The Holy Spirit’s Temple

Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 glorify God with your body.…1 Corinthians 6:19,20.

While this verse is a familiar one, I think a lot of people take it out of context. I have heard people suggest what to eat or not and vitamin plans, be we are not under the law. Truthfully, I had heard so much about it, I finally found a verse in Peter that says anything you eat is blessed and alright. A lot of what was being taught was more in line with self help and physical fitness. There is nothing wrong with that in many respects but it is not the gospel.

Jesus said what comes out of our mouths not what goes in is what defiles us, and while a lot of us bought into the blame and condemnation, Jesus was looking for someone to step up to the plate with His grace. The bread of heaven satisfies, and sanctifies. He is our manna and our Communion. He is the one who heals, delivers and determines our days, not what diet or exercise plan or what self help books you read.

Jesus referred to His own body that was the temple to be destroyed and raised in three days and they did not understand, seventy years later the temple was destroyed, But He was talking about giving His body for ours and that is why we should not defile it. His body was full of the Spirit without measure. As believers, we have the same Spirit at different levels, depending on faith and study and anointings. The verse talks about joining it to a prostitute and sexual immorality in general.

This is another reason you can forget that Jesus ever married Mary Magdalene, even if she was delivered. No longer a prostitute or willing sinner perhaps but sinner none the less because He had not been crucified, as we were not under grace until then although there may have been a measure of it. Jesus was a perfect man and could not have carried out God’s plan of redemption had He married.

Though that is what the verse is about. He plainly states you are not your own, His blood purchased us and we are to glorify God with our bodies. How? You may ask. By living and loving as He did, though He does want us to marry and raise children, by walking out our faith, by music and dance and art. By preaching the gospel of peace that Romans 10:15 says gives us beautiful feet.

I think we are to breathe His the beautified air of heaven and inhale the aroma that is Christ, That we should honor Him in prayer and praise and sing psalms and songs. We can eat of the fruit of the Spirit, and serve it to others, feast on His goodness and grace. We can taste and see that He is good and whatever we do eating or drinking, do for Him.

I used to be ashamed for getting seconds when I was hungry, I shoveled salad and counted carbs. I was afraid to eat dessert when others had three or four, I would sometimes eat out and then eat at home trying to save face, and that is wrong for fear to control you so when God saw a beautiful heart full of words and love, so I tell you truthfully, you will never be satisfied without knowing His love, no matter how much or little you eat, who you try to impress or avoid, to avoid humiliation, no matter how many friends with so called benefits. No mere mortal can satisfy your soul.

We were not meant to participate in sin, not  to worry or fear or be troubled. We were meant to have faith, desire spiritual gifts, to love and be loved, we were meant to fellowship and encourage each other daily. We were meant to walk in health and in His glory and abundant life, following in His footsteps, worshiping Him, keeping our temple undefiled by not willfully sinning, keeping a repentant heart of grace. It is not the freedom to sin but the freedom from it by the Spirit.

Praying in the Spirit and letting Him pray for us, Romans 8:26, edifies and builds us up, spiritually, physically and mentally, for we are not relying on our natural mind or body, or our thoughts or minds to speak. I pray we can all keep the robbers and thieves driven from our temple, that is the spiritual application of praying in the Spirit.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Contemporary English Version God’s Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

In Him, we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 And will be the Holy Spirit’s temple.

Rebecca Jones  A Daughter’s Gift of Love / Abdiel Ibarra, thanks / Adobe Spark