Your Body is a Temple - Part Two

 

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, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV

As this scripture states, we were bought with a price so we are no longer our own. Our body now belongs to God and the Holy Spirit occupies it. We are now what I call caretakers, tasked with the responsibility of caring for our temple in a manner that glorifies God. We must not allow anything to defile our temple.

Paul made that clear in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. The fundamental idea of being holy is separation, consecration, devotion to the service of Deity, sharing in God's purity, and abstaining from earth's defilement. What are earth's defilements? As Paul told the Colossians, put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming (vs. 3:5-6). John also speaks of worldly defilements in 1 John 2:16, for all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

But let's back up and get clear on the price that God paid to purchase our bodies. When speaking to the Ephesian elders, Paul said, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." Acts 2:28 LSB

This is the first time I noticed God saying that He shed His own blood, which makes the strongest case for the deity of Jesus that I have found so far. Jesus said that He and the Father are one and this verse confirms that in the strongest possible sense.

I have at least one more post on this scripture so stay tuned for part three.