are We Safe In God's House?

​According to statistics, places of worship are the safest places in the world. Yet, we all are very aware of church buildings that have been devastated by weather, blown up by bombs and attacked by gunmen. This past Sunday, a gunman attacked a Baptist church in Texas, killing and injuring most of the worshipers. This came just weeks after another gunman entered a church of Christ in Tennessee, killing one and injuring several others.  While our hearts go out to these victims and their families, all of this has caused some to mock our faith in God and to ridicule the power of prayer.

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​But, a church building is not God’s house! God’s house is within you (Luke 17:21). It is not of this world (John 18:36). We are safe in God’s house, because He is there (Ephesians 2:19-22). It is true, that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:3).

• In God’s house there is forgiveness of all sin (1 John 1:3-2:2).
• In God’s house there is salvation from this evil world (1 John 5:1-5).
• In God’s house there is love that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:14-21).
• In God’s house there is peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:4-19).
• In God’s house there is joy inexpressible and full of glory (1 Peter 1:3-9).
• In God’s house there is hope eternal (Titus 1:1-2).
• In God’s house there is every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3-23).

When Jesus Christ promised to build God’s house, His kingdom, the church, He declared that the gates of hades would not be able to prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Dying at the hands of evil men, Jesus paid for our sins. Being raised from the dead on the third day, He won the victory over Satan, sin and death. All His enemies will eventually come and go, but He lives on in heaven as Lord and Savior (Acts 2:22-47). God’s house still stands and will ultimately be delivered from this evil world (1 Corinthians 15:24-26).

“We have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’” (Revelation 21:3-5).