Grieve Him Not

A temple is a sacred place, devoted to the worship of God. 

Paul uses the word ‘temple’ to convey the idea that our bodies are sacred places. Our bodies are not just the place for the Holy Spirit to live and be worshipped, but they are to be revered and honored. We need to keep our bodies from sexual immorality. We have no right to be idle or wasteful with our bodies. We are to be careful about what we put into our bodies in the form of food and drink. We are to think, speak and behave in ways that would not grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).

Those of us who have put our faith in Jesus Christ are not our own, we have been bought with a price. We were redeemed, not by gold and silver and other perishable things, but by the precious, unblemished blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). The Holy Spirit resides in us, and so, we are to honor God with our bodies as they are ‘not our own,’ as Paul says. If we belong to Christ and have the Holy Spirit within us, we do not have the right to pollute or abuse God’s property in any way. Those who do not belong to Christ do not have the Spirit of Christ residing in them (Romans 8:9) and their bodies are not the temple of God. 

We are called to be intentional about using our bodies to glorify God. We are to rid ourselves of all bitterness, wrath, anger, evil speaking, and malice. Instead, we are to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:31-32). “Your body was a willing horse when it was in the service of the devil, let it not be a sluggish hack now that it draws the chariot of Christ.” (Spurgeon). When we live by the Spirit, we will no longer fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Having the Holy Spirit Himself live within us also means we have the strength and power we need. We have power over the sins of the flesh and power to do all things that God calls us to do. 

Is your body a place that worships and honors the Holy Spirit? If not what needs to change? 

Lord help me honor you with my body each day, I pray.