Tending to the Temple

(Today we introduce a new feature to our ministry page "Tending to the Temple", which will focus on understanding the meaning and importance of maintaining optimum spiritual and physical health per the Scriptures, that we may be blessed with the strength of mind, body and soul so as to prolong our days upon the earth in service to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to revere our bodies for what they are – holy temples worthy of being dwelling places of the Spirit of the Lord.)

"Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, Which is in you, Which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.' (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

The phrase "your body is a temple" is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. It is widely used by both Christians and non-Christians in everything from religious and secular music to merchandising, but it is frequently misunderstood.

What do these words imply? Why does temple imagery work so well with the bodies that God created for us? And more importantly, how can we consider our bodies as temples? So, what does it mean to say that our bodies are temples? As Christians, how should we honor that?

This means that our bodies are not our own but of God. They are like sacred temples, which is why they should be clear and pure of unnecessary impurities. Paul encourages us to remember that our bodies do not belong to us but to God in this letter.

Maintaining A Healthy Body Both Physically and Spiritually

Another meaning of being a body compared to a temple is that we should be physically and spiritually healthy. Exodus 20:8-11 reveals God's great concern about our health,

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it, you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. In six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

This means we should labor, but then we should also take rest, as also stated in Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

As we can see, spiritual health is emphasized in the verses. We should always give our day of Sabbath to worshipping God and not thinking of anything else that bothers us during this day. We should always pray so that we can communicate our concerns and praises clearly to the Lord.

Love What God Has Given Unto Us

Another meaning of making our bodies like a temple is to always love what God has given us, including what our bodies look like. Society frequently promotes unrealistic beauty and youthful standards.

When we discover that our bodies don't match a specific template, or that we have wrinkles and grey hairs, or that we don't have the same muscle volume as a sports star, we may begin to perceive our bodies as lesser than. We must remember that we were created in God's image and are fearfully and wonderfully crafted.

Satan will use insecurities about weight, beauty, or age to divert us from our mission to share the gospel. However, we can resist this distraction from our calling and purpose on earth if we regard our bodies as the creation of the highest God.

A Body Clear of Sexual Impurity

Lastly, when we are like temples, our bodies should be clear of sexual impurities. As we have seen in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, it is clearly stated, "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."

This means that our bodies are not our own but of God, and that is why it should be clear and pure of unnecessary impurities. Paul encourages us to remember that our bodies do not belong to us but to God in this letter.

We don't have the right to abandon them to sin because they were purchased at a price by Jesus Christ's death and Resurrection. As a result, we should focus our eyes on the things above rather than succumbing to fleshly temptations. We give up our right to do whatever we want with our bodies when we embrace Jesus as our Savior.

So, what does the phrase "your body is a temple" mean? This phrase compares us to a temple, which is holy ground in the past as well as in the present. That being said, we should refrain from succumbing to temptations, live a healthy life both physically and spiritually, love our bodies for it is God-given, and be clear of sexual impurity.

Therefoe, let us avoid temptations and anything that pollute our bodies because we are like temples - sacred beings made by God.