Good morning beloved!
1 Corinthians 3:16 (LEV) says,
- Are you not aware that YOU are THE TEMPLE OF GOD, and that the Spirit of God makes His home in YOU?
Verse 17 goes on to say,
- If anyone corrupts the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, WHICH YOU ARE.
Wow, family – Whew!
Let me ask you this question? Did God give us human bodies to use and abuse as we like, or does He expect more? How does He expect us to view and care for the marvelous bodies He designed?
Well, in the above Scriptures, the apostle Paul said that our bodies are THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Many people believe, “It’s my body and I can treat is any way I like.” But what does our Creator say?
We read in Psalm 139:14,
- I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE is how the Psalmist describes God’s creation. The Psalmist praised God for this marvelous work called the human body.
There is a purpose behind everything God does, and the creation of the human body is no different. A major purpose in this life is to grow in the righteous character of God. Because His Holy Spirit indwells us, He helps us to achieve His purposes in our lives that will enable us to live forever in His family.
The apostle Paul shed light on the purpose of the human body when he told the brethren in Corinth,
- “For YOU are THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD. As God has said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ Therefore, ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.'” (2 Corinthians 6:16-17).
So, we can see here that we are accountable to God for the way in which we treat our bodies. In 1 Corinthians 6:15, Paul warned the church about sexual immorality, stating:
- Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
And again in 1 Corinthians 6:18 he writes,
- Flee sexual immorality.
His meaning is clear: Sexual immorality is a sin that defiles our bodies – making a mockery of the temple in which the Holy Spirit is to dwell.
How would you describe the current state of your temple – your body? We have the freedom to choose how we will care for this precious body lovingly designed by our Creator. It is His intent that we care for it and use it properly.
Remember, we are FEARULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE! Our bodies are TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Living as His temple,
Lisa Gordon
Jesus City Church
Glastonbury, CT