Holy Temple Bodies
By Terry Cheek
McDowell County
1Co 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
This month, let’s look at an old discussion about the understanding that our bodies do not belong to us. Without getting into a long doctrinal or theological essay, we need to accept the biblical fact that when the Christian submits to the beckoning of the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we give Him our body and soul. Our scripture tells us our “body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.” That statement should not be difficult to understand or accept. Unfortunately, to many Christians today, this isn’t the case. Christians like knowing that heaven awaits us on the other side of the grave. Too often, we don’t want to live like it until we get there, and that attitude is not Christ-like.
Our society today looks a lot like Corinth’s society. Corinth was what we today would call very diverse. As a matter of discussion, Corinth would have been cheered today as a poster child for diversity. There were many religions there. Jews and Gentiles alike had many choices when it came to worship, and no one dared criticize the other. There were many lifestyles present there; for instance, idolatry, prostitution, adultery, fornication, and homosexuality were all practiced among the Corinthians. Sadly enough, Paul tells us even Corinthian Christians lived these lifestyles. Of course, as the book of I Corinthians tells us, not every Christian because many in the Corinthian Church are redeemed from these lifestyles. The point I am trying to make is that Christians need to pay serious attention to our lives and the lifestyles we participate in.
We have consecrated bodies. Look at I Corinthians 6:12, where we read, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Just because something is legal does not mean it is correct (a lesson our leaders today could use). Life for Christians is based exclusively on “Grace,” not the keeping of laws, religions, or politics. When Paul uses the phrase “not expedient,” he is telling us God’s direction for living is designed for our benefit, not to be oppressive, restrictive, bigoted, or in any way meant to spoil life for us. So why not commit adultery? Why not covet? Why not lie, cheat, or steal? Why not get involved with immorality?
Simply put, why not live life the way we want to? If God calls something a sin, we should realize it will never benefit us to commit it. Sin will destroy lives and marriages and wreck families. Just talk with the victims of it.
Another reason to reject all lawful things is that they will dominate our lives. Sin will always take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you were willing to pay. All sinful lifestyles are addictive and enslaving; therefore, Christians should know to avoid them at all costs.
Let me share a story with you. It was a beautiful sunny day in California. Two cherry trees were producing their first crop, and it was a large one. Two boys had built a clubhouse between the two cherry trees, and they had a large bowl of fruit to enjoy. An adult warned the children not to eat too many, or they would get a stomachache. One of the boys was unconcerned, and after a few hours, he became sick and remained that way for hours. This memory still haunts him today, and he will not eat cherries because of the consequences of his actions. We can learn from this story that God created this world and filled it with things for us to enjoy.
Along with His joys come His commands, which are not meant to keep us from the joys of life but to protect us from harm. Like the good Father He is, God steers us from danger. We get into trouble when we try to cherry-pick our way through the Bible, accepting the things that seem pleasant while rejecting the rest. Often, we feel we have a better formula for abundant life than God has given. Perhaps we see God as stern and withholding instead of a giver of every good gift. Whatever our reasons, we have a choice: we can trust and obey God’s ways or learn from our physical and spiritual stomachaches. May God bless you until we meet again, in print or in person.
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Terry is the Executive Director and broadcaster of The Inspiring Word media ministry
You can contact Terry by email at theinspiringword@gmail.com
Or by visiting www.theinspiringword.org
Read more from Terry Cheek here.
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