{"id":78,"date":"2016-02-07T21:36:28","date_gmt":"2016-02-07T21:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joy-in-the-journey.com\/?p=78"},"modified":"2016-02-07T23:53:30","modified_gmt":"2016-02-07T23:53:30","slug":"under-construction-a-dwelling-place-for-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joy-in-the-journey.com\/?p=78","title":{"rendered":"Under Construction: A Dwelling Place for Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"10407876_10205268823978740_56971566099135395_n<\/strong>I read \u00a0I <\/strong>Thessalonians 5:11<\/strong><\/em> “Therefore comfo<\/em>rt each other\u00a0and\u00a0edify<\/em> one another, just as you also are doing.”<\/span> (NKJV)<\/p>\n

I sense the Lord has much to say about this verse, so I slow down and dig deeper.<\/p>\n

I ask: what is the therefore there for? In other words, what should I bring forward from what has\u00a0just\u00a0been written to help understand this verse?<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong>: \u00a0In the verses before, Paul \u00a0sets our sights on the returning of Jesus, the ending of what is old and the beginning \u00a0of all things new. This brings a \u00a0sense of urgency \u00a0to the verse at hand.<\/p>\n

\n

Digging Deeper<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Using the Strongs App on my phone \u00a0( I highly recommend it if you enjoy digging for hidden treasure)<\/em>, I dig into the words comfort<\/strong> and edify<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Comfort<\/strong> – translated from the Greek word par-ak-al-eh’-o.<\/p>\n

Jesus used the same word when he called the Holy Spirit the Comforter. The word literally means to call near<\/em> or call beside<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The thought comes to me: \u00a0If I’m going to call someone beside me, I better have something to offer.<\/p>\n

For me to be a comforter, I must be being comforted. I must be being aware of and depending upon the true Comforter, \u00a0who is calling me beside Him, \u00a0joining in what He is doing. \u00a0How dare I ever try and comfort someone else without yielding to the Indwelling \u00a0Holy Spirit. Without Christ, I can do nothing.\u00a0[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 1:3-4\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, \u00a0who comforts us<\/em> in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort<\/em> those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted<\/em> by God.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/strong> I can’t comfort others unless I’m allowing myself to be comforted by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

\n

Edify<\/b> – translated from the Greek word oy-kod-om-eh’-o, it \u00a0literally means to build a \u00a0house or a dwelling.<\/p>\n

As Christians, we have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit and have become dwelling places of Christ by His Spirit.\u00a0[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

We are all under construction<\/p>\n

What remains is for Christ to be formed in us [3]<\/a>, for us to be made complete in Christ. [4]<\/a><\/p>\n

For Christ to be formed in us, for us to be made complete in Christ, \u00a0we are to: (Summarized from Galatians 2:20)<\/p>\n