Temples of the Holy Spirit
This study begins with a look at the ancient Temple of
Solomon — its beauty, its precision, and the holy presence it was built to
house.
Thousands of years later, that same holiness still matters.
Scripture now calls our bodies “the temple of the Holy
Spirit,” and through this study, we explore what that means for our lives
today. How does something built of gold and stone still speak to us — flesh and
blood — in the modern world?
Because the Word is living. And the Temple still stands.
Now, it’s us.
This is not a study of guilt or shame, but a call to
awakening, to understanding, and to holy stewardship. God doesn’t reveal truth
to condemn us, but to transform us — to shape us into vessels that honor Him.
Let every truth we encounter build us up — not tear us down
— as we seek to glorify God in the temples He now calls His own.
Section 1: The Temple of Solomon
Solomon’s Temple stood as one of the greatest wonders of the
ancient world — a physical manifestation of God's glory among His people. Every
stone, every beam, every carving, every overlay of gold was ordered by divine
wisdom. It was not just a building. It was a sanctuary — a place where God's
very presence chose to dwell.
King David, a man after God’s own heart, had a strong desire
to build a permanent earthly house for God. For over 400 years, the Ark of the
Covenant — the visible sign of God's presence — had been kept in a tent. It troubled
David that the Lord of Hosts was still dwelling in a tent while he himself
lived in a palace.
But God told David that he would not build it. The honor
would go to his son, Solomon, who began
building the Temple in the fourth year of his reign.
1 Kings 6:2 (NKJV) "Now the house which King Solomon built for the LORD, its length
was sixty cubits, its width twenty, and its height thirty cubits."
That translates to about 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45
feet high. It was not just an ordinary building. Its walls were carved with
cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. Its doors were made of olive wood and
etched with designs. The entire interior — ceilings, walls, floors — was
overlaid with pure gold. Even the hinges on the doors were golden.
To put the grandeur of this into perspective, very
conservative estimates put the amount of pure gold used in the Temple to be
over 2,000 tons!
At the center of the temple stood the Holy of Holies — the
inner sanctuary. A perfect cube, completely overlaid in gold, where the Ark of
the Covenant rested beneath the wings of two towering golden cherubim. The very
construction of the Temple was done with reverence: Stones were cut and shaped in
the quarry, off-site so that no hammer or chisel would disturb the peace of the
Temple Mount. It was sacred holy ground!
1 Kings 6:7 (NKJV) “And the temple, when it was
being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or
chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.”
Solomon’s Temple was not just a building. It was a covenant
made visible — it declared that God's holiness required beauty, purity, and
order. It was sacred. Set apart. Built for God and God alone.
1 Kings 6:12–13 (NKJV) "Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My
statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them,
then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David. And I
will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people,
Israel."
Section 2: Gateways to the Heart
Just as Solomon’s Temple had guarded gates, sacred spaces,
and daily maintenance, so too we must guard the gates of our own bodies — the
eyes and the ears.
Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the
issues of life."
Psalm 101:3 (NKJV) "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes."
Matthew 6:22–23 (NKJV) "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good,
your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body
will be full of darkness."
Every image we watch, every sound we hear, every word we
listen to — these are not harmless. They are either light entering the temple
or darkness defiling it.
Pornography that desecrates the purity of the heart. Endless
video shorts and mindless entertainment that waste very precious hours of life.
TV shows and movies that glorify violence, sexual sin, rebellion, and idolatry.
Video games rooted in bloodshed, war and murder, disguised as entertainment. The
worship of sports and celebrities, consuming attention meant for God even on
the Lord’s Day!
Every gate we fail to guard invites defilement into the Most
Holy Place within us — the heart.
Solomon’s Temple required daily attention — lamps trimmed,
altars tended to, incense offered. Neglect would have caused decay, filth, and
eventual ruin.
Our bodies require the same attention.
Proverbs 6:9–11 (NKJV) "How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from
your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to
sleep — So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an
armed man."
Ecclesiastes 10:18 (NKJV) "Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of
hands the house leaks."
Neglecting our bodies — ignoring physical movement, embracing
laziness, refusing to care for the vessel God indwells — is not a small thing.
It is a slow, silent form of spiritual erosion. Regular exercise is wisdom as
long as it is done in a proper perspective and not in vanity.
