An extrapolation from scriptures.
There are a few times in scriptures in which there is a statement or implication that our bodies are temples in which God dwells.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV
19 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; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
John 2:19-22 NIV
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
In all four gospels there is an account of Jesus getting angry about the misuse of the temple in Jerusalem and overturning the tables of the moneychangers. These can be found in Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-46; and John 2:13-17. Some historians believe that Jesus did this act twice during his ministry
John 2:13-17 NIV
Jesus Clears the Temple Courts
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Luke 19:45-46 (NIV)
Jesus at the Temple
45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’ [a]; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
If this is a reference for believers, then one could assume that any human being has the potential to be a temple of the Holy Spirit and that potential is fulfilled once they accept Christ as their Savior.
Another inference is, since all mankind was created to be in relationship with Christ, then the design of the body is to be a temple of the Lord, and when we accept Christ that design is fulfilled. Thus all bodies could be seen as empty temples waiting for the Holy Spirit to dwell in them.
So where am I going with this? As I have been going through the gospels, I have noticed that this event is in all four gospels. Reading it multiple times caused me to think about the subject of human trafficking. It made me think that, each time a girl is trafficked and her body is sold for sex, a temple of the Lord is being turned in to a den of thieves.
Every time money is exchanged for the violation of a child’s body, the thief has made his den where the Lord should be.
Each time we ignore the problem at hand, we allow thieves to pillage something of value to the Lord.
Perhaps, just like Christ, a zeal for his house should consume us! If we allow ourselves to be consumed with seal and filled righteous anger, then how do we turn over the tables for the moneychangers of trafficking? What whips of cords are we to make?
Turn over the tables is through prayer!
Here are a few guides to help you pray.
http://www.mstproject.com/downloads
http://aheartforjustice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/72DailyPrayerPoints.pdf
Show various films to your church and community groups.
http://nefariousdocumentary.com
http://www.nottodaythemovie.com
Demand change from you local representatives!
Blog about this issue.
http://www.theexodusroad.com/get-involved/
Disciple!
I think, more importantly, we need to disciple young boys and girls who are most at risk for being trafficked, becoming traffickers, or developing into contributors.
So many boys are growing up without fathers and look for their call into manhood from media and gangs. By discipling them we can prayerfully prevent them from becoming potential johns and traffickers.
We need to disciple girls, many of whom are looking for affirmation and validation from the wrong sources some of which are “boyfriend/pimps”. These “boyfriend/pimps” are males who affirm them to gain trust, then break their spirits and force them into prostitution.
Give!
There are many organizations that work on different aspects of trafficking – prevention, intervention, and aftercare. Pray about where God might have you invest.
