The True Tabernacle

 

“I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART and put a NEW SPIRIT within you; I will take the HEART OF STONE out of your flesh and give you HEART OF FLESH.” – Ezekiel 36:26

“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,  a Minister of the sanctuary and of THE TRUE TABERNACLE WHICH THE LORD ERECTED, and not man.” – Hebrews 8:1-2

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I WILL PUT MY LAWS IN THEIR MINDS AND WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” – Hebrews 8:10

“ clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD, not on TABLETS OF STONE but on TABLETS OF FLESH, that is, of THE HEART.” – 2 Corinthians 3:3

The True Tabernacle of God is the heart, where Jesus ministers to us through the Holy Spirit.  He has written His laws on our hearts – no longer on tablets of stone.  He ministers to us through His Holy Spirit.  A minister of the tabernacle offers up sacrifices and offerings for sin.  Jesus has completed the work of sacrifice for our sins, and now goes on to perfect us through His Holy Spirit using conviction and guidance. 

In John 8 Jesus stood with the rulers of the old laws, the scribes and Pharisees who sought to perfect themselves through the Levitical Laws.  They brought in an adulterous woman for Jesus to condemn to death by stoning, according to the law.  But instead, Jesus showed mercy, and likely so as He says “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” in Matthew 9:13.

Jesus spoke to the men who were with her and said “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”  One by one, they all left, leaving only Christ, the only sinless one, with her.  But He did not pick up a stone.  He said to her “Neither do I condemn you, GO AND SIN NO MORE”.

Jesus’ message to us today is the same.  He does not condemn us, for He has justified us through His salvation and His righteousness.  But He continues to tell us through His Spirit, “Go and sin no more.” Walk away from sin – that is the core message of His ministry to us who are saved.

This is the ministry of His Holy Spirit in our hearts – to guide us into all truth, discernment of right and wrong, and to perfect us through our obedience to His voice (John 16:13). 

When you hear His ministering voice, you have two options.  You can give into your self will, and sin, bringing dishonor to the true tabernacle of God.  Or you can choose to obey His voice, and work out your own salvation. 

Salvation is God’s free gift - but not a gift to be put on a shelf till life is over!  Use the salvation God has given you, the free gift of His Spirit. Allow Jesus to minister to you, and to perfect the true tabernacle.