In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit. Ephesians 2:22
A nicely-dressed young couple knocked on our door one evening, and invited us to attend the services at the local church that they belonged to, just down the next street a short ways. It was a friendly community-based church, they assured us, and they were hoping to get people from the community to attend. We knew of the place, a large, well maintained structure that always seemed to have activities going on, and always had plenty of cars in the parking lot. Membership was growing, the young couple told us, and becoming a member was a simple process of filling out a brief application form. How nice for them! The process for becoming a member of the habitation of God through the spirit is rather different.
In our text, Paul is reminding the Christians in Ephesus that they are unitedly being builded up for a dwelling place for God. By its definition, an Assembly cannot be formed by one person; Matthew 18:20 speaks of the twos and threes, which are the minimum, individuals who the Holy Spirit has gathered together, and who collectively function according to the principles of a New Testament Assembly. No public relations campaign, nor a door-to-door visitation effort, nor a public ceremony of any kind, can create such an Assembly, according to the Word of God. This work is accomplished only by the Holy spirit, otherwise it is not a habitation of God. And it is accomplished only in accordance with the Word of God, otherwise it cannot be a habitation of God. Only the Holy Spirit can convict sinners and bring them to faith in Christ. And only the Holy Spirit can guide saints into an appreciation of the truths of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As a little boy, during the Sunday morning service, I used to look around the little Baptist church where we attended, and wonder why God would want to live in such a place. I was told that it was His house. Those who told me so were mistaken, according to Acts 7:48, because God does not live in places that men’s hands build, but into Assemblies that are gathered by the Holy Spirit. And such places are His house, His habitation, His earthly dwelling place. While it is true that each believer is individually the residence of God, it is also true that collectively, each Assembly is the residence of God. Matthew 18:20 assures us of the presence of the Lord Jesus. This truth brings before us tremendous privilege that should keep us bowed in deep humility to know that such undeserving wretches have the Almighty in our midst. But it should also bring before us the tremendous responsibility of making sure that our gathering avoids all that would reflect poorly on the One Who is with us.
It was God Who builded us together for His habitation; let us walk worthy of His presence. -Jim MacIntosh