1. Corinthians 3:10-19. (Read it all in its context):
"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
DO NOT DECEIVE YOURSELVES. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. *For the WISDOM of this world is foolishness in God’s sight*."
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COMMENT: Can we eat our way to wisdom? No. Wisdom is found WITHIN. In the innermost chamber of the temple. (Heart/mind). This is where the WORD and LAW of God resides, as it is being engraved on our hearts and minds in the sanctification (education process/higher school of Christ). So am I suddenly saying that what we eat is not important? No. It is, and I recently told you I am close to eating a vegan diet myself, not smoking, not drinking alcohol, having cut out medication I used during the day for years, I stay clear of refined sugar, and exercise in fresh air. But it is not the food that constitute the innermost chamber. Although having a brain that function well enough to be able to read and understand the word of God. But it is the spirit of God and God's education process that really equip us and give us discernment. We must also choose wisely what we fill our minds with. So we are indeed responsible to take care of this earthen vessel, our temple also in the outward, the physical. But the most holy is our hearts and minds, our inner man, our character. Which is unseen. This is the part of us that will go on, if we overcome in and by Christ. His atonement and power to redeem and sanctify us. Our physical flesh will not be perfected until Christ arrives and will consist of a different material than we now have. (1. Cor 15:52). There is no way in which you will be able to eat your way into incorruptible physical bodies. Even though again, we are to strive toward better health. Did Christ receive his immortal body before or after physical deterioration and death? Afterwards. Some living in the end of days will be translated directly, but it will not happen until Christ's second coming.
"It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed."
1. Cor 15:52
It is not the flesh, the organs (muscles, physical heart or brain) that are of FIRST PRIORITY, of highest value to God. It is the spiritual heart and mind which is of highest value.The CONTENT. Of having received and valued the teachings /word and law of God, so that they become incorporated into our being. Like a pearl being formed on the inside of a shell. It is that pearl which is of real, everlasting value. This is our FAITH, which happens on the inside.
What about love? The wisdom and law of God has its source in divine love. God is love, His law is love. But it is not the type of love we are presented with in this world. The love that come from God is unique and has its standards and principles, and involve factors that are not valued high in this world or age. The doctrines of God have it source in Him, who is divine love. His Law and character is love. It is clear from the context here that it is mostly relating that of how we build our temple (house), and how we are not to destroy the temple, with what we fill our inner soul with. It is more about the bread of life (the word) than literal bread (food). That is, our inner/spiritual mind and heart. ot that the extrrnal is of no importance, again,but of a secondary value.
"Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
So to make this merely about physical food and the outer, physical body, which many do, is a very limited and false way of interpreting this text. This is clearly not what Paul had in mind when writing it. We can stretch it of course to incorporate that as well, as being of importance. But to refer to it and stress it as *only* that? God forbid.
"But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.” -1. Samuel 16:7 Ellen White states:
"Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved—just as soon as God's people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come." -Our father cares, page 95 -Who Shall Receive God's Seal? March 24
"Fill the whole heart with the words of God. They are the living water, quenching your burning thirst. They are the *living bread from heaven*. Jesus declares, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” [John 6:53.] And he explains himself by saying, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” [John 6:63.] Our bodies are built up from what we eat and drink; and as in the natural economy, so in the spiritual economy, it is what we meditate upon that will give tone and strength to our spiritual nature."
-Christian Education ch. 6
The original "Holy of Holies" was the holiest part of the temple in Jerusalem, that is, * the innermost room where the ark of the covenant was kept. *
https://blog.israelbiblicalstudies.com/holy-land-studies/what-was-the-holy-of-holies/
"The holiest was the INNER CHAMBER of the wilderness tabernacle, a room so sacred that only one person could enter it, and then only one day out of the whole year.
https://www.learnreligions.com/the-holy-of-holies-700111
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COMMENT:
It has recently dawned on me that the holiest also represents our innermost soul, our hearts and minds, where God writes his law by the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17 it is written:
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"
But I have not heard anyone say anything special about the inner chamber.
"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time," says the Lord. "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them in their minds." -Hebrews 10:16
This is largely what the new law and covenant revolve around. To learn to walk by faith, and liv by the spirit of the law, not by the letter. Ephesians 3: 16-19. -2. Corinthians 4: 16-18 Ellen White:
"CHARACTER IS NOT INHERITED, it can not be bought."
(...)"THE FORMATION OF A NOBLE CHARACTER IS THE WORK OF A LIFETIME" -Prophets and Kings p 31 ".character is not transferable. No man can believe for another. No man can receive the Spirit for another. No man can impart to another the character which is the fruit of the Spirit's working." -Christ's object lessons. ch 29.
In the word of God we read;
"for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods," -Hebrews 13:9
I believe the innermost chamber of the sanctuary also represent our innermost being. 1 Kings Chapter 8: 1. Kings 10 «The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the territories.” Could this verse above be a reference indicating that the temple Solomon built was a physical, earthly sanctuary/temple. Representing the old, immature law and covenant? Hebrews 10: “8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.» Speaking of the new covenant: “ For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” The ark of the covenant contained the law of God, the ten commandments. Where was it placed inside the temple? In the INNERMOST chamber (the most holy place). I believe this is also a type for the antitypical, mature fulfilment. We are to build our HOUSE, our TEMPLE on Christ’s pattern (His teachings, His gospel and His law). The innermost chamber I believe represent our inner man/soul, our innermost being (our hearts and minds), where the law of God is written, not on table of stone, but on our hearts, by grace with the holy spirit of God, through faith in Christ and all that He represents. "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the INNER MAN; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." -Ephesians 3:16-19 "Therefore we do not lose heart. *Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet INWARDLY we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2. Cor 4:16-18
Again, a clear reference to the large group who will "walk by sight" , hence following the beast, and build their temple on sand, the temporal = the minor things of this world.
And the group that will "walk by faith", who follow the lamb of God, wheresoever He goes, and build their temple on the eternal Rock, Jesus Christ, who is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Meaning by a sanctified character (heart and mind), and not by external factors like genes, race, nationality, gender, status, physical health etc. Advancing in the path of the cross, from the old, immature law where you walk by the letter of the law, toward the new, mature, everlasting law, covenant and order of Jesus Christ. The law by faith. The law by Christ. By the spirit of the law.
(See Hebrews ch 7 -11 and Galatians 3:26-29.)
Romans 14:17
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,"
Ephesians 2:8-9
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast."
2.Cor 4:16-18
"Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
1 Timothy 4:7-8
"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."
Philippians 3:3 "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Romans 2:28-29
"A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
2. Cor 5:12
".. so that you can answer those who are proud of outward things rather than inward character."
It is not by works of the flesh we are saved, then it is a given that God would not make Christians overfocus on the physical kingdom, the physical flesh, especially right before His second Advent. Hence it would of course not be the core of the last great controversy in terms of those representing the true remnant. If it was it is the same message that come from Spiritualism who say it is about physical health and energies (higher vibrations). That means it is the agenda of those who are on the side of Spiritualism and the false Christ, Satan.
So maybe some need to ask yourself again, who's side are you really on right now?
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" - Acts 17:30
Entire series: "The Kingdom of God vs. The Kingdom of this World"
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