S126P4 – Yielded to Him: in body
1 Cor. 6:18-20
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 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, honor God with your bodies.
One man was important, and he was offered a book deal to write the story of his life. The problem was that his life was rather mundane and did not make for a good read. A second man was unknown, but his life’s tales were exciting and interesting. They struck a deal, and the first man purchased the stories of the second man to fill his book. The second man enjoyed his end of the bargain until the next time he started to tell one of his tales. He was stopped and reminded that the tale was no longer his. In fact, none of his stories were his anymore. When he sold his history he sold his life, and that now belonged to another.
When we make our exchange with Jesus Christ, we are giving one life for another. The life He gives us is incomparable. We are able to walk in power and authority that we never could have within ourselves. He lets us wear his mantle, and we appear before the Father just as the Son does in righteousness. He imputes his perfection and purity on us, and it is for us to enjoy, but we must remember that this is an exchange. We can enjoy what we receive only if we hold our end of the bargain and surrender what He purchased. These lives are not ours anymore, and neither are these bodies. As holy vessels for the living God, our bodies belong to him. That is our pledge in this bargain.
Once we make the transition from youth to adulthood, we start to exercise our perceived right to live as we choose. For those who have given their lives to Christ, that right does not exist. Not only have we committed our days, our time, and our purposes to the Lord, but even something as personal and intimate as our physical bodies no longer belongs to us. These bodies are now his temples, and our duty is to honor these temples. It is not about flesh and blood but about the home of the Lord, and we have been entrusted to manage and maintain these homes honorably. Father, keep us mindful of the great honor and responsibility we carry as living temples of yours.