We are the Temple

Heading home from Fort Worth, we purposely attended The Hills Church (North Richland Hills Campus) for their 10 am service. Beyond the beautiful worship and praise with a packed audience, we were blessed with the inspiring message of their Youth Pastor, Emmanuel Dominquez.

Pastor Emmanuel’s message showed us how the Holy Spirit empowers us to live set-apart lives and find our deepest fulfillment through holiness.

I am a fervent note-taker and I’m glad I took notes this day! This young man’s message reached the core of my being. Holiness -- not a catchy word for those who think that’s only for those who are “holier than thou”. But hearing Pastor Emmanuel’s description opened my eyes. He asked: “How do we live our lives in alignment with our Holy God?

#1: A holy life requires a TEMPLE. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says: “Do you not know that your bodies are TEMPLES of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”

Really? God is holy and He calls us His home? The Spirit of the living God lives inside us and that means we get to host God in our temple every day! We were made to be a temple of the Holy Spirit, but we’re still under construction.

#2: The holy life requires SACRIFICE. So, while we’re under construction, we do our best to keep our temple clean and pure and holy. Galatians 5:16-21 speaks to the steps to take to win over our flesh every day.

Pastor Emmanuel showed us a photo of 11th & 12th-grade boys in his youth group at camp. They chose vulnerability and freedom over keeping secrets from each other. They are holding each other to accountability. He highlighted the importance of confession, prayer, and community and how those boys are pursuing their journey to be like Jesus.

#3: The holy life requires ASSIGNMENT. Understanding our assignments from God influences our pursuit of holiness. Sincerely taking steps daily to align our lives more closely with our divine assignment as we purpose to do what Jesus did in His everyday life.

What is our assignment? Being holy unto the Lord by giving up our license to sin and determining to follow Jesus’ example of modeling the temple, the sacrifice and the assignment.

Holiness often sounds like an unreachable summit, a peak only saints and martyrs can conquer. Yet, it's a calling for every believer, a divine invitation to walk in God's light. The beauty of this journey lies not in our strength, but in the Holy Spirit's power within us.
He equips us to turn away from evil and embrace holiness. By leaning into the Spirit's guidance, we find that living a holy life is not just possible, but it transforms us into being Temples of the Holy Spirit.