Pretensions

"The whole building grows into a holy temple in the Lord," Ephesians 2:21.

What building? Now. Get this. It's hard to get. So. The building is a metaphor, right? It's not a structure of real brick and mortar. (Oh! and wait - No, it's not a virtual structure like an online game that only exists as a program in the mind's world.) The structure is indeed made of real, material substances. Just not of actual stones. It houses spiritual realities (not virtual pretensions). Do we get this? The cornerstone is Jesus's real person, his life and work, the foundation is the real teachings of His real messengers and real prophets. The structure above the foundation is all those real people who, once, lived estranged, ungodly. But, now, who have placed their trust for life in Jesus's sacrifice. Who, now, God has lifted up integrated together with Christ. This assembly of redeemed real people united forms the very real temple among whom God dwells. Got it.

We get together with a brother or sister today as God's temple. And, so assembled, we give thanks to God for ever!