I Corinthians 6:12-20 (The dwelling place of the Holy Ghost)
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them members of an harlot? God forbid.
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
What are our bodies?
What are our bodies? According to this passage, our bodies are the members of Christ. They are also the temple of the Holy Ghost.
What does it mean for our bodies to be members of Christ? Every body has members: the hand, eye, foot, nose, finger, etc… These are all members of our bodies. I Corinthians 12:14 says “For the body is not one member, but many.” It goes on to elaborate, that if every member of the body is fighting to become something other than what it was made to be, it is no good to the rest of the body. Verse 18 says “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” God knows what he is doing, and what he has called you to do. If you are going to be effective for him you must accept his place for you.”
If every member had the same call and the same purpose we would all be the head. A head can do nothing without the body. If the body wants to be the head, it can not do it’s intended job of carrying the head around. The head needs the body just as much as the body needs the head. Christ sees something in each of us that is beneficial to his plan, and his work. Wherever he put you in his body, whether the eye, foot, mouth, or any other part, you are just as important to his body as each other member. If you are a saved believer you are in the body of Christ, and you have a purpose. Learn it and do it.
A few references for you to look up are: I Corinthians 12:12-27, Romans 12:4-5, Ephesians 4:12-25, & 5:30, and Colossians 3:5
The temple of the Holy Ghost
Verse 19 says that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in us. The temple is where the Spirit of God dwells. II Corinthians 6:16. Take a minute to allow this to sink in. God’s Spirit dwells in us. Why? Because he loves us so much that he wants to be with us always, and what better way to be with us than to be in us. He promised to work in us and through us once we accept him. How can he work in us and through us if he is not also in us? Think about your relationship with your spouse. You love them and you desire for them to love you back. If you could, the day of your wedding, somehow place a part of yourself in their heart, would you? I know I would. I always tell my husband that if I could carry him around in my pocket with me all the time I would. Yes, I realize this is silly, and that it is also unnecessary. He is in my heart because I love him.
The Bible tells us that, “We love him, because he first loved us.” (I John 4:19) He is not in our heart because we love him, but because he loves us. We carry a little piece of each person we love in our hearts. God loves us so much that he gave us his Spirit to carry with us. I know that of all those whom I love and carry around in my heart God is first, my husband is second, and very closely followed by our children. God has the largest place in my heart, after all he is mighty big and my body is his dwelling place. I don’t know anyone else who has died for me to save me from myself, and then clean me up, and live in me! This is pretty amazing if you ask me. He deserves so much more from me. From all of us.
How are you treating His dwelling place?
Verse 20 reads, “For ye ae bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Ye are bough with a price, John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That price is the life of Christ and the blood he shed on Calvary. Because he gave us his Son we should glorify him. We glorify him by loving him, and the things he loves. This includes every person you meet. Our bodies and spirits belong to him, they are only on loan to us for a time.
Are we using our bodies in a way that is glorifying to God? If not the Holy Ghost that dwells in us probably does not feel very comfortable or welcome. Have you ever felt unwelcome when you go to visit someone? It is not a great feeling. How do you feel about the accommodations you are providing? Remember he is a permanent guest in you, and you belong to God not yourself. The more you submit your own will to his, the more hospitable you are making his dwelling place for him. The more you seek to put God first in your life, the happier you make him. When God is pleased, and the Holy Ghost feels at home in you, it will blow your mind how happy and joyful you will be. Joy comes from the Lord. If you want a joyful life, submerge your life in him. Be the most accommodating host to a most deserving God.
