Ephesians 2:21–22

All the building is "fitly framed together" in the Chief Corner Stone; that is, every part of the building has reference to Him, and directs the eye to Him. And like Solomon's temple, this temple "grows." It is recorded of that house: "When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built" (1 Kings 6:7). In the same way, this holy temple grows silently, under the skilful eye of the divine builder, according to His own plan.

In Ephesians 2:21 the temple is seen as growing; "it grows to a holy temple in the Lord." This takes in every believer of this present age. In this sense the temple is not complete until the Lord comes. "All the building" is the correct idea, not "each several building." That second reading goes against the whole teaching of the letter, which is the unity of those blessed in Christ.

When Christ builds, He does not commit it to man at all, and no responsibility of man comes in. He dies and rises again, and what He builds on the imperishable foundation of faith in His person in resurrection is secured for ever! Ephesians 2:20-21 shows us this building. Christ builds it, and it is "fitly framed together" — mark those words strongly. This temple began when the Holy Spirit came down from heaven. It "grows" until all is in glory, right to the very end of the church's stay on earth. It is not yet complete. You will not find those words, "fitly framed together," where what man builds comes before us. In verse 21 he looks at the progressive work — the whole temple, which God purposes to be His sanctuary, the home of the brightest display of His glory for ever.

The building "grows." Grow is a word that only applies to something that has life. A child grows, a plant grows. At every stage a child, or a plant, is complete. Growth may add size, and qualities hidden in the child or plant come into view. But we never think of either as incomplete at any stage. So God's temple is always seen as complete, yet growing. Yet the end is in view when the last stone is added.

"In whom all the building, fitly framed together, grows up to a holy temple in the Lord." This is the grand future and sure result. The building grows to that. Never did the highly polished stones of Solomon's temple fit more perfectly, or lie more exactly, than these stones will rest together in that completed temple of beauty, grace and holiness. They were once so shapeless, so angular, so mismatched.

But in the verse before us we have Christians looked at as "a holy temple in the Lord." The figure is changed. This sets before us the great truth of God dwelling among His people on this earth. God dwells there, and there is more. The word temple carries the thought of a shrine — a dwelling place, yes, but joined with the thought of holiness, because of who dwells there. It becomes a sanctuary, a sphere of priestly activity, a place of worship — a place made by the persons who compose it, not by stones and mortar. "God … does not live in temples made by man" (Acts 17:24).

One stone cannot make a building, and stones do not choose their own place. Each stone finds its place according to the mind of the Divine Architect.

The Gentiles are no longer strangers. They are brought in, together with Jews, to be fellow-citizens with the saints and part of the household of God. Both are built on the same foundation — Christ, the chief corner-stone.

But note the difference between the temple of verse 21, and what you find in the last verse. First, in verse 21, he looks at the work still in progress — the whole temple. God's mind and purpose is that it should be His sanctuary, the home of the brightest display of His glory for ever. Second, in verse 22, he looks at the assembly as it is now: a habitation, or dwelling place, of God by the Spirit on earth — in other words, the "house of God."

Redemption is the foundation of the relationship. We never read of God dwelling with Adam in the garden of Eden, though he was in a state of innocence. He made a happy dwelling place for him and set him in it, and it seems that He visited him there, but He never dwelt with him. Creation could not furnish a suitable foundation for God's dwelling place on earth.

But now men themselves made up the tabernacle where God did not refuse to dwell. The blood of Jesus had purified them, and made them fit to be the habitation of God through the Spirit. How beautiful is this divine fact! Such is the effect of the death and blood of Christ, and of our reconciliation and purification. His presence does not drive the priests away. Instead, God in grace makes us His habitation!

There are two points in this expression, beloved friends. One is that we are the "habitation of God." The other is that this is "through the Spirit." He is not speaking of our dwelling with God (although that is true), but of our being "a habitation of God." Our having glory together with Him is one thing; God's dwelling in us is another. This, I repeat, is clearly a most unusual and special blessing.

Here, Paul is not speaking of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of adoption in believers. He says, "you are built together as a habitation of God through the Spirit." That is, together they formed the dwelling place of God. Paul tells us that "The house of God … is the Church of the living God" (1 Tim. 3:15). In 1 Cor. 6:19, we find the other truth, that the individual bodies of believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Beloved friends, when you come into the assembly, is this thought before your mind — I am in a place where God dwells? I think it is a wonderful thought that God has a house, and He comes and lives in it by His Spirit. What for? To make Himself known! He is not only the builder and owner of the house. It is a sweet thought that He also lives in it. There alone is He, as we say, at home in this world. It gives the assembly a character that nothing else could, and it should impress us with a sense of seriousness. When I go there, whom do I go to meet? My brothers and sisters? Yes, thank God — but not first of all. The blessed truth is that the Lord is there.