Your Body is a Temple

1 Corinthians 6:19 What? 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?

As a born again believer you are a living, breathing, walking temple. Where you go, God goes. You are God's Possession - you belong to Him. You have been purchased at a Great Price. 1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price. He has paid an awesome, awful price for us.

It says: therefore glorify God. We have good reason to Glorify Him... Give Him the Glory.

1 Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: Precious is the same word as "price". It tells of value.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

What is a temple? A dwelling place for God’s Spirit; a Holy place. A place of worship, of reverence, of prayer. You are the temple of God.

1. It is possible to DEFILE a temple…

Some Christians mistreat their bodies and defile them. Let us search out ourselves and cleanse ourselves of impurity of thought or life. Your body has one main purpose - and that purpose is to "bring Glory to God." When making choices, can we ask ourselves, does what we do have God’s glory in mind, or not?

2. It is possible for a temple to become a DEN OF THIEVES.
The Lord Jesus says that the temple was meant to be a house of prayer. Mark 11:17 …ye have made it a den of thieves. Do we just live with busy-ness and activity, but forget to give the Lord His rightful place? Are we become like a den of thieves – instead of a house of prayer?

What are the thieves that can come into our lives? That hinder our prayer life? Thieves of our time? Of our love? Our devotion? Crowding God out. Robbing God of His rightful place.

Paul rebuked the Corinthians: 2 Corinthians 6:16 …what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing…

A temple is meant to be set apart. Sanctified. Not filled with different kinds of idols, but filled with the presence of God. Do we live like we are a temple?
• Prayerful
• Peaceful
• Pure
You can defile and dishonour your body. Defiling words may come out of your mouth. Sometimes idols can come in. A temple – and our lives – should be clean and holy, set apart, worshipful.

3. A temple can be DESTROYED.
It can be misused and abused by our mistreating it. 1 Corinthians 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Our Lord Jesus wanted to clear out the temple – cleanse it - of what was displeasing to God. How much more zeal we should have to keep anything or anyone from destroying God's temple - "YOUR BODY." Commit your body to the Lord. Present your body, as a living sacrifice. Treat your body with care. Look after the health of your body.

We can damage our temple in lots of ways. Every time you are careless and carnal as a Christian you're tearing apart God's temple, misusing your time to serve God and throwing away God's money. God must be the One who is in control of what we do with our bodies. With our lives. Drugs and alcohol destroy God's Temple. Let the Lord control your passions and lives. Give Him full charge of the inside.

We want to be a godly example to others, to young people. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:12-13, All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful... Now the body is not for fornication – for sexual immorality - but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Your body is for the Lord. That is the first consideration. Your body belongs to God. It’s the dwelling place of God. So we want to bring Him glory. You can destroy the temple by ungodly living. You can damage your testimony and hinder your spiritual life. You can bring shame and disgrace into your life by not honouring the Lord with your body.

How clean is your temple? Keep your heart pure. Keep your conscience undefiled.

You cannot do whatever you want with your body as a Christian, because you are not your own... you were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). You are a temple. A holy temple.

It may be your body… But it is God’s temple, first and foremost. Dedicate yourself to God. Dedicate your body – as a temple – to be:
• Prayerful
• Peaceful
• Pure
For the Glory Of God.

You have been designed to give God glory from your life. God lives in you. That’s what makes you a holy temple. You’re a representative of the Holy One - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Give God the glory - in everything you do.