Some Thoughts

In his Christologia, John Owen writes:

For if Christ be the rock whereon the church is built, whereas he is a living stone, those that are laid and built on him must be lively stones also, as [Peter] assures us, [1 Peter 2:4,5 [show] [4]As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, (ESV) [5]you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (ESV)
]; they must be like unto Christ himself, partaking of his nature, quickened by his Spirit, so, as it were, to be bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh: Ephesians 5:30 [show] [30]because we are members of his body. (ESV)
. Nor can any be built on him but by a living faith, effectual in universal obedience. These things the generality of men like not at all; and, therefore, the fabric of the living temple on this foundation is usually but small, seldom conspicuous or outwardly glorious. (Works I.31-32)

I love the imagery involved when thinking about the church as God’s “house” or temple. Just as the Old Covenant contained an architectural blueprint for a physical temple to house the glory of God’s Spirit, so also the New Covenant contains–rather, is–an architectural blueprint for the building of God’s living temple; the church. In the former, specific instructions about how to cut, chisel, overlay, etc. are given; in the latter we’re giving specific instructions about what to cut and chisel out of our minds, hearts and lives, and with what we’re to be ‘overlaid:’ Christ, the firstborn of the New Creation. In the former, there are instructions about how to assemble the tabernacle, upon what foundations it is to be set up and with what materials; in the latter we’re told how to gather, assemble, and ‘maintain the integrity,’ of the church, upon what foundations and with which supports it is to be held up, and that it is to be fashioned with the materials of grace, truth, and love.

We’re built upon Christ, the rejected foundation-stone (which no other foundation can be laid, but that which has been laid), we the saints who are lively stones–to be built into the glorious New Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God. “We aren’t going to be in the New Jerusalem, we’re going to be the New Jerusalem.” (Lee Irons) And that’s the purpose of it all: a shared space, a place and a life of communion with our Creator-King, our Covenant Lord, Jesus Christ. It is this goal that God has been teaching us, and bringing us toward, ever since Genesis 1 [show] In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. [2]The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. [3]And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. [4]And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. [5]God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. [6]And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." [7]And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. [8]And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. [9]And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. [10]God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. [11]And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. [12]The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [13]And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. [14]And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, [15]and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. [16]And God made the two great lights--the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night--and the stars. [17]And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, [18]to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. [19]And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. [20]And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." [21]So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [22]And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." [23]And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. [24]And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds--livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. [25]And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [26]Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." [27]So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28]And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." [29]And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. [30]And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. [31]And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (ESV)
: it’s a consummation of all things into the glorious, post-work, glorified and everlasting Sabbath rest. We are to finally–fully, and forever–join him there, “where he is.”

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:3, ESV [show] [3]And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (ESV)
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Amazing.