Restoring Life: Part 2Sýnishorn

Your Body, The Temple

Ever heard the saying “my body is a temple”? As weird as it sounds, it’s actually biblical. First Corinthians tells us that our “bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.” Because the Holy Spirit dwells within, our bodies are considered temples to God. And because of this, we are called to honor God with our bodies. 

However, if we were to present this idea to the Old Testament Jews, you would probably receive some crazy stares back. Because to them, the temple was the holiest of places, the place where God’s spirit dwelled. What they believed was the complete opposite of what the new testament tells us, that our bodies are the renewed temple. John 1 tells us of the beginnings of a new covenant. A covenant of grace and one where the Holy Spirit dwells inside each of us. 

That’s a pretty incredible thought. To think of our bodies as temples for the Lord. And if we held the same reverence for our bodies that the Old Testament Jews held for the temple, you would probably look at yourself a little differently. But maybe the current physical status of your body doesn’t feel like a temple to you. Maybe it feels more like crumbling temple than a holy temple.

That’s okay. Because what makes our bodies holy is nothing that we could ever do. But the fact that God’s Spirit dwells within us. This holiness lies in the hands of God. We can rest knowing that no matter how hard we try or how bad we mess up, it is God’s Spirit that makes us holy.

So even though your body may feel broken and imperfect, God still views you as His holy temple. A temple worth dwelling in. A temple worth dying for. And a temple worth loving. 

How can you use this time of recovery that your body needs to build up the temple within you?