Section 3: Graffiti on the Temple Walls
Solomon’s Temple was overlaid with pure gold — carved with
cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. Every design was commissioned by divine
instruction and crafted by God-ordained artists.
There was no casual carving. There were no unauthorized
marks. Every inch belonged to God — and was to be treated with reverence!
Imagine the shock if someone had defaced those golden walls
— spray painting personal designs on the sacred panels, boring random holes
into the doors of the Holy Place or changing the color God chose. It would have
been considered unthinkable. Death would surely have followed.
And yet today, many believers casually mark, pierce, dye and
permanently alter the temple of the Holy Spirit without a second
thought.
Leviticus 19:28 (KJV) "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor
print any marks upon you: I am the Lord."
In ancient times, tattoos and cuttings were deeply connected
to pagan worship, mourning rituals, and idol devotion. God's command was clear:
You are not to imitate the defiling practices of the nations.
Today, the modern reasons may differ — but the spiritual
reality has not changed. The temple still belongs to God. Our bodies are not
our own to decorate or desecrate at will.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NKJV) "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you...? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God
in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
Similarly, piercings — decorative, body-altering piercings —
are like boring holes into the doors of the Temple!
Would a priest have tolerated someone drilling holes, no
matter how small, in the sacred panels of Solomon’s Temple for fashion? Would
God have remained silent if the golden doors were riddled with unnecessary
cuts, holes, or foreign symbols?
Then why would we assume He feels differently about the living
temples He now inhabits?
Anyone who has already marked, pierced, or altered their
bodies: There is hope in Christ! The blood of Jesus and forgiveness are
available to all who repent and turn from their sin! Healing and restoration
are real!
But let us never mistake grace as permission
to continue defiling the temple. When we know the truth and continue in casual
disregard, it becomes willful rebellion against the One who bought us.
Moving forward — our choices matter. Repentance for past defilement
brings grace. But reverence for God’s temple must shape every decision from
this day on!
“We are not our own. We were bought with a price”. Let us
treat our bodies with the same holy awe Solomon gave to the Temple of the Lord.
Section 4: God’s Original Provision
When God created the world, His design for nourishment was
pure, simple, and life-sustaining.
Genesis 1:29 (NKJV) "And God said, 'See, I have given you every herb that yields seed
which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed;
to you it shall be for food.'"
Genesis 9:3 (NKJV) "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given
you all things, even as the green herbs."
The original intention for feeding the body was whole foods:
Real plants. Real fruits & vegetables. Real animal foods
— untainted, unprocessed, direct from God’s creation. Today’s modern
"foods" are a far cry from God’s provision:
Bleached and Enriched Grains: Natural nutrients
stripped out, then replaced with synthetic substitutes.
Processed Sugars and Chemical Additives: Industrial
byproducts repackaged as "safe."
Synthetic Vitamins: Lab-created imitations of God’s
original nutrients.
Flavor Engineering: Artificial flavors replacing real
taste.
James 1:17 (NKJV) “Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom
there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
Every whole fruit, vegetable and animal is from God.
John 10:10 (NKJV) “The thief does not come except
to steal, and to kill, and to destroy
Satan takes all that is ‘good and perfect’ and breathes
corruption into it.
Processed foods are not gifts from God. They
are distortions of His design — and consuming them habitually dishonors
the temple.
Blessing food in prayer is right — but prayer does not turn
corruption into nourishment. We need to make the best choices we can with what
is available to us. There is no doubt that God can nourish the body with
whatever is available, after all, He IS the Creator, Sustainer and Miracle
Worker! Our choices and stewardship still matter.
Galatians 6:7 (NKJV) "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,
that he will also reap."
We are not called to mock God’s design by treating His
temple with disregard.
In Solomon’s Temple, sacrifices had to be perfect — not
defective or polluted.
Leviticus 22:20–21 (NKJV) "Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be
acceptable on your behalf... it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be
no defect in it."
Today, we are called to offer our bodies as living
sacrifices.
Romans 12:1 (NKJV) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that
you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is
your reasonable service."
Holy stewardship means, choosing foods close to God's
original creation and honoring His design with gratitude and reverence.
Don’t miss this:
Even as we honor God's design in food, our hope is not in
food itself! Our healing, health and strength come from God alone! The food we eat
does not make us healthy or fit, instead the food we choose can honor
God’s design or reflect the brokenness of human excess...
