“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;“  

This week we’ve been looking at different aspects of the Holy Spirit to better understand Him and His role in the life of the believer. I want to wrap up this week’s study with a verse from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church. The believers in Corinth really struggled to understand what it meant to live differently than the culture around them. They were surrounded by influences and practices that flew in the face of God’s perfect design. But not realizing this, they fell into the trap of trying to be like the world while still trying to honor God.  

Specifically, today’s verse comes from a section of Paul’s letter addressing sexual immorality. The Corinthians were participating in the licentious acts of the world around them even after conversion. But Paul wrote to explain to them that this is not okay and not honoring to God. He calls them to a life of both spiritual and physical purity.  

I love the reason that Paul explains to them, and it tells us something so important about the Holy Spirit. Paul explains that the way we use our bodies matters because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Unlike before Christ, when the Spirit of God physically rested in the Holy of Holies inside the temple, now, the Spirit of God lives inside each believer of Christ. We literally embody His holy place and become a vessel for the Spirit of God! So cool!

Understanding that changes how we view our bodies. No longer can we just assume that the physical and the spiritual are separate. The Holy Spirit literally comes to dwell in these physical bodies, making them His temple. Therefore, what we do with our bodies, we do with the Holy Spirit. Paul asks rhetorically a few verses earlier, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!” (vs 15).

His point here is that because we are temples of the Holy Spirit, we are also one with God. Therefore, we should not use our bodies in a way that would dishonor God. But there is something else that this tells us. As the temple of the Holy Spirit, we are indwelt with His holy presence continually! There is no situation, no temptation, no struggle, no experience that He does not go with us into. His ever-presence in the life of the believer is constant and real!

When I was young, I was taught about physical purity mostly from a “don’t do it because it’s bad” standpoint. I can’t remember anyone ever teaching me the principles that Paul taught the Corinthians. Maybe if they had, I would have looked at physical purity in a different light. But instead, I simply saw it as a line that I wasn’t supposed to cross.  

The problem with looking at any physical temptation this way is that it lacks the power of God. When we reduce holiness to a list of do’s and don’ts, we miss the point. And this viewpoint causes us to have to try to live out holy standards in our own strength and out of our own conviction. I can tell you from my own experience and the many stories of others like me, my strength is not nearly enough, and my personal convictions can waiver in the face of temptation.

But when we view our bodies as the actual, real, physical temple of the God of the universe, and when we start to understand that He goes with me and is in everything I do, that changes things. When I realize that defiling my body also defiles my God, that shifts my perspective. When I realize that the physical is not separate from the spiritual, the weight of the choices I make is much greater.  

But even more than that, when I lean into the power that resides within me, I find the strength to face any and every temptation and be victorious. As John writes in 1 John 4:4, greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. The Spirit of God living inside me is so much stronger than any in the world. He has the power to see me through to purity and righteousness. He has the strength to defeat any temptation, sin, or desire I could ever struggle with. And when I let HIM be the source of my strength, I have no other option than to be victorious!

And this doesn’t just apply to sexual purity either. This truth is relevant in everything we do with our bodies from the way we eat, to the substances we use, to how we care for our bodies, to what activities we engage in, to what we wear. When we start to view our bodies as an ACTUAL temple, we can ask the question, “Would I do this to the holy temple of God?” Because that is exactly what we are! If I wouldn’t treat a stone and brick temple a certain way, why would I treat my body that way? If I would care for, provide for, keep clean, and love a stone and brick temple, why wouldn’t I do that for my body too?

Knowing that the Spirit of God lives inside you as a believer, how does this change the way you view your body? Does this change the way you live, the things you eat, the activities you engage in? I know this is so convicting for me. If it is for you too, you’re not alone. But we also serve a GOOD Father who knows our weaknesses and promises to help us every step of the way. He doesn’t expect perfection, but He does expect obedience. As we take good steps to care for the temple of God well, He will empower us to make the life changes we need. In His strength and for His glory. AMEN!

Holy Spirit,

I am so in awe of the fact that You take up residence inside me and that You empower me, both spiritually and physically. I want to honor You with my whole life. I want to care for Your temple well and give You glory with my body. Teach me what this looks like. Please reveal to me any ways that I am not honoring You with my body and show me what it looks like to make a change. Please strengthen me and empower me against the temptations of the flesh.  

In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen