The human body has been in the news quite a bit lately. (Yes, we’re talking about this body of flesh and bones.) Women want the right to do with their own bodies what they desire when it comes to giving birth or aborting their child. Gay folks want everyone to accept that it’s all right for them to use their bodies in sexual relations with others of the same sex. Transgender types want the right to change their bodies into something they are not.
So, what’s the deal? Is it all right to do with our bodies whatever we want as long as the soul inside is right with God? Is it okay to use, abuse and waste our bodies since they are going to return to the dust anyway? Paul addresses this in our text.
He notes that the stomach as well as the food which goes into it will be done away with (i.e. return to dust). But in the next breath he says we can’t use our bodies for sexual immorality since the body is “for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.” In other words, we aren’t free to sin with our bodies just because it’s going to die and go back to the dust. While we live in our body, the Lord has use for it.
He reminds us that sexual immorality is a sin against one’s body. Every sin is committed while we live in a body, but these types of sins are also against our bodies. The body physically participates in the sinful act.
Paul uses several expressions to indicate our oneness with the Lord Jesus and that our bodies are “for” Him. 1) Your bodies are members of Christ. 2) You are joined to the Lord. 3) You are one spirit with Him. 4) Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. 5) You are not your own since you have been bought with a price (redeemed). We don’t have space to elaborate on these, but you can easily understand what Paul is teaching here.
The bottom line? Since we are not our own, and Jesus is now our Lord, “glorify God in your body.” What we do with our bodies matters. It matters a great deal.
><> Jeff