Your Body is a Temple

In 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Paul writes "Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."

God designed sex to occur between one man and one woman within a marriage. Sexual sin is any kind of sexual activity that occurs outside of marriage. It also includes any kind of sexual activity between two members of the same sex, since, under Biblical law, no two members of the same sex can be joined in marriage.

In Matthew 5:27-29 Jesus states "You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." So, sexual sin also extends to watching pornography and having lustful thoughts about others.

If you are in a relationship and are not married, you might be wondering how far is too far? While there are some obvious acts such as the ones mentioned above, there is no explicit definition in the Bible of how much is too much outside of marriage. However, we can draw a line for ourselves in the grey areas by asking ourselves a few questions and being in touch with the convictions of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

One way to decide on an answer to this question is to ask yourself the following question: "How much would I want my future spouse to save him or herself for me? If you want your future spouse to never have kissed another person besides you, then you should save kissing for marriage.

2 Corinthians 6:14-16 states "Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

Casual dating is a dangerous invention. I would encourage you not to spend any significant amount of time with someone of the opposite sex who you would not consider marrying. It can be easy to fall for someone for the wrong reasons, and then think that maybe you can change their beliefs to align with your own. Before you date anybody, make sure that you already share the same core beliefs - namely the belief in the Bible and Christ as your savior.

Before you date someone, ask yourself if you would consider marrying them. Don't follow the world and date "just for fun."

If you are worried that you will go too far, one of the best ways to avoid making a mistake is to not give yourself that opportunity.

"In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." 2 Timothy 2:20-22

Rather than watching a movie alone in a dark room, hike to a waterfall with family and friends, volunteer at the local soup kitchen together, and, of course, worship together. Keep yourselves pure so God can use your for a special purpose.

God gave us a conscience. Of course, we should rely primarily on God's Word to guide and direct us, but when there is not a specific text regarding a question we may have, we should make our rules based on our own convictions.

In Romans 14:20-23, Paul writes about our conscience in relation to food choices, which I believe we can also apply to our choices about how much intimacy we should have in a dating relationship. He says "Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

So, if things get heated between you and your boyfriend or girlfriend and you feel guilty about it, don't do it any more. 

"For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are." Romans 3:20-22

God did not give us the law so we would know what to do and what not to do. He gave it to us to reveal how sinful we truly are, so that we would know how desperately we need a savior. 

The Apostle Paul writes that "no other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does." Why is this so? One obvious reason is that sexual sin can lead to the weakening of the body through sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). After the sexual revolution of the 1960s, the rates of STDs skyrocketed. 

God did not forbid unmarried couples from participating in sex to punish them. Our creator knows what is best for us physically as well as emotionally. He knows that sexual intimacy leads to heartbreak when it is not enjoyed within the safety of a loving and committed relationship (marriage).

God wants us to respect our own bodies because we have to use them to do His good works. If we are married, enjoying sex with the one we love and trust draws us even closer. But having sex with someone we are not willing or ready to commit to loving for the rest of our lives dishonors both ourselves and the other person involved. Most importantly, it dishonors the Holy Spirit.

When we dishonor ourselves and our bodies, we are not properly caring for the temple of the Holy Spirit. 

Let's take a moment to study the Jewish Temple so we can understand what Paul means when he says "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit."

What does it mean that your body is a temple? Well, back in Paul's day, there was one Temple where the Jews would go to offer animal sacrifices to cleanse them of their sins. The Temple, just like our own Earthly bodies, was intricately designed by God. In fact, there are over thirty chapters in the Old Testament spanning at least six different books of the Bible that provide instructions, narratives and visions concerning the Temple.

After Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, there was no longer a need for a Temple to offer animal sacrifices.

The Temple used to be a place where God's people would go be near Him. But now, God's Holy Spirit dwells within those of us who believe. That is why our bodies are now God's Holy Temples.

In year 70 AD, approximately 40 years after Jesus was crucified, God allowed the Romans to destroy the Temple during the Siege of Jerusalem.

When our bodies are destroyed, we will no longer be able to do the work that God has entrusted us to do on this Earth. Similarly, when our bodies are weak with sickness, we are less able to complete our work.

One way we can keep our bodies healthy is by refraining from sexual activity outside of marriage. While this will not only protect us from harmful disease physically, staying sexually pure will also protect us from the emotional anguish that results from engaging in uncommitted or casual sex.

STDs such as HIV, herpes, Hepatitis B and HPV (the most common STD in the US) permanently weaken our bodies because they have no known cures. Imagine becoming infected with a disease that would slowly weaken and kill you while also not allowing you to engage in sex without infecting your partner. By staying pure, we ensure that we will also stay strong and healthy.  

Besides avoiding impure sexual activity, we can also keep our Temples strong by exercising and eating healthy. Many of us believe that taking time to care for our bodies by exercising and preparing nutritious meals for ourselves is selfish, when in fact, the opposite is true. Jesus commands us to "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31 NLT). So think about this simple illustration for a moment. If you want to communicate love to your neighbor, what would show the most love - bringing them a fast-food hamburger and french fries, or inviting them to sit down at your table with you to enjoy a meal of grilled salmon with greek salad and wild rice?

We can easily see that a balanced, nutritious meal communicates love more effectively than a quick and easy one. As we think about loving our neighbors, we mustn't forget to also love ourselves in the sense of caring properly for our own bodies. 

If you often find yourself making excuses for living an unhealthy lifestyle, consider the fact that your body does not even belong to you. If you have a dog, you do not allow that pet to eat anything it wants. Instead, you purchase quality food made just for dogs and you take the dog on walks or throw a ball for her so she can get out of the house and get some exercise.

In the same way, you must take care of yourself by preparing meals that are nutritiously balanced for your body. And you must engage in activities that strengthen your body.

So if you tell yourself that taking a walk after dinner or chopping vegetables and marinading some meat is not important, you might want to reevaluate your priorities, because keeping your temple in good shape is essential if you want to continue to effectively serve God. 

The price God paid for you was His one and only Son. How would you feel if you purchased an expensive new car for your brother, only to see that he did not take care of it. What if he never bothered to clean it, failed to perform basic maintenance like routine oil changes, and drove it recklessly, causing it to get dents and scrapes? Your brother's car would not last long, and it would not be a good example to others during it's useful lifetime either.

In the same way, if we don't take care of our bodies by exercising, eating healthy, abstaining from reckless sexual behavior, and even visiting the doctor when we need to, our ability to serve God will be limited.

In 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Paul warns his readers to stay sexually pure, reminding them that their bodies are not their own, but are temples of the Holy Spirit.

Our heavenly father knows what is best for us. He loves us so much that He purchased us with His own son. As believers, we should honor God by obeying His commandments, even those that our culture has tried to convince us are unimportant.

We must keep our bodies strong by living pure lives, eating healthy and exercising so that we can effectively serve God.

Are you struggling with staying sexually pure? Are you suffering from guilt over past relationships? Is your physical health preventing you from effectively serving God? Are you living an unhealthy lifestyle void of nutrition and physical exercise that causes you to get sick often, leaves you feeling tired or that you worry may have consequences later in life?

These are all real issues that could be holding you back from being the person God designed you to be. If you are looking for biblical answers, please reach out to one of our counselors. We are here to help you discover Christ-centered solutions that work for you!