09.17.03

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. - 1 Corinthians 6 :13.

And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. 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! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 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? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. - 1Corinthians 6:14-20.

We have a recliner that is 28 years old and it has received a lot of wear and tear. The chair has seen two boys grow up playing on it and it has been through the family moving nine times. There has been many a nap taken in that chair by a lot of people. However, the chair is beginning to look its age with the fabric being worn especially on the arms. The chair leans slightly to the right and the footrest leans substantially to the right. It has been a good chair but without massive reconstruction, it will soon be in a trash pit. How different is the human body than a material object such as a chair? Our bodies were wondrously designed and constructed. Just considering the movement of the thumb has led some to come to understand that there must be a Master Designer, i.e., God. The cells of our bodies are constantly reconstructing and renewing. Yes, over a lifetime we may begin to lean to the right as well but we will have gone through multiplied times of wear and tear as compared with a chair.

Our bodies were designed not just for us but also for the Lord. Our bodies were designed as a dwelling place on earth for the Holy Spirit - a Temple of God. You have been given the custodial possession of this Temple but make no mistake it still belongs to God. You were “bought at a price”, the very high price of the crucifixion of Christ. God expects you to take care of His Temple. This includes the physical upkeep and the avoiding of abuse through extremely dangerous activities, foods, and drinks which will damage the operation of the body. It primarily includes the avoidance of what will defile the body spiritually. Sexual immorality appears to be at the top of the list but any sin committed with the body or to the body is a defilement. Remember you were not made primarily for the enjoyment of food or other earthly pleasures but “for the Lord.”

The Psalmist says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well (Psalm 139:14).” Before we defile the dwelling place and Temple of our Lord let us consider again how, “fearfully and wonderfully made” that we are. There is a God and if we know Jesus as our Savior He does not live far away in another galaxy. No, He lives right there inside of you and He knows more about what you do and say and think and are than even you know. Are you making the Lord rejoice with the way you are living or are you making Him cry?