1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
These verses tell us that our bodies don’t belong to us, but to God. Our conduct should reflect the fact that He is always with us. Imagine that Jesus was in the flesh here and now, walking around with you, going to work with you, being with you when you are at home alone, no one watching – and raiding the biscuit tin! Even if it was a good friend who was with you always and able to see everything that you do – wouldn’t that change your attitude? Self-control seems somehow easier when there is another person watching. Jesus said he would never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5), and he wants you to live in perfect health. Verse 19 says that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Solomon’s temple in 1 Kings chapter 5 was a type and shadow of the temple of the New Covenant – us! It was ornate, glorious, wonderful and magnificent. The instructions for building it were complex and precise. The design was well thought out by the designer and once built, was fit for the purpose it was intended for, which was a place where God is worshipped and where humans can fellowship with God.
Under the New Covenant, we are the temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. We became mini temples where our perfect, born-again spirit dwells and communes with Father God 24/7. Our physical bodies are now the place where God is worshipped and where we can have fellowship with God. They are just as ornate and well-designed as Solomon’s Temple. Think about the complexity of just one small part of your body, the science behind it, and what makes it move. How does it know to work in unison with the other parts? Our brains are the control centre, and the entire body is a masterpiece of God’s engineering. Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, and it is an honour that almighty God, creator of the universe, created us on purpose, and with a purpose. He loves us and desires a daily relationship with him. Our highest priority should be to learn to take care of our bodies, for His glory, and get close to the Lord in the process. Empowered in Christ, we can make healthy choices, day by day as we aim to live fit and purposeful lives. Our saviour Jesus Christ died so that we could have the privilege of daily communication with God. I want my temple to be as welcoming as possible for Him.
The Greek word translated temple here is NAOS and it refers to the inner sanctuary: God’s dwelling place, rather than the whole temple which is the Greek word HIERON. This reflects the idea that our bodies are an intimate place of fellowship with God.
Jesus is jealous over us too and will be righteously angry if anything comes against you. In John 2:14-16 we can read about Jesus turning the tables over in the temple when people were defiling it and in verse 17, ‘Then his disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house consumes me.”’ He is just as zealous for you! You are now His Father’s house.
The preceding verses of this chapter talk about sexual immorality and joining the body to a harlot. In a similar way, we are being unfaithful to God when we defile our bodies with unhealthy food and drink. Our enemy wants to steal, kill and destroy us, and he doesn’t care how that happens. In a sense, he gives us an inch and we take a mile! Focusing on God and keeping our relationship with him top priority gives us the strength to overcome the attempts of the enemy to destroy us.
We were bought with a price, and it is a radical thought that our bodies don’t belong to us. Our spirit is complete in Him and has been since the moment we accepted Jesus as our saviour. Our bodies have been purchased - though not redeemed. As Christians, we must be aware that we can’t just do as we like with our bodies because they belong to God and were bought with the precious blood of Jesus. It’s the opposite of what the world promotes which is all about self-gratification, indulgence and putting your rights over others.
Let’s make the choice to choose wisely for our bodies today.
Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.
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