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. 1 Corinthians 6:19
Corinth was a bustling metropolis, one of the top five busiest towns of the Roman empire at the time of Paul’s missionary trip there. Located between the Aegean and Adriatic seas with ports on each, Corinth was the crossroad of a diverse world. These people lived with gusto, they were on the move, pagan worship was the order of the day. They understood the significance and reverence of a temple.
Paul had been preaching a gospel of love rather than law. His listeners were converted gentiles with very little knowledge of God, much less Holy living. ‘Anything goes’ was the extent of their ethical and moral teaching. So Paul explains, there is a tremendous difference between being free to do anything and having anything made free to you. Where is the balance between privilege and detriment?
God’s design for your life is beautiful and uncomplicated. Satan certainly wants to clutter things up with emotional, spiritual and physical baggage. However, God saves, sanctifies and makes Holy your body and soul, thus creating a perfect dwelling place, a temple, for His Spirit.
Holiness is simply the absence of sin. God won’t, can’t, dwell with sin as a housemate. If you long to live Holy then you are not your own. Let God’s Holiness fill the spaces of your life so completely that there is no room for anything but His precious, powerful Spirit.
Love,
Gretchen
Friday Oct 28 The