From Tent to Temple

• A New Body: From Tent to Temple
• A New Mind: Renewed Day by Day
• A New Soul & Spirit: Made Alive
• Ultimate Transformation

When a person believes in Jesus as Savior, this isn’t just a change in beliefs or a change in world views, but the Bible says that the believer becomes a new creature.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

What does it look like to become a new creature? When does it happen: immediately, over time, or later? What does becoming a new creature mean?

§A New Body: From Tent to Temple

The Bible frequently talks about people as being comprised of body, mind, and soul. The when and how of our change at Salvation seems to be different for each. I’d argue that the body doesn’t change till we die and/or are raptured. The mind is changed over time as we live out our Christians lives. The soul is changed at the moment we believe, when the Holy Spirit comes into us at the moment of salvation.

Let’s look at the body first because this is what inspired this post. I was reading about the Tabernacle in Exodus and thinking about the differences between the Tabernacle and the Temple.

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. (2 Corinthians 5:1-5)

In the Old Testament, when God made His covenant with Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai, the Tabernacle was built. This was a movable tent made of cloth, wood, and skins, but decorated with gold, silver, and bronze. This was the temporary “home” for God. Over time, this tent started showing some serious wear and tear as it was assembled, disassembled, and reassembled. Over time it started to fall apart as it was used by multiple generations in many locations, but it served its purpose as a place to meet God.

In a similar way, our earthly bodies are our temporary “home”. Just like the Tabernacle, we wear out over time and use. We have some aspects that glorify God, but we have others that are purely utilitarian. Our physical bodies are not meant for eternity. They are used for the moment, but will be replaced by something better, just as the Tabernacle was replaced by the more resplendent Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple couldn’t be built until Israel had safe control of Israel and Jerusalem. In the same way, we do not get our eternal bodies until we are safely in Heaven with God. Just as the Temple and Tabernacle had similar layouts and similar implements (table for the bread, the lamp, the basin for washing, etc.), our heavenly bodies will be recognizable, but so much more glorious.

We look forward to our heavenly bodies, but we can’t even imagine how glorious they will be until the time we put them on in heaven.

§A New Mind: Renewed Day by Day

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16) {emphasis mine}

Unlike our body that decays, “our inner man is being renewed day by day.” We should be able to see improvements in our thoughts and feelings as we study the Bible, fellowship with other believers, listen to godly men and women, and obey God in our lives. God doesn’t instantly change us from an evil and selfish person to a perfect man like Jesus. It is a process. We cannot implement this process on our own. We need the Holy Spirit in us to make progress, but at the same time, it requires effort. We don’t grow by sitting still and just believing. We grow by studying, praying, obeying, loving, and giving.

Just like climbing a mountain, it may seem like we never get near the peak. Every time we think we’ve almost made it to the top, we realize, it is just a sub-peak and we still have much farther to go. Sometimes this growth may feel very slow, but when we look back (when climbing a mountain or in our Christian life), we should be able to see how far we’ve actually progressed.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2) {emphasis mine}

We are told to “present our bodies” as our “spiritual service of worship,” so we will be “transformed by the renewing of our mind.” Although our bodies may suffer from service to our God, our minds will be transformed and renewed. As we serve and sacrifice, our hearts and minds will become more like the heart and mind of Christ. We will learn to love what He loves and to hate what He hates. We will learn to see hurting people instead of the hurt caused by people. We will learn to view the world through the view of eternity instead of just the here and now.

But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. (Ephesians 4:20-24) {emphasis mine}

As a believing Christian our minds should be renewing to be more Christ-like, but it is still a choice. We are called to “lay aside the old self,” so we can be “renewed in the spirit of your mind.” We are told to “put on the new self.” Laying aside the old self and putting on the new self are both actions that we must actively choose to do. God is then faithful, merciful, and loving to renew our minds in his righteousness, holiness, and truth.

in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. … And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:5-6,9-11) {emphasis mine}

We participate in sharing the gospel. God perfects our good work, so our “love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.” As God works through our obedient good works, we will be “filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ.” Over time, everyone will see a change in our heart and mind as we become more like Jesus. Over time everyone will see the fruits of righteousness in our lives. We will stand out in the crowd as different and more Christ-like. Hopefully we will be like Peter and John in Acts 4:13 and people will “… recognize them \[us\] as having been with Jesus.”

