Sacred Temple: How To Keep Your Body & Soul Aligned With God
Our body is the temple of God; how do we keep our temple sacred and worthy of God?
Focus Text: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
When the Bible talks about our body being the temple of God, we typically think it is talking about our physical body. However, the Bible talks about two bodies that make us human, which are our physical body and our spiritual body. Our physical body is what everyone sees; it is our earthly body that God has given to us to propagate his good news, which is the gospel.
What is our spiritual body?
Our spiritual body is our soul. Our soul is linked to our physical body; it is the entity that keeps our physical body alive. On the contrary, the death of our physical body doesn’t equate to the demise of our soul. The soul lives on after death; it transcends and is welcomed into the heavenly realm to face judgment.
Furthermore, the spiritual health of the body means the well-being of the inner self, the soul. It involves nurturing belief in God, values, and practices of godly living. Just as physical health is vital, spiritual well-being is crucial in promoting harmony, balance, and a sense of fulfilment in life. Also, It encompasses aspects like mindfulness, gratitude, compassion, and a deep sense of connection to the divine or higher power. Prioritising spiritual health can lead to inner peace, resilience in facing challenges, and a greater sense of purpose and contentment.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20. states, “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; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honour God with your bodies.” It emphasises the sacredness of our bodies as dwelling places of the Holy Spirit and encourages believers to treat their bodies with reverence and respect.
For example, if you own a house and don’t take care of it, it will look tattered, rough, and dirty. You might not see this as a problem, but people will avoid your house. This is the same way God avoids someone whose physical and spiritual body is filled with immorality. This is because God does not dwell in filthy places. Taking care of our physical body starts with cleanliness. A popular proverb says cleanliness is next to godliness; this means an unclean environment. cannot harbour the holy spirit. Also, the use of drugs and alcohol taints our physical body and thereby makes our temple unclean.
To take care of our spiritual body, we must be close to God. surround ourselves with a Christ-filled community. Also, reading the scriptures and engaging in meaningful thoughts and spiritual programs is another way to feed our spiritual body.
In addition, the holy spirit is a bearer of good fruits and can never stay in a dirty place. That is why we are supposed to nurture our bodies with reverence and care, honouring them as a temple of the Holy Spirit.
In essence, we are vessels of God’s spirit and should strive to keep our bodies pure and healthy by controlling ourselves and avoiding immoralities and sin. Everything we do with our bodies should glorify God and not earthly satisfaction. Remember, a life without Jesus is a waste of opportunity to secure heaven.
READ: Exploring the Parable of the Prodigal Son: The Father’s Love
Content Credit| Igbakuma Rita Doom
Picture Credit | https://www.pinterest.com/pin/542120873887250332/
