“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
In this chapter, Paul the makes a powerful argument for abstaining from evil. Paul tells us that we are far more effective at conquering evil by suffering abuse rather than by inflicting it (1 Corinthians 6:7-8). Doing evil makes us evil’s victim and slave (Romans 12:21; 1 Corinthians 6:12). Abstaining from evil ultimately keeps us out of hell (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). And although we are no longer under the Law of Moses, practicing evil will harm our spiritual life (1 Corinthians 6:12). “All things are lawful,” Paul says, “but not all things are profitable.” And evil, especially sexual sin, is destructive to our bodies as well as our spirits. “The immoral person sins against their own body” (1 Corinthians 6:13-18).
But the primary reason Paul gives for not degrading our bodies through sin, is that God has purchased our bodies with the blood of His own Son and sealed them for the day of redemption (the resurrection) by giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30). God’s Holy Spirit now dwells within us and He is the proof of the Christ’s ownership over us (Romans 8:9).
Therefore, we are stewards of God, entrusted with this physical body. We live in it, but we do not own it. It belongs to the Lord. Elsewhere Paul makes the argument that we are to use the members of our bodies as instruments (Greek hoplon, literally “weapon”) for righteousness rather than for sin (Romans 6:13). The body God gave us is either a weapon in the hand of Satan or in the hand of Christ, depending on how we use it. It either tears down God’s kingdom or builds it up. We either disgrace the Lord Jesus by sinning or we glorify Him by practicing righteousness.
Please, for Jesus’ sake, glorify God with your body. Abstain from immorality and present your body as a living sacrifice wholly acceptable to God (Romans 12:1).
REFLECTION
- Do you remember the strong man, Samson (Judges 13-16)? Physically, he was powerful. But spiritually, he was a cupcake. Though God had called Samson to His service, yet he lived recklessly and immorally. What physical harm came upon him as a result of his waywardness?
- Paul said, “The immoral person sins against their own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). What did Paul hope for in the case of the immoral man in the previous chapter (1 Corinthians 5:4-5)? That his spirit might be saved? But at what price?
- God’s commands are like a safety fence which keeps us from walking over a cliff. Let’s stay within their boundaries and be happy, safe, and blessed.
