The gold of the temple

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)

“Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?” (Mt. 23:17)

I am beset on every side by my adversary; he has laid siege to my temple, but he cannot get to the gold of the temple. He attacks at will, attempting to break the walls of the temple, but my spirit, which is of the Master, holds firm. So, I ask myself, “What is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?” I see that the gold has much more worth. The gold belongs to the Master, and the temple? It is man made; it is nothing; it is temporal, while the gold is eternal. Daily, yea, almost hourly the adversary attacks; his darts are severe and the temple groans at the onslaught. Though the temple be destroyed, the gold remains, for the Master watches over it, and it is his own to protect. None can overcome the Master, for He is the Champion of love, He is Almighty. I try to care for the temple, but He cares for the gold of the temple; it is His joy to do so. As struggle to maintain the temple, He is relaxed, knowing that none can harm that which is most precious--the gold inside the temple. I have been given charge of the outer temple, while the Master sees to the precious inner sanctum, where the gold is stored. As inadequate as I am in performing the upkeep of the outer temple, I thank the Master that he cares for and tends to the inner, for He cannot be moved. I could not but fail were I to be in charge of the inner, and the Adversary would certainly break in and pillage my very soul. Thank God for His watch-care over our souls.
Gold is eternal. You can melt it, you can chop it, you can ground it to powder, and scatter it to the four corners of the world, but it will still be gold. The temple, though precious, is temporal, it can be destroyed until there is nothing left but sawdust! Let us appreciate the temple, but take especial care for the gold of the temple, the soul, after all, what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his very soul?