“With the merciful Thou wilt shew Thyself merciful.” (Psalm 18:25)

One of the precious inworkings of His grace in the lives of those, whom He separates unto Himself, is that they are becoming His merciful ones. Seems that many have walked with God for years without learning what it means to “have mercy”, to become a vessel of mercy through whom His mercy is revealed. There has been far too much fight in us; a demand for justice according to what we think is justice.

Jonah received the word of the Lord – it is a marvelous thing to receive “the Word of the Lord”, but that doesn’t make us a merciful one. It was because Jonah rebelled against the mercy, that he first fled unto “Tarshish: for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness,” (Jonah 4:2). So God had to discipline him in the belly of a great fish, until somewhat subdued he was willing to speak the “Word” which the Lord had given unto him. Then God had to give him another forceful object lesson with a gourd to teach him to have mercy. How hard are the lessons we need to teach us also to be merciful. But in due time we shall be perfected in mercy, for He has a work of mercy to be performed through His people.

“Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven,” (Luke 6:36-37). Note the word “forgive”, same Greek root used elsewhere as ‘redemption”, meaning TO LOOSE AWAY. We are groaning within ourselves for the fullness of our redemption, that we might be loosed from the very last vestige of this bondage of vanity. But what sayest thou to this statement of our Lord, according as thou forgivest another (loose them from their offences toward you), so shalt thou be forgiven (loosed from all that presently holds you captive)? The more we learn to be merciful unto others, the more we also shall be able to comprehend His mercy for us. “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him”, (Ps. 103:11).

“For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (II Corinthians 6:16)

From the time that Jesus declared “Your house is left unto you desolate”, (Matt. 23:38), and “The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom”, (Matt. 27:51), since that time our “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands”, (Acts 17:24).

There are two Greek words, which have been translated as ‘temple’, they are: HIERON, meaning a building, and NAOS, referring to the inner sanctuary. When the veil was rent asunder, as far as God was concerned, that building ceased to be a temple, naos, and thereafter was just a building, hieron. Then Paul picks up this word ‘naos’ and uses it exclusively when speaking of THE TEMPLE, INNER SANCTUARY, which is the new, living dwelling place of God. He dwelleth no more in temples, naos, made with hands, such are only building, but He dwelleth in the inner sanctuary of your heart and mine.

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building (making),” (Heb. 9:11). He is forming HIS TEMPLE with the “LIVING STONES” whom He is processing and preparing through the nitty-gritty of every day living. Renewed into the mind of Christ, for His dwelling shall be all of one mind, HIS! Brought to that place where from every avenue of our being we cry out, “not my will, but Thine be done”, His will is supreme in His entire house – supreme, yes, it is also the sole delight of all who are His temple. This living temple fulfills Haggai 2:9, “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace”.