The God Of The Living

Our God is a living God, and He identifies Himself as the God of the living—not of the dead—because He is full of life and not preoccupied with the dead as humans often are. At one point, Jesus said to a disciple, “Let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:22). Though this may sound harsh to those who hold funeral rites in high regard, some religious leaders act even more severely toward their congregation. They insist that members must come to them for burial when a death occurs in their families, often resorting to threats when they don’t comply—ironically fulfilling the very words Jesus spoke.

What’s more striking is that even those who have not died with Christ in order to live with Him still seem eager to bury their dead, clinging to a hope of resurrection. Perhaps Jesus was pointing to a deeper truth: unless one dies to sin with Christ during their lifetime, they have no reason to expect immortality after death.

God Of Abraham, Isaac And Jacob

Our forefathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—were nomads who walked with God, following His guidance along with their people. In their devotion to obeying and following Him, they did not have the time or need to build a permanent temple. Instead, they set up tabernacles of meeting to worship God wherever they stayed. They did not establish a religion but simply lived in faithful obedience to God.

During their journey with Him, Jacob buried his wife Rachel on the road to Ephrath (which is Bethlehem), while Abraham, Isaac, and their wives were buried in the family tomb at Machpelah. They never strayed from God’s path or left behind anything that could evolve into a man-made religion or a structural temple. They remained faithful to God’s will until the end—and because of that, they live forever with Him. To teach us this truth, Jesus explained why God is referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” – Matthew 22:31-32 (NIV)

Building The Temple

Scripture clearly tells us that we are God’s temple, for He dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16). Yet, despite this truth, some still desire to build temples for God, while others are content to visit a temple as a place to meet Him. This mindset can be traced back to King David, who, upon witnessing the blessings poured out on the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite—where the Ark of God remained for three months—began to associate those blessings directly with the Ark itself.

David, a man after God’s own heart, stumbled in his understanding by assuming the Ark was not only a symbol of God’s presence but the very source of those blessings. Hoping to experience the same favour, David expressed to the prophet Nathan his desire to build a temple for God—a permanent house for the Ark—feeling uneasy that he lived in a palace while the Ark of God remained in a tent (2 Samuel 7:2).

I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar? – 2 Samuel 7:7-8 (NIV)

In response, God spoke to David through Nathan, making it clear that it was not David who would build a house for God, but rather God who would establish a house for David. While Solomon later built the temple and established the kingdom, it’s possible that God’s words pointed beyond a physical structure, to His intention to dwell among His people, not in a man-made house, but in their midst. This idea is echoed in Revelation 21:3, where God declares that His dwelling is with His people.

Despite God’s clarification, David prepared abundant materials for Solomon to build the temple, and the people contributed generously. However, once the temple was completed and dedicated, it marked the beginning of a long-standing misconception: that God’s presence resided exclusively in a building. From that moment onward, temples began to be treated as the dwelling place of God, often ignoring the One who truly desired to dwell with and within them.

Over time, temples became political tools—built or destroyed to gain public favour. Jesus addressed this misunderstanding by emphasising the greatness of His authority over both the builders and admirers of the temple (Matthew 12:42). John later reaffirmed this truth, stating that the One who dwells within us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Formation of Religion

In Old Testament times, the Jewish people practised a religion called Judaism, which was deeply intertwined with their identity as a clan. When Jesus said that He came to save the Jews first, it raises a question for many: how can the Saviour of the world be associated so closely with just one group? The answer lies in Jesus’ intention, not to favour the Jews exclusively, but to call them out of their religious system and lead them to the Father through Himself.

Jesus wanted the Jewish people to recognise Him as the Son of Man and follow Him, but their rigid attachment to their religion kept them from accepting Him. When He said He came for the Jews, He didn’t mean He came only for them. Rather, He intended for them to be the first to follow Him, becoming a model for the Gentiles who would later come to believe. But when they failed to turn from their religious traditions and accept Him, Jesus extended His invitation to all people through His earthly ministry.

Although the Pharisees and Sadducees—both Jewish religious groups—rejected Jesus in His physical presence, God still offered His Son as an atonement for the sins of the entire world. Through Jesus, God made a way for all mankind to come to Him, as affirmed in Hebrews 10:19–22. Jesus Himself revealed this truth to His disciples: that through Him, anyone—Jew or Gentile—can now draw near to the Father.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6 (NIV)

When Jesus spoke about the Way, He was referring to the path that leads to God—a path open to all, regardless of caste, creed, or religion. However, about forty-four years after His ascension, the followers of Jesus and His Way were first called “Christians” by onlookers in Antioch (Acts 11:26). From that moment, the Way that Jesus established to connect mankind with the Father began to be institutionalised as a religion. Sadly, this shift turned what was meant to be an open path into a religious system, which in many cases has become a barrier rather than a bridge for people seeking God.

In the prophecy concerning Damascus, Isaiah reveals how God deals with those who hinder His people from drawing near to Him. In a powerful act of grace, God met Saul, a guardian of religion, on the road to Damascus—just as he was heading there to persecute the followers of Jesus. Had God not intervened, Saul would have fulfilled the harsh warnings spoken in that prophecy. God’s mercy transformed a persecutor into a preacher, but the message remains clear: those who obstruct God’s work or block the path to Him will face His judgment.

In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone!
This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us. – Isaiah 17:14 (NIV)

Hope For The People To Leave Idol Worship

While the prophet Isaiah foretold the impending destruction of Damascus, he also offered a message of hope—a call for the people to return to their Creator by turning away from all that they had made with their own hands. The following word of God stands as a beacon of hope for those who have been drawn into man-made idols and religious systems.

In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made. – Isaiah 17:7-8 (NIV)

It is clear that God did not create religion; its origins lie in human effort. Though many Christians rightly oppose physical idols as works of human hands, it is striking that they still hold tightly to religions that were also formed by man. This, despite Jesus’ clear teaching that the physical temple would become obsolete, and that His followers themselves would become the true temple of God. To help us grasp this truth, Jesus spoke these powerful words:

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” – John 2:19 (NIV)

Now more than ever, it is vital that we break free from religious bondage and follow Jesus with undivided hearts in order to reach our Father in heaven. The writer of Hebrews urges us to look at the lives of our forefathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—who never submitted to religious systems but walked faithfully on the path God set before them, and were victorious.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. – Hebrews 12:1-2(a) (NIV)

Let us begin our journey toward God’s Kingdom by stepping out of the constraints of man-made religion and walking the living Way that Jesus has shown us.