Temples

11.09.14

1 Corinthians 6.19-20 19 Or 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, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. – St. Paul (ESV)

It would have been interesting to be with St. Paul as he traveled from town to town and taught Jesus in the communities he visited. Paul was changed people’s minds and changed the world. Paul taught in a way that challenged people to choose: the status quo, or Christ. Paul didn’t travel with style; he traveled with passion; he wanted to share the truth about Jesus. And he did, and it challenged people.

Paul made bold statements that he fully expected people to hear and believe – not because he said them, but because they were life-changing and truth. In chapter 4 of his 1^st letter to the Corinthians he said, “I urge you, then, be imitators of me.” (4.16) Paul was in essence telling them: do as I say and do as I do. Later on in the letter he said, “Whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.” (10.31). Huge statement!

And then, here in chapter 6 of this letter, he said the above: So glorify God in your body. That means glorifying God in what you do, what you say, what you think, what you hear, what you touch, and in what you put into your body. Hmmm…

We humans have been allowed the freedom of will. We can do whatever we think we can, and so, we do what we think. Americans have unbelievable freedoms and so, we do what we think and more. We smoke, we drink, and we eat – and eat, and eat… There is more medicine available to us than to any society on earth. We have books upon books upon books of self-help, exercise, diet, health, wealth, and prosperity – and yet we are a very unhealthy society. We are sleek. The biblical definition of sleek is: fat. And we Americans try so hard to flee fat, but we are enslaved to our lifestyles: we don’t glorify God with our bodies.

Christianity is not about bodies or body worship. Our bodies are, as Paul said, temples to God; temples of the Holy Spirit. We aren’t to worship the temple – we’re to worship the Dweller of the Temple: the Holy Spirit. And we’re to use the temple to honor the One whom we worship. Worship, among other things, means paying attention to – we’re to pay attention to the One who indwells the temple: this marvelous and mysterious vessel we call our body. And we’re to take care – good care – of the body; without it, we’re toast.

Father, You know I struggle with what I put into my body and what I expose it to. I know I’m to rule over it; but I also know often it rules over me. The fruit of Your presence in self-control but self-control can only be real in Your presence and strength. Help me to see it. Help me to accept it, and Lord, above all, help me to glorify You with my body – Paul was right, it’s not my own… Amen.