So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

Mark 11:15-17, New King James Version

 

When Jesus entered the Temple, He got angry with the merchants hawking their wares in the outer court. What was once a sacred place of worship and prayer has become a platform for a profit-driven industry. The purpose of the temple, Jesus reminded the people, was for them to worship God and make His Name known to the nations. And when people lose sight of God's intent, they will often corrupt what was once given for their benefit and blessing.

Christ loves His church.

However, Jesus will not hesitate to point out where some of our thinking and habits do not hold together with the truth of His gospel. He does so only because he wants us to look at him and conform to his image. In revealing Himself to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation, Jesus wanted the believers to remember the truth of their identity and embrace the purpose He had created them for—just as the Father had sent Him, Jesus sends them (and us as well) to be His light to the nations.

It is good to remind ourselves why God gave us the church.

The church is never a building or an event, but a community of God's people who are called out by God from the world to a loving relationship with Him and called into the world by God with the good news of His love. However, we can easily forget the importance of our calling and find ourselves doing things that have no connection to whom God calls us to be in Christ.

If you are unsure of where you are in your relationship with God right now, don't fret, but feel free to ask the Holy Spirit to help you discover your place in God. When your heart is aligned to Christ's heart, it is hard to steer off course and end up taking the wrong road. The more established you are in the gospel of God's grace, the less you are affected by every wind of false doctrines and fake life choices.