Did you know a Christian’s body is a temple? Well, if you didn’t, get ready to hear some pretty exciting things.
1 Kings, starting in chapter 5, talks about the temple God called Solomon to build. Let me just tell you…it was crazy elaborate! God went into great detail about everything that was going in it, how it should look, and all the material that were needed. Solomon used the absolute best to build this temple…no cheapin-out anywhere! God not only required the best but even more so warranted the best. This temple was the location where God’s presence dwelt among His people.
When Jesus died, then rose again thus providing us a righteous standing with God there was no more need for a temple building. God told us He would now dwell in us! Now that in itself is absolutely, ridiculously amazing! In 1 Corinthians 3:16 it declares, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells within you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; For God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.�
This is a hefty verse! Christ followers are God’s temple! Rejoice and be glad that the God of the universe wants to live in you!! What an incredible gift of grace that is!
But how many of us truly act as if we are a temple of God? How many of us take care of our bodies like Solomon took care in building, furnishing, and maintaining the temple of God?
I know for me this has been a learning process over many years, and I am sure it will continue to be. There are so many things that go into our bodies everything day. Not only food but also things like media or lies from the enemy. What are you putting in your body? Is it a pleasing aroma to God? Does it make your body an absolutely beautiful place where God can dwell?
God continues to clean my body and make it more pure and beautiful. I have definitely done some hard core damage but nothing He cannot purify and make exquisite. I will give one example that came up the other day between me and some of my family.
It is really hard to eat healthy on the Race. And my eating habits have for sure taken a hit. Some of it truly is out of my control but there are other times I had complete control, but still chose to indulge in another unnecessary helping. Not only is this trying to find pleasure away from God, but it is also disrespecting the temple He has given me to take care of.
If you let your friend borrow your house while you were gone on vacation, you would expect them to take care of it, clean it and at least find it the same condition you left it. God wants us to take care of our bodies because not only is He living in them but we are representing Him. What comes from the mouth is an overflow from heart. What are we feeding our heart?
Gosh, I could go into so much more of this, but I’m trying to keep it short.
I am thankful for the body God has given me. I have to not only take care of my body physically but spiritually as well. We don’t want to look like a dingy, unkempt temple that has been neglected or abandoned. Our outward appearance communicates to people, whether we like it or not. How we are perceived will effect attention paid to our words and actions. I am NOT saying we need to dress to the nines and pamper ourselves daily. What I am saying is we need to be healthy and watch what we feed our heart, we need to not indulge in counterfeit things when God can fill us with what is good, pure, noble and wholesome. Most importantly we need to let God do the cleaning and repairing of our bodies, because only God can make us truly beautiful.
Thank you Holy Spirit for living in us!! Make us into a beautiful temple for You!
“…have a reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.” Lev 26:2 We are His sanctuary!
