Have you ever wondered why converts to Christianity are so on fire for the Lord?

Paul tells us that our bodies are temples yet most of us walk around as if an empty Holy of Holies is all one needs for spiritual fulfillment. How odd that we would be equipped with a divinely  furnished space for the God of the universe to dwell and yet hang no vacancy signs on the outside.

He knocks on our temple doors and we brazenly tell Him there is no room at the inn. We are scared to let Him in because we heard that He has a thing about clean rooms and fresh sheets. We fear that if we let Him in He might overturn some tables and reveal the dust of our unkempt life. Instead we allow a never-ending series of hygiene challenged cultural deities to flop in our Holy of Holies only to find our sanctuary littered with rotting material delicacies and empty beer cans of discontent.

However…

When God enters a 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 our 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.  (Isaiah 6: 1-4)

The reason conversion is such a powerful experience is because it is a monumental earth-shattering transition in governments where we abdicate our original sin throne to the God of the universe. It isn’t a peaceful transition of power but rather a spiritual revolution. When we become a Christian we don’t give Jesus a symbolic key to our city but rather bend our knee to a new King.

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: 5)

When we allow God to enter our Holy of Holies, He will turn over tables and clean out the hidden sinful dirt. Money changers will be expelled and business will never be conducted the same. Robbers will be scattered from their hiding places and we will be free to reclaim our stolen identities.

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And with it he touched my mouth and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.” (Isaiah 6: 6-7)

New Christian converts may feel tongue-tied but that is hardly surprising since their tongues have just been touched by Holy coal. How can one adequately speak for One who has already so eloquently spoken through His creational words, His written Word, and His incarnate WORD? How can one describe the height of God’s majesty but also tell of the depths of His condescension? How can one explain the power of His spoken creational words and still convey His deafening silence when He was crucified? Thankfully, the God of the universe has a spokesperson who helps us turn our prattle into prose and our groans into grammar.

And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,  for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12: 11-12)

Once God has entered your Holy of Holies you will feel the earth shake under your feet and will have no choice but to say, “Here am I! Send me.”

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: 8)

Photo by Blake Cheek on Unsplash