Lo and Behold!

"I don't build no heathen temples/Where the Lord has done laid his hand."--James Taylor

Have you ever heard the trite saying that "your body is a temple"?  Many people reference this "saying" to encourage and justify their self-obsessed vanity.  Do you realize that this is not merely a "saying," but a revelation from the ONE and TRUE God?  In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul admonishes the church and its people, "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 honor God with your body."  When we dissect and study this verse, we come to realize the gravity of this command.  In Romans 10:13, we learn that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  Romans 8 discusses the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives, provided that we are made new in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).  We are no longer bound to sin (our flesh), but by the Spirit of God that lives in us (Romans 8: 9).  We must heed Paul's words concerning the TRUTH that our bodies are not our own.  We were bought for a very precious price, and we must honor God because of His willingness to separate Himself from His son and allow Jesus to be a scapegoat for the sins of ALL mankind, past, present, and future.  God loves us so much that He sacrificed His only Son for us (John 3:16).  Hebrews 12:6 reminds us that "the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."  Treating our bodies as temples is a command not a suggestion. 

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." (Galatians 5:13)

Our souls are like gardens.  They must be tended properly, checked often for weeds, dead roots, and bad fruit; they must also be fertilized with good soil.  When we give our lives to Christ, we are no longer to live for ourselves, but instead we are to live for HIM.  We are to fulfill God's purposes with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  As James Taylor once sang in his song, Lo and Behold, "I don't build no heathen temples/Where the Lord has done laid His hand."  Be careful of what you let into your body, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  You MUST guard your heart, because it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23).  Glorify the Lord with your body in action, thought, and word.  As you continue in this purging process, you will become holy, set apart, sanctified in the name of Jesus.  1 Peter 1:13-16 urges us to "prepare [our] minds for action; be self-controlled; set [our] hope fully on the grace to be given [us] when Jesus Christ is revealed.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires [we] had when [we] lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called [us] is holy, so be holy in all [we] do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”  Now, that is a TALL order, but it's possible with Christ (Philippians 4:13)!  Pursue righteousness and be comforted in this:  “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19).

Let's Devise2bWise all the days of our lives!