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In the Workshop of God, June 8
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by
Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:5
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The Jewish temple was built of hewn stones quarried out of the moun-
tains; and every stone was fitted for its place in the Temple, hewn, polished,
and tested, before it was brought to Jerusalem. And when all were brought
to the ground, the building went together without the sound of ax or ham-
mer. This building represents God’s spiritual temple, which is composed
of material gathered out of every nation, and tongue, and people, of all
grades, high and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned. These are not
dead substances, to be fitted by hammer and chisel. They are living stones,
quarried out from the world by the truth; and the great Master Builder, the
Lord of the temple, is now hewing and polishing them, and fitting them
for their respective places in the spiritual temple. When completed, this
temple will be perfect in all its parts, the admiration of angels and of men;
for its Builder and Maker is God.
The care shown in the building of the temple is a lesson to us regarding
the care that we are to show in our character building. No cheap material
was to be used. No haphazard work was to be done in matching the
different parts. Piece must fit piece perfectly. Just as God’s temple was, so
must His church be. Into their character building His people are to bring
no worthless timbers, no careless, indifferent work.
Now we are in the workshop of God, and the process is going on in
these hours of probation to fit us for the glorious temple. We cannot now
be indifferent, and negligent, and careless, and refuse to depart from sin,
... and expect to become pure and holy and fashioned in character after
the similitude of a palace.... Now is the day of preparation; now is the
time when we can have our defects removed.
A stone that does not shine is worthless. That which constitutes the
value of our churches is not dead, lusterless stones, but living stones,
stones that catch the bright beams from the Chief Cornerstone, even the
Sun of Righteousness.
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