Temples

July 27

2 Chronicles 35-36

Psalm 85:1-7

Proverbs 19:5-6

I Corinthians 6

Temples

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.” I Corinthians 6: 19-20 ESV

We often hear that our bodies are our own and we have a right to do with them what we choose. This is most said when talking about abortion, but we also hear it in reference to sexual assault and sexual activity. If we have accepted Jesus into our hearts, then that statement is not true. When we became a Christian, we accepted Him not only as our Savior, but as our Lord. He bought us at a very high price. He paid His own life to purchase our redemption. We no longer own our bodies, our minds, our hearts, or our souls. We belong to Him. We don’t have the right to do whatever we choose. Our every move and actions are subject to His leading and direction. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20 (ESV) Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Knowing that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us should give us the desire to glorify God in all we say and do. In Old Testament times, God’s presence dwelt in the temple. To come before God, the priest had to enter the temple with sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection put an end to the need to offer a sacrifice for sins. Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice once for all. And then He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts so that we no longer have to go to the temple to enter His presence. We are the temple where He dwells. We have access to Him at any time.

We would never dream of doing anything sinful at church because we consider it to be holy and special. In the same way, we should not do things in our bodies that are evil. Wherever we go, the Holy Spirit goes with us. Whatever we do, we are doing in His presence. We often think of this verse in reference to sexual activity. But this verse applies to every part of our lives. We should treat our bodies with respect and reverence. We should eat foods that are healthy, exercise and take care of our bodies, be careful not to take needless risks that put us in danger, dress in a way that is modest and not revealing, and not harm our bodies with dangerous substances like drugs, tobacco, or excessive alcohol. We have a responsibility to treat our bodies in a way that recognizes that it is the dwelling place of the Most High God. We cannot carry this too far and worship our bodies making them an idol, but also, we cannot allow our bodies to be defiled by gluttony, unhealthy living, or sexual immorality. Our bodies are precious gifts from God that deserve our protection.