“And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter.”

2 Chronicles 23:19

The word “gatekeeper”, translated from the Hebrew word “show’er”, speaks of a porter or doorkeeper, one who guards the opening to the temple. The gatekeeper, a title spoken of here in 2 Chronicles, was a position installed by King David. They were Men from the tribe of Levi, set apart by God to maintain holiness throughout the temple. Armed with swords and passionately focused these men were the last line of defense from the outside world to the holy place where the Lord dwelt among man. Their role was to keep out anything unclean from the holy temple of the Lord, from ill intentions of plunderers to unclean animals; these guys guarded the temple night and day with a steadfast rigor.

While reading this verse it struck me that we as believers in Jesus Christ are referred to as the “temple” of God, and that God desires that nothing “in any way unclean should enter” His dwelling place.

We are also referred to as priests and Levites in 1 Peter two. God paints a picture to us through these passages; we too are called to be the gatekeepers of God’s new temple, our bodies. The culture of today would tell us that lust and the pleasures of illicit sex are acceptable. The Lord, however, would tell us we have the responsibility as His “Levites” to arm ourselves with the “sword of the spirit”, God’s word, and guard the holy dwelling place of our Souls from the things that plunder, or taint.

Just as the temple in ancient Israel had multiple rooms and courts that made up the “Temple”, we too as “the temple of the Holy Spirit” have multiple areas that make up our temple as a whole.

The Soul is the combination of our Hearts, and Minds. The inner chambers of the Temple otherwise known as “the Holy place” and “the most Holy place or Holy of Holies” are a picture of our Heart and Mind. These inner chambers were the places where Priests and Levites would carry out certain ministry unto God. Whether lighting candles, presenting offerings, burning incense, or entering before the Ark of the Covenant, all these actions took place within the confines of the Temple. In the same way, when we burn the incense of prayer, bring an offering of praise, or receive and illuminating word from Jesus (the light of the world) we are doing ministry unto God in the inner chambers of our bodies, the Temple.

The doors to the inner courts of our temple are the eyes and ears (Mat. 6:22, 23 Mat.12:35). These doors connect the happenings and conduct of the outer courts of our bodies to the inner areas of our souls. These doors are the key places to keep guard. The stuff we watch and listen to affects the state of our hearts and minds, and this is why Lord instructs us to keep them well, uncompromising and uncorrupted.

Our souls are the place the Holy Spirit of God calls home, and if home is a trashy place to live, it’s not much of a pleasure to hang out there is it?

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

1 Corinthians 6:19

When we as believers in Jesus Christ choose to take part in illicit sex, pornography, or any type of lust for that matter, we allow the carnal animal of our old nature to taint the holy dwelling place of our body and spirit. Satan, the plunderer of our souls would like to deceive us with the fleeting pleasures of the flesh. Trying to get us to lay down our swords and move aside so he can destroy anything that gives glory to the Lord.

In the same way that bodyguards train in combat and self defense to kick butt when any threat comes their way, the Lord says we are to train and arm ourselves with “weapons for warfare”. This is exclusively possible through the power of the Holy Spirit, apart from His power we are helpless, but in the power of the Holy Spirit we are enabled to heed the Lord’s wisdom from the word (Pr.4) and responding in obedience.

King David knew well the destruction that illicit sex and adultery can cause in your personal relationship with the Lord. That’s why in reference to the matter of personal purity, David instructs his son Solomon in the following manner:

“Pay attention, my child, to what I say. Listen carefully. Don’t lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning. Above all else, guard your heart for it affects everything you do.”

Proverbs 4:20-23

The popular culture in all over the world today speaks of illicit sex and frivolous lifestyles as “living like kings”…May I suggest that the greatest King of all time would beg to differ?