Carrier of His Presence

I have often heard this phrase and never thought much about it until recently.  It’s one of those phrases that can be and often is used in ways that are confusing and just to fill space or to make our conversation sound super spiritual.  But what does it mean?    Does it mean that we, as Christians must do something special in order to be a carrier of His presence?  Does it mean that only certain people can and the rest are doomed to mediocrity?  One thought that immediately comes to mind is how some people can be carriers of a sickness or disease but yet somehow never shows any symptoms of the disease.  These people often do not know it and so never know the danger they may put other people into.

 

 One day while thinking about this phrase, I read again for at least the 100th time if not more, this verse: "Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NLT).  My first thought was this: when we think about a temple (and it doesn't matter what religion or denomination) what do we associate it with?  Isn't it a place where the God or god it represents has a dwelling place there, and therefore the presence of that God or god is there?  When I thought of that, it brought some clarity to my thoughts and questions regarding 'carrier of His presence.' 

  

 If we are truly following Jesus, then we are transformed to carry the presence of God with us where ever we go.  Will we know that we are carrying His presence with us wherever we go?  I would hope so, but we should at least be cognizant of the fact that He is near.  Just like any earthly stone and steel temple, the temple is considered to be owned by the God or god it represents.  Don't we say things like God's house and other similar statements?  

 

 What makes it His temple?  Is it just allowing ourselves to be inhabited by Him without changing our own thoughts and actions?  This does not seem to make sense, because when we think about a stone and steel temple, we consider it Holy and are careful how we act and what is said and done inside of it.  Certain rules are made or left unsaid that govern how we act in the place.  For example: No running, no bad language, being reverent and acting in certain ways we usually don't outside of the place.  Why do we have those rules?  Is it to make our time there miserable and just to try and impressive the God or god who resides there?  (Ok, maybe not the miserable part but we do try to make our actions impressive, but mostly to the other people that are there.) 

  

If we truly are the temple of the Holy Spirit, then we would want to do what the Holy Spirit would want us to do and act in ways that brings Him honor.  The verse above goes on to say that we are not our own and that we were bought with a high price, that of the death of the Son of God.  It also tells us that we must honor God with our body.  The only conclusions I can think of for that is we are to do, say, and think only what would be pleasing to the Holy Spirit.  If we don't, are we really the temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore carriers of His presence?  It seems that His presence would be diminished by going against the wishes and commands of the Holy Spirit. 

  

But how do we know what it is we are to do and act in order for His presence to be carried in us?  They are all found in His word, starting in Genesis 1 and ending in Revelation 22.  It’s all in there.  Will we know that we are carriers of His presence?  I would hope we will know, but when we are certain His presence resides in His temple (us), and we choose to leave Him out of the things we say and do, and we choose to go against His commands and what He has for us, His presence will diminish.  But when we spend time with Him and allow Him to clean up the temple and make the changes in us He wants, the presence will be more and more obvious, and not just to our self but to everyone we come in contact with.  Unlike those that carry a disease and may not know it, we will know that we are carriers of His presence.  But we may not know that He has left us.  Don't be like Sampson of the Old Testament and say "'I will do as before and shake myself free.' But he didn't realize the LORD had left him" (Judges 16:20). 

 

 Do what you have to in order to be the temple of the Holy Spirit you are called to be.  It may be awkward or painful at times, but as the verse said, you are not your own but you are bought with a price.  Protect your temple.  Let the Holy Spirit become in you a very strong presence so that the world will be changed through you.