Solomon's temple required 23 tons of gold and a generation of skilled craftsmen to build — worth over $400 billion in today's dollars. Yet Scripture says God chose something far more valuable as His dwelling place: you. Part 11 of the Your REAL ID series unpacks what it means to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The Context
This message opens with a personal testimony of how God led Pastors Tim and Meagan Howe and their family to their home in Waukegan, Illinois — a story of waiting on the Lord, walking by faith, and watching Him provide beyond expectation. From that picture of "home," the teaching pivots to a far greater home: the dwelling place God has chosen for Himself. Two new Real ID truths emerge from 1 Corinthians 6 — "I am one spirit with the Lord" and "I am the temple of the Holy Spirit."
The Core Message
The teaching traces the progression of God's dwelling places through Scripture — from walking with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day in Eden, to filling the tabernacle with cloud and fire in the wilderness, to overshadowing Solomon's temple of gold, to walking the earth in the person of Jesus, and finally to making His home inside every born again believer. Each stage drew the presence of God closer to His people, but the final stage is the most staggering: the same God who once required miles of travel and ceremonial preparation to approach now lives on the inside of you. Solomon's temple was a magnificent type and shadow, but you are the substance — and you are eternal, while the temple was not.
That privilege carries weighty implications. Because you are one spirit with the Lord and the temple of the Holy Spirit, your body is no longer your own — it was bought with a price. Scripture calls believers to flee sexual immorality, to refuse being unequally yoked with darkness, to cleanse themselves from every defilement, and to walk Spirit-led rather than flesh-driven. None of that is a license to earn salvation; it is the natural response of someone who knows who they truly are. The danger many believers face is treating the indwelling Spirit like a roommate rather than a cherished presence — drifting through life numbed by stress, entertainment, or busyness, ignoring the very gold God has placed within them. The invitation in this message is to live with passionate awareness of the Holy Spirit and to carry His tangible presence everywhere you go.
The Application
- Honor The Indwelling: Stop taking it for granted that the Holy Spirit has chosen to make His home in you — pause regularly to acknowledge and welcome His presence in your day.
- Live Set Apart: Refuse to be unequally yoked with darkness and flee sexual immorality, because your body is the temple of God and meant for the Lord, not for sin.
- Walk Spirit-Led: Listen to the still small voice — when the Lord says "don't go there" or "do this," obey quickly, because that is how a believer puts to death the deeds of the flesh.
- Cherish, Don't Coexist: Don't drift into a roommate-style relationship with the Holy Spirit; pursue Him with passion and intimacy the same way a good spouse pursues their beloved.
- Carry The Presence: Live with the awareness that wherever you go, the tangible presence of God goes with you, ready to touch the people around you in life-changing ways.
- Mine The Riches: Invest time in prayer, fellowship, and the Word, because the depth of relationship with the Holy Spirit is limitless and only opens deeper as you pursue Him.
Conclusion
Take a few minutes to listen to this powerful Part 11 message and let your body, your time, and your life become a true home sweet home for the Holy Spirit.
Here are some of the concepts we'll be touching on in today's message:
I am the temple of the Holy Spirit, I am one spirit with the Lord, Your REAL ID, 1 Corinthians 6:17, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Dwelling place of God, Tangible presence of God, Holy Spirit indwelling, Born again believer, True identity in Christ, Solomon's temple, Tabernacle in the wilderness, Garden of Eden, Living holy, Spirit-led life, Putting to death the deeds of the flesh, Fleeing sexual immorality, Unequally yoked, Carrying God's presence, Intimacy with the Holy Spirit
Scripture References:
Romans 8:9-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Genesis 3:8; Exodus 25:8-9; Exodus 40:34-38; 2 Chronicles 3:3-9; John 1:14; Ephesians 2:17-22; Matthew 6:33
