Divine Blueprints Part 2

In whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord (Eph 2:21). 

In Ephesians 2:20-22, Jesus unrolls the divine blueprints for us to see.  He's working on something very special.  Something incredible.  Something breathtaking.  His masterpiece.  He's handcrafting His temple for His Spirit.  He is personally the cornerstone (Eph 2:20).  His foundation is the teaching He's given to His people through His apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20).  Here in v21, we see plans for the next part of the project.  "In whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord" (v21).  Paul allows us to see this incredible building going up.  We see its beauty.  We marvel at the caliber of its craftsmanship.  

Writing from a cellblock in Rome, the apostle wants his Ephesian friends to know who Jesus is, what He has done, what He is doing and who we are in Him.  There are some nasty heresies making the rounds that have done a lot of damage in places like Galatia, Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea.  False teachers have weakened what Christ built through men like Paul by chipping away at the Gospel.  They're tearing down what God has built up.  They've duped folks into believing that we must take our salvation into our own hands.  Instead of relying completely on what Jesus has done for us, we've got to follow a boatload of religious rules, rituals and holidays to maintain our place in God's kingdom.  The apostle knows that if He shores up the footings and ensures they are built on the Rock of our salvation, nothing will move the church in Ephesus.

In the divine blueprints we see that this entire project centers on Jesus.  Once again, we see the little phrase "in whom" (v21).  Paul uses some form of "in Christ" or "in Him" 28 times in this little letter.  Our place is absolutely secure when we place the complete trust for our salvation in what Christ has done for us.  He's lived the perfect life that we totally failed to live.  He's died the brutal death for our sin that we should have died.  He's risen to a glorious new life that we in no way deserve.  We can't.  He did.  In the same way that we can't fly without being in a plane, we can't be holy and perfect without being in Jesus.  That's a critical part of the divine blueprints.

Paul steps back and takes a look at the entire "structure."  This is the Greek term oikodome, which means a building, structure, edifice or any construction project.  It describes the act of building up or edifying.  Jesus' crew used this word as they marveled at the temple grounds in Jerusalem as "wonderful buildings (Gr. oikodome)" (Mk 13:1).  Paul told the folks in Corinth that they are "God's building (Gr. oikodome)" (1Cor 3:9).  

Jesus' church is still under construction.  The Carpenter is still at the job site.  He's still at work.  He's still swinging a hammer.  Building.  Constructing.  Crafting.  He's using His handpicked and personally trained subcontractors "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up (Gr. oikodome) the body of Christ" (Eph 4:12).  You can be sure that He'll finish job (Phil 1:6).  But on this side of eternity, there's work to be done.  We're still under construction.

Jesus' project comes together as His followers are "joined together" (v21).  The original text carries the idea of custom construction.  These divine blueprints call for expert craftsmanship.  Christ isn't mass producing His temple on the assembly line.  He's measuring carefully.  He's cutting exactly.  He's laying perfectly.  All the angles are precise.  All the joints are snug.  When the Carpenter creates, His work is always a masterpiece.  The divine blueprints for His temple tell us this project is no exception.

There is no doubt what Jesus is building on this site.  Check out the sign at the corner.  "A holy temple in the Lord" (v21).   For a good long while, Yahweh used the temple in Jerusalem as His home among His people.  Sure, He is everywhere.  But in some very special way, He personally occupied real estate in the temple in the capital of His people.  But something happened as a result of the sin and rebellion of His chosen people.  God left.  His glory packed up and moved out (Ezek 10:18; 11:23).  From that time forth, God's special presence didn't occupy the office space in the Holy of Holies.  But Jesus has something crazy up His sleeve.  He's building a new temple.  A brand new and glorious building for His Spirit.  

Paul points back to the purpose of Christ's construction project several times in his letters.  He tries to make sure that the Corinthians understand that idea.  "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you...you are that temple" (1Cor 3:16-17).  One thing we can't see in our language is that the "you" in those verses is plural.  For folks living in the south, they would translate it "y'all are God's temple."  And just in case they missed it the first time around, the apostle hammers that nail again in another letter sent to Corinth.  "We are the temple of the living God" (2Cor 6:16).

The Carpenter is working.  He's on the job site.  And He's working from His divine blueprints.