"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
The Bible clearly says that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit. God's own Spirit resides in each and every one of us who believes and are found in the Lord Jesus Christ, and He has made us His own temples - not a temple of stone or wood, but a temple made by God's own hands.
One of the most important things done to a temple is cleaning it. We do this in different ways in our modern-day churches:
Some churches hire paid workers to do the housekeeping. Some churches ask help from volunteers to clean the premises. Whatever the means, the intention remains the same: to clean the church building.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit's temple - us - need constant "housecleaning." We need to make sure that we're clean and pleasing to the Lord. Of course, His love for us doesn't go up or down depending on our actions; He loves us already. Our readiness for His plans and purposes, however, that's another thing.
Do you desire to do a great job in the housecleaning of the Holy Spirit's temple? Here are a few tips for you.
1) See the extent of the dirt that needs to be cleaned
We've got to do some brutally-honest self-evaluating if we want to rid ourselves of the dirt called sin and worldliness. We've got to ask ourselves the hard questions, answer as truthfully as we can, and honestly reveal every single stain (sin) that we have.
Unless we come to terms with ourselves and become honest with our sins, we won't be able to repent of them. (see 1 John 1:8-9)
2) Get some help in taking dirt out, if needed
Asking others to help in the "cleaning process" will be of help too. This can be done in almost any stage, from evaluation to correction. The repentance part, however, remains on our own shoulders.
Let'ask a trusted, honest friend about our wrongs. This person may be our respective spouses, a close friend of the same gender, a pastor or minister, or even just a concerned family member. Just ask them about their perceptions and observations made about you.
If needed, ask a minister to help you weed out deep-seated dirt - the type that we hide from people, even ourselves. We might need some help in deliverance in this matter.
3) Realize that it needs constant cleaning
Lastly, after a successful "housecleaning," realize that the process has to be done repeatedly without fault. We need to evaluate ourselves from time to time, repent of any sin we commit, and make sure to keep track of our progress.
Cleaning the Holy Spirit's temple may not be that exciting, but it's really comforting, encouraging, and fulfilling.