§A New Soul & Spirit: Made Alive

At the moment we believe our soul changes from death to life as the Holy Spirit enters us, enlivens us, and reconciles us with God.

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

…The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:9-11,16-17) {emphasis mine}

At that moment of faith, we are covered by the blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit enters into us. Though our bodies may still sin, our spirit is made to be more like Jesus. Our desires become more like Jesus. There is a change. Although our words and actions may change quickly or over an extended period, the “Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” We have peace knowing that we belong to Him.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-9) {emphasis mine}

When we trust Jesus as savior, we are immediately “born again.” We are immediately named as heirs of our inheritance. Our salvation is “ready to be revealed.” Our new body, mind, and soul are made ready and are revealed in God’s timing. Although our minds and body usually need time to transform, “the outcome of \[our\] faith \[is\] the salvation of \[our\] souls.” This change of our soul is the mark that we are true Christians, true believers, and true children of God.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20) {emphasis mine}

All of a sudden, at the instant we believe, “Christ lives in” us.

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; (1 Peter 3:18) {emphasis mine}

At that moment, we are “made alive in the spirit.”

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) {emphasis mine}

The power of the Holy Spirit isn’t something we earn by being good Christians. It is something that every Christian receives when they trust in Jesus as Savior.

Our relationship with the Holy Spirit reminds me of an old transistor radio and the radio signal. The Holy Spirit is the radio signal. It is always there, whether we realize it or not. When we are saved we receive a radio so we can tune into the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, but just like old transistor radios, sometimes the radio starts to drift and we get more and more static making it harder to understand. All we have to do is retune the radio to the channel and it comes in clearly, but if we ignore the error, it will continue to drift until we can’t hardly hear the signal at all. Don’t let your radio drift off channel. Study the Bible, pray, surround yourself with fellow Christians, obey God. All of these actions help us to stay tuned in to the Spirit.

For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:10-11) {emphasis mine}

From the moment we believe, our spirits are “alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

§Ultimate Transformation

Although our transformation from dead in sin to alive in Christ generally takes some time, beginning from the inside and working its way out, we can all look forward to the ultimate transformation that comes at the second coming of Christ. This transformation is so certain, it is like it has already happened. Everything in our life should be focused on this ultimate transformation.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) {emphasis mine}

Almost every time the Bible refers to a believer dying, it refers to them “falling asleep” because believers don’t cease to exist. They just have a delay in receiving their glorified heavenly bodies. Whether we die now and are raised or whether we live to the rapture and get “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,” we have an eternity of glory to look forward to. We get to cast off our failing, earthly bodies (something that is getting more and more exciting as I age) and put on our heavenly bodies.

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:50-53) {emphasis mine}

We can’t fully comprehend the joy that will come when we are separated from our sinful, earthly bodies and put on our heavenly bodies, that have never, nor will ever, be touched by sin. We can’t imagine the joy of being able to see God face-to-face and live forever in His presence. We can’t envision being in the presence of God and never having to face sin, death, or pain ever again.

He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5)

Here on earth, we confess our Savior. At the end, our Savior will confess our name before the Father. Hallelujah!

May you never loose sight of eternity and the blessings God has for you. May you honor God, your Savior, through your thoughts, words, and actions and actively seek to become more like Him in order to honor Him before others. May your joy be complete in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Trust Jesus

I’ve copied a few related verses that I didn’t use in my post for your to read that add to the content.

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

… But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:5-6,15-18) {emphasis mine}

And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, (Ezekiel 3:19) {emphasis mine}

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit (1 Peter 3:18) {emphasis mine}

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)