Do you not know 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. (I Corinthians 6:19,20—NIV)

It is our body that is the temple of the Spirit of God, not our spirit or our soul, primarily, but our body.

"You yourselves are God's temple"; "God's Spirit lives in you"; "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him."

"God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple"; "Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit"; "You are not your own."

"Therefore honor God with your body."

We are not our own, that is, our body is not our own. Our body is God's temple. God's Spirit lives in us.

If this is true today, and it is, how much more will it be true when our body has been raised from the dead and then clothed with our body from Heaven?

We understand, therefore, that God has created us to be His eternal home, His tabernacle, His chariot. Our body does not belong to us. We actually are a caretaker of God's house.

God's great house is Christ—Head and Body. Our body is an apartment in that huge dwelling, so to speak.

If we do not keep our apartment holy, if we disfigure it an any manner, abusing it, not taking good care of it, we will suffer for it.

Paul says that physical exercise is of little profit, so we know the emphasis is not on exercise. It is true that good nutrition and proper exercise may contribute to our health and the length of our life. We ought to do what we can to stay healthy. If we carelessly, not of necessity, break the laws of health, we will pay the penalty for our neglect. But an emphasis on bodily health can lead us away from the important aspects of the Kingdom of God.

We understand from the record of Paul's life that he had little opportunity to be concerned about his physical health.

Rather the accent is on holy behavior. Fornication and adultery are examples of what the Apostle Paul means by harming the temple of God.

"Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! (I Corinthians 6:13-15—NIV)

The body is meant for the Lord. Isn't that some statement! The purpose for our physical body is that the God of Heaven might have a dwelling place. We are only custodians, apartment managers. Our body is the eternal dwelling place of God.

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (II Corinthians 7:1—NIV)

To be continued.