Luke 19:45-46 NKJV

45Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

The Temple of God

“The Temple of God” at that time was a physical building built by human hands, and it was in a definite physical location where people went to hear the Word of God spoken and to worship the Lord and to give offerings and sacrifices to God. It was literally the house of God, for the presence of God was there, so it was sacred territory.

But when Jesus died on that cross, and he rose from the dead, that physical temple was no longer the dwelling place of God. For now God lives within all of us who by faith in Jesus have died with him to sin and who are now walking in obedience to his commands, in practice, although not necessarily in absolute perfection. We the people of God are that temple (the church, the body of Christ) in whom God dwells, by his Spirit.

Therefore, no physical building called “church” is the church. It may be a place where the church gathers, but we the people of God are that building, that temple in whom God dwells by his Spirit. And we can gather together in any location (even on the internet) on any day of the week or time of day with other believers in Christ. But the purpose of our gatherings is for mutual edification and exhortation to help one another to grow to maturity in Christ and to not be taken captive by sin, but to obey God with our lives.

Where are We Now?

So much of what is called “church” today are just institutions of human making in partnership with the state and with the world in unholy unions, which God forbids. And they are marketing “the church” to the people of the world, which God also forbids. And so they have literally turned “The Temple of God” into “a den of thieves” where business models and marketing schemes and even AI (artificial intelligence) have taken over, and where the “Gospel of Christ” has been altered to make it more acceptable to the world.

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

In The Driver’s Seat

So an enemy, a supplanter has infiltrated the gatherings of the church and has taken the place of Christ as the head of the church, and the place of the church being the body of Christ comprised of those who by faith in Jesus have died to sin and who are now obeying God, in practice. And this enemy has also altered the gospel message to make it more acceptable to human flesh. No longer is Jesus’ gospel message taught as “the only door” into the church and into faith in Jesus Christ, but now there are many doors, many of which do not require death to sin and obedience to God as required by God.

So we also now have people sitting in positions of power, authority, and rule (in the driver’s seat) within our government, and within the gatherings of “the church,” and as heads of households who are not true servants of the Lord, even if they profess to be, but who are the prideful, the self-indulgent, the intoxicated to sin, the dishonorable, and those who are giving in to wickedness, dishonesty, corruptness, depravation, and moral impurity. And even though God is calling on them to change, and it may appear outwardly that change has taken place, fundamentally they are still in the same place.

In other words, appearances can be deceiving. Someone may mouth words of a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, or of a changed life, and yet remain unchanged in position, still doing the same things as they did before, still remaining in control of their own lives, and not yielding control over to God. They are still in the “driver’s seat,” while Jesus is treated more like a passenger in their vehicle. And they may even look as though they are moving forward but while they never changed positions, in reality. And sadly it appears as though the majority of “the church” is perfectly okay with that.

The Gospel Truth

But Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For it is not the one who claims he is “in Christ” who is “in Christ,” but it is the one who has denied self, died with Christ to sin, and who is now walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice, and no longer in sin. We have the hope and the promise of eternal life with God in heaven (see Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1-3).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

A Den of Thieves
An Original Work / May 16, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love