation that the creator loves more than anything else, he wants to be in relationship with us. He wants to be close to us.  To protect us.  The Holy Spirit is called the “helper”. 

It is so that God can be with all of his people through all of time, giving us what we need and drawing us closer and closer to him.

So, he is not watching our behavior with the goal of disappointedly correcting us.  It is more like if we were back in this hypothetical classroom, God would be right there with us. Sitting in our seat, or the desk right next to us.  Rather than in the back of the room observing us but separated.

As we recognize that we are a living temple, our behavior should change.  But, not because God is sitting behind us and we don’t want to get in trouble. 

It is because he is with us, and we don’t want to do anything that dishonors him or makes him look bad.

We do our best to act the right way, because we love God and we want to reflect what a relationship with Him does for us.  We love him.  We trust that he knows what is best for us.  So, allow his presence with us to encourage us, and hold us accountable, to live the way he calls us to live.

In short-  As a living temple we live right, not to avoid consequences and making God mad, but to bring on love of God in ourselves and others and to make him proud. 

As a living temple we live in a way that makes God get everyone’s attention as he points at us and says, “This is my son (or daughter), who I love, with him I am well pleased.”

Don’t be afraid that he’s in the back of the room watching you.  Be encouraged that he’s alongside of you cheering you on and fighting for you to be the you that he created.

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