Orwhatagreementhas the templeof Godwith idols?For we are the templeof the livingGod;justas Godsaid,"I WILL DWELLIN THEM AND WALK AMONGTHEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
Elijahcamenearto allthe peopleand said,"Howlong[will] you hesitatebetweentwoopinions?Ifthe LORDis God,followHim; but ifBaal,followhim." But the peopledid not answerhim a word.
Lord,You have beenour dwellingplacein allgenerations.
"You shall havenoothergodsbeforeMe.
"Now concerning everythingwhichI have saidto you, be on your guard;and do not mentionthe nameof othergods,norlet [them] be heardfrom your mouth.
"Let them constructa sanctuaryfor Me, that I may dwellamongthem.
"I will dwellamongthe sonsof Israeland will be their God.
for you shall not worshipanyothergod,for the LORD,whose nameis Jealous,is a jealousGod--
I will givethem a heartto knowMe, for I am the LORD;and they will be My people,and I will be their God,for they will returnto Me with their wholeheart.
"At that time,"declaresthe LORD,"I will be the Godof allthe familiesof Israel,and they shall be My people."
"But thisis the covenantwhichI will makewith the houseof Israelafterthosedays,"declaresthe LORD,"I will putMy lawwithinthem and on their heartI will writeit; and I will be their God,and they shall be My people.
"They shall be My people,and I will be their God;
that they may walkin My statutesand keepMy ordinancesand dothem. Then they will be My people,and I shall be their God.
"Then I will sprinklecleanwateron you, and you will be clean;I will cleanseyou from allyour filthinessand from allyour idols.
"You will livein the landthat I gaveto your forefathers;so you will be My people,and I will be your God.
He saidto me, "Sonof man,[this is] the placeof My throneand the placeof the solesof My feet,whereI will dwellamongthe sonsof Israelforever.And the houseof Israelwill not againdefileMy holyname,neither they northeir kings,by their harlotryand by the corpsesof their kingswhen they die,
"Nowlet them putawaytheir harlotryand the corpsesof their kingsfarfrom Me; and I will dwellamongthem forever.
O Ephraim,whatmorehave I to do with idols?It is I who answerand lookafter you. I am like a luxuriantcypress;From Me comesyour fruit.
"I will sowher for Myself in the land.I will also havecompassionon her who had not obtainedcompassion,And I will sayto those who were not My people,'You are My people!'And they will say,'[You are] my God!'"
I will also walkamongyou and be your God,and you shall be My people.
"And those who bowdownon the housetopsto the hostof heaven,And those who bowdown[and] swearto the LORDand [yet] swearby Milcom,
"And I will bringthe thirdpartthrough the fire,Refinethem as silveris refined,And testthem as goldis tested.They will callon My name,And I will answerthem; I will say,They are My people,'And they will say,'The LORDis my God.'"
and I will bringthem [back] and they will livein the midstof Jerusalem;and they shall be My people,and I will be their Godin truthand righteousness.'
SimonPeteranswered,"You are the Christ,the Sonof the livingGod."
"No onecanservetwomasters;for eitherhe will hatethe oneand lovethe other,orhe will be devotedto oneand despisethe other.You cannotserveGodand wealth.
And He was alsotellingthem a parable:"No onetearsa pieceof clothfrom a newgarmentand putsit on an oldgarment;otherwisehe will bothtearthe new,and the piecefrom the newwill not matchthe old.
Jesusansweredand saidto him, "IfanyonelovesMe, he will keepMy word;and My Fatherwill lovehim, and We will cometo him and makeOur abodewith him.
"He who eatsMy fleshand drinksMy bloodabidesin Me, and I in him.
But ifthe Spiritof Him who raisedJesusfrom the deaddwellsin you, He who raisedChristJesusfrom the deadwill alsogive lifeto your mortalbodiesthroughHis Spiritwho dwellsin you.
However,you are not in the fleshbut in the Spirit,if indeedthe Spiritof Goddwellsin you. But ifanyonedoes not havethe Spiritof Christ,he does not belongto Him.
"AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACEWHEREIT WAS SAIDTO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,'THERETHEY SHALL BE CALLEDSONSOF THE LIVINGGOD."
You cannotdrinkthe cupof the Lordand the cupof demons;you cannotpartakeof the tableof the Lordand the tableof demons.
Ordo you not knowthat your bodyis a templeof the HolySpiritwho is in you, whomyou havefrom God,and that you are not your own?
having been builton the foundationof the apostlesand prophets,ChristJesusHimselfbeingthe corner[stone],
in whomyou alsoare being built togetherinto a dwellingof Godin the Spirit.
so that Christmay dwellin your heartsthroughfaith;[and] that you, being rootedand groundedin love,
You shall havenoothergodsbeforeMe.
but in caseI am delayed,[I write] sothat you will knowhowone oughtto conducthimself in the householdof God,whichis the churchof the livingGod,the pillarand supportof the truth.
Guard,throughthe HolySpiritwho dwellsin us, the treasurewhich has been entrustedto [you].
but Christ[was faithful] as a SonoverHis house--whosehousewe are, ifwe hold fastour confidenceand the boastof our hopefirmuntilthe end.
"FOR THISIS THE COVENANTTHAT I WILL MAKEWITH THE HOUSEOF ISRAELAFTERTHOSEDAYS,SAYSTHE LORD:I WILL PUTMY LAWSINTO THEIR MINDS,AND I WILL WRITETHEM ON THEIR HEARTS.AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
Ordo you thinkthat the Scripturespeaksto no purpose:"He jealouslydesiresthe SpiritwhichHe has made to dwellin us"?
you also,as livingstones,are being builtup as a spiritualhousefor a holypriesthood,to offerup spiritualsacrificesacceptableto GodthroughJesusChrist.
No onehas seenGodat any time;ifwe loveone another,Godabidesin us, and His loveis perfectedin us.
Whoeverconfessesthat Jesusis the Sonof God,Godabidesin him, and he in God.
"To the angelof the churchin Ephesuswrite:The One who holdsthe sevenstarsin His right hand,the One who walksamongthe sevengoldenlampstands,saysthis:
And I hearda loudvoicefrom the throne,saying,"Behold,the tabernacleof Godis amongmen,and He will dwellamongthem, and they shall be His people,and GodHimselfwill be amongthem,
"He who overcomeswill inheritthese things,and I will be his Godand he will be My son.
