Have you ever wondered why so many Christian converts are on fire for the Lord?

Paul says that our bodies are temples. If that is true then we each have a Holy of Holies that is unoccupied. Sadly, most of us set the bar for divine occupancy so low that we rent the space out to any “god’ that says they can pay the spiritual bill. The problem is that every time we get a new renter we have to inspect the space and nearly pass out from the stench of the endless string of unhygienic deities we allowed to move in. As we look around at our abomination of desolation we find vomit stains of sinful excess on our sanctuary carpet and empty beer cans of discontent on the altar.

However, when the one true God enters our temple it is an awesome thing.

As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 7: 1-3)

When God establishes His presence in the Holy of Holies we are shaken.

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

      “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

      the whole earth is full of his glory!

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6: 1-5)

The reason conversion is such a powerful experience is because it is a monumental earth-shattering government takeover. We abdicate our original sin throne and let the God of the universe take charge. Our conversion is not a peaceful transfer of power but the overthrow of an entire political system. When we welcome Jesus into our lives we are not giving Him the symbolic keys to our city but rather crowning Him sovereign ruler of our lives.

Everything changes when we allow God to enter our personal temples. He will turn over the tables of the money changers ensuring that we never conduct business the same. He will banish the den of robbers who formerly hid in our temple and transform the space into a holy refuge for those who cry, “sanctuary!” And when we speak to others about our new ruler it will not just be about the way His majesty fills a room but also about the way He emptied Himself for His citizens. We won’t just tell of the words He used to speak the universe into creation but also His silence when He faced those who crucified Him.

God calls us to be Holy like He is Holy. While this may seem like a tall order we need to remember that our lips have been touched by a burning coal and we no longer breath the same air. We breath fire!

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Isaiah 6: 6-8)

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash