Me, a temple?
Avoid immorality. Any other sin a man commits does not affect his body; but the man who is guilty of sexual immorality sins against his own body. Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God’s glory. (verses 18-20)
We no longer belong to ourselves. We have been bought and the price was high. So why we are to take care of ourselves, morally and physically. And what an awesome reason: ‘Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?’
Me, a temple? Where God lives? It’s hard to understand even harder to accept. But that’s what God’s word tells us, so we’d better believe it.
What a difference it will make to the way we see ourselves treat ourselves and live. As God’s special people, chosen by him to be his home, we will want to do all things ‘for God’s glory’. We will want to avoid immorality, look after our bodies and see ourselves as God sees us.
Lots of times what we want to do will not be what we actually do. We will be unfaithful to partners (either in reality or in our minds and hearts). We will overindulge in many things, going from need to greed. We will see ourselves as hopeless people whom God doesn’t need and can’t use.
But God reminds us that he forgives us, and he tells us once again, ‘Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?’ May we believe that we are forgiven, be what God has made us, and welcome him into his temple.
Father, may I be a home worthy of your Spirit, as you have made me to be in Jesus. Amen.
by Bob Turnbull, in ‘New Strength for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 1998)
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