“Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says.” (Acts 7:48 ESV).
Stephen stood before the Sanhedrin, bold and unflinching. He knew the price of truth might be death, but he would not remain silent. In his powerful speech, he reminded Israel’s leaders of a troubling pattern in their history—rejecting God’s messengers and clinging to idols. Though Solomon had built a glorious temple for the Lord, Stephen made it clear that the Most High never depended on a physical building. God had allowed the temple, but He did not need it. His presence does not require brick and mortar.
Stephen connected their rejection of Jesus with the rebellion of their ancestors who turned away from Moses. Just as they once asked Aaron to make gods to lead them, they now rejected the very Son of God. They had their temple, their traditions, and their outward forms of religion, but they had no room for the living God.
We can fall into the same trap today. People may go to church buildings, follow religious routines, and appear devout, yet their hearts remain unchanged. Man-made religion is comfortable. It requires no repentance, no surrender, and no relationship with the living Christ. But true worship isn’t about sacred spaces—it’s about surrendered hearts.
God does not dwell in structures made by human hands. He dwells in people made by His own hands—those who have turned from sin and trusted in Jesus. His Spirit lives in us, making our hearts His temple. Do we welcome Him there? Or do we cling to traditions and religious appearances while rejecting the call to a personal relationship with Christ?
Let us not be like those who honored God with their lips while their hearts were far from Him. Instead, may we welcome His presence into our lives, not just on Sundays, but every day of the week.
PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us for any ways we have tried to confine You within our religious activities while keeping You at a distance from our hearts. We want to be a dwelling place for You. Cleanse us. Fill us. Help us to walk in true worship and surrender. In Jesus’ name, amen.