Exodus 15:26 (NKJV) "For I am the Lord who heals you."
Eating can actually be a form of worship—When we eat with
gratitude, take care of our bodies, and don’t let food control us, we’re living
in a way that respects how God made us. But when eating is all about comfort,
addiction, control, or appearance, it can start pointing more toward ourselves
than toward Him. It’s not about perfection in what we eat—it’s about seeking
God’s will and having a right heart attitude.
We eat wisely not because food saves us — but because we are
His, and honoring the body He created is an act of worship. In today’s world,
our cravings are no longer shaped solely by hunger or natural cues. Instead,
they are deliberately manipulated by the food industry to drive
overconsumption. It’s all about money! This is an admitted strategy.
Manufacturers employ scientists to create what author James
Clear calls “hyper-palatable” foods in his book Atomic Habits — meals
designed to target our God-given reward circuits through artificial
combinations of salt, sugar, and fat.
They exploit God’s design by over-stimulating it. The “bliss
point” is the exact combination of flavors that makes us crave more and
more!
“Dynamic contrast” (think of crunchy chips with
creamy dip or crispy crust with melted cheese) keeps our mouth entertained —
making us eat way beyond satisfaction or what our body requires.
“Oro-sensation” describes how food feels in our
mouth, engineered for maximum pleasure. Entire departments are dedicated to
this in major food manufacturers.
We were not designed to be ruled by flavor. The real danger
is not weight gain — it’s spiritual dullness. When our appetites are governed
by manufactured manipulation, we can no longer hear the quiet voice of
discipline and self-control.
Proverbs 25:28 (NKJV) “Whoever has no rule over
his own spirit [and body] is like a city
broken down, without walls.”
1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV) “But I discipline my body and bring it
into subjection...”
And according to Galatians 5:23.. self control is a ‘fruit of the spirit’.
This understanding reflects James Clear’s Second Law of
Behavior Change — “Make it attractive.” He says to make a habit stick, we
must make it attractive. The world does this to hook us. But we can reverse
this. We can make purity attractive, make obedience rewarding and make
God's design desirable again. Let us refuse to let synthetic cravings rule how
we treat God’s dwelling.
Section 5: Reverence Then — Reverence Now
Solomon’s Temple was not just beautiful — it was exceptionally
holy. It was approached with awe, trembling, and fear. Only the High Priest
could enter the Most Holy Place — and only once a year, with extensive
cleansing, or else he would die! God’s presence was so pure, so
powerful, that any casual, defiled approach was deadly.
Today, many believers treat the indwelling presence of God
lightly. We binge worldly entertainment. We eat whatever we desire without
thought. We neglect our bodies. We open our eyes, ears, and hearts to unclean
things. Do we forget the Holy Spirit is not a casual guest. He is the Almighty
dwelling within.. within His Temple.
God requires us to be guarding the temple gates (eyes, ears,
mind) maintaining the structure (exercise, cleanliness, care) offering
pure sacrifices (nutrition and avoiding corruption) and fleeing
defilement (idolatry, immorality, pride).
Holy fear is not terror — it is awe and love. It is the
awareness that the Almighty, the Creator of all things, has chosen to dwell
within our mortal bodies.
It should humble us daily. It should sharpen our daily
choices. It should drive us to worship, repentance, and careful stewardship.
Section 6: The Temple Was Cleansed Regularly
Solomon’s Temple, though constructed with gold, perfection,
and the finest craftsmanship, still required regular purification: Sacrifices
for atonement - Cleansing of the altars - Washing of sacred vessels - Removal
of anything unclean or corrupt.
The presence of God demanded ongoing maintenance — not
because His power was lacking, but because human corruption constantly crept
in.
Even as Spirit-filled believers — even as living temples of
the Holy Spirit — we still require regular confession, cleansing, and renewal. Not
because the Holy Spirit abandons us, but because sin defiles the heart, laziness
breeds decay and small compromises open doors to greater defilements.
Without repentance, the temple becomes polluted. The
presence of God becomes grieved. When the gates to our hearts (The Holy of
Holies) are left open, corruption creeps in, the fire fades and the walls start
to crumble.
