Dave Smith
Life is all about change, yet God does not change. In Malachi 3:6, God makes this bold statement: “For I am the Lord, I do not change.” In Hebrews 13:8 it says that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” And in James 1:17 it tells us that with God “there is no variation or shadow of turning.” God is perfect, His law is perfect—how can you change something perfect and make it more perfect? It is not God who needs to change, but people; we need to change, I need to change.
As there were three compartments in the earthly sanctuary, there are three aspects of our body temple: physical, mental and spiritual. It is a fact that what happens in one compartment of our body temple affects and changes the other. The sanctuary pattern is a perfect layout or plan for success in life. But people did not understand it until Jesus lived it out. In His first bold public act in Jerusalem, Jesus cleansed the temple. The Jews had perverted it; it was never meant to be used to make money. Jesus commanded, “Take these things away!” When questioned, “What sign will you do to prove you have the right to do such things?” He prophesized “tear down this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The fundamental message from Jesus is that this is the pattern; it is perfect. I will live it out. And to prove the plan is perfect, utterly destroy this temple—do what you will to this body, but because I patterned my life after this plan, the ceremonial law, also called Moses’ law, which is really God’s law, I will raise this temple up in three days. And they did, and He did, and we have the Christian hope.