1 John 1:9 (NKJV) "If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Psalm 51:10 (NKJV) "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit
within me."
Confession, whether to God or each other, is not weakness —
it is spiritual strength.
It is the daily washing that keeps the sanctuary pure. It is
the humble admission that we cannot maintain holiness on our own. It is
declaring that we desire the Holy Spirit’s presence more than comfort or
compromise.
When we repent — whether from laziness, indulgence,
impurity, neglect, or rebellion — God promises to cleanse and restore!
Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV) "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, Though your
sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like
crimson, they shall be as wool."
Daily repentance keeps the temple pure. God's forgiveness restores what was broken. A
pure temple invites more of God's presence and power
Section 7: The Body of Christ
While Scripture teaches that each believer is a temple of
the Holy Spirit individually, it also reveals that together, as the Church, we
are being built into a holy dwelling for God.
Ephesians 2:19–22 (NKJV) "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but
fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having
been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together,
grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together
for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."
The corporate Temple — the Body of Christ — is affected by
the holiness or corruption of each of its members. One believer’s casual
defilement can weaken the Church as a whole through influence and acceptance. One
believer’s laziness can affect the sharpness and alertness of the Church body. One
believer’s repentance and encouragement strengthens the entire body of
believers!
1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (NKJV) "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the
Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will
destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are."
This is not just individual. Paul’s language here seems
plural — directed to the whole congregation. To defile God's people is not a
small offense. It is a sin against the One who dwells among us as a corporate
temple. We are not just accountable for our own holiness — we are responsible
for encouraging, guarding, and building up the Temple of God around us.
As a corporate Temple we have a calling:
We are called to encourage one another daily (Hebrews 3:13),
exhort one another to holiness (Hebrews 10:24-25), carry one another’s burdens
(Galatians 6:2), speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and protect the
sacredness of the Body (1 Corinthians 12:25-27)
Your holiness affects more than just you. Your stewardship
reaches beyond your personal life. You are a living part in the great Temple of
God.
We are individually temples, but together we are one Temple
and our personal choices either strengthen or weaken the Body.. So let us build
holiness together to bring greater glory to Christ
Section 8: Wisdom not guilt
This study is not shared to cause guilt or make accusations.
It is not about earning favor with God through perfect food choices, exercise
routines, or lifestyle habits. It’s about exploring — humbly and seriously —
what it really means that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is
an incredibly exciting journey through the scriptures to study what God really
desires of His Temples!
We can ask ourselves these questions:
How does God instruct us to care for His temple?
What does He call us to put into it?
How does He call us to maintain it, protect it, and offer it
back to Him?
What would it look like to glorify God in what we eat, what
we drink, what we consume?
What would it look like to honor Him with what we allow
through our eyes and ears?
What would it look like to treat our bodies — and our hearts
— as sacred, holy ground?
What would it look like to offer God our best ?
These might all be tough questions.. God’s Word has the
answer!
James 1:5 (NKJV) "If
any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and
without reproach, and it will be given to him."
If we don’t know where to begin... If we feel overwhelmed...
If we’ve failed many times before...
We just need to ask!
God gives wisdom freely to those who ask sincerely — without
scolding, without reproach, without shame.
It’s about honoring the One who chose to dwell inside you
and purchased us with His blood!
1 Corinthians 6:20 (NKJV) "You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
It’s time we “Guard the gates” and “Cleanse the sanctuary”
Offer your body — and your life — as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God
The King of Glory dwells within you. Let your temple
reflect His worth!
References:
- The
Holy Bible (NKJV) – All Scripture quotations
- James
Clear – Atomic Habits
- Stephan
Guyenet, Neuroscientist
- Matthew
Henry – Commentary on 1 Corinthians 6:19–20
- Christianity.com
– Articles on holiness, temple theology, and stewardship
- TheTwoCities.com
– Commentary on Romans 12:1
- John
MacArthur – Reverence and sanctification
- David
Guzik – Commentary on Temple construction and worship purity
- A.W.
Tozer – The Pursuit of God
- Michael
Pollan – In Defense of Food, The Omnivore’s Dilemma
(whole food vs. processed food)
- Dr.
Josh Axe – Biblical perspectives on food as God-designed fuel
- Gary
Taubes, Nina Teicholz – Processed sugar, fat, and food industry
critiques
