Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Apr 4, 2024 - You Are Not Your Own”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsYou Are Not Your Own
Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:15-20
The Corinthians are confused about the nature of “sexual immorality,” specifically regarding visiting prostitutes. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh’”(1 Cor 6:15-16). Our bodies matter. They are “members of Christ,” meaning that they are connected to him and used for his purposes. Part of the issue is that the Corinthians fail to understand the meaning of sex. When we have sex, we are “joined to” that person in that same “one flesh” relationship that characterizes marriage. Sex makes big promises. Fornication is also a unique sin in that we “sin against (our) own body”(1 Cor 6:18), violating the very purpose for our bodies (see v. 13).
But Paul is especially emphatic that our bodies are already committed to Jesus. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body”(1 Cor 6:19-20). Serving Jesus is not just a mental experience. It will involve our bodies as well. Our bodies are “(temples) of the Holy Spirit” who lives in us as a gift from God. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price” connects our redemption with our ongoing commitment to live in God’s will. We are under new management—including the sexual use of our bodies.
Paul does more here than say fornication is wrong. He wants us to think differently about who we are. Our bodies are Jesus’ members now, ready at his disposal for his purposes. We are joined to him in both body and spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within us and we must maintain purity and holiness in his “temple.” I am no longer my own—setting my own agenda for my life, basking in my own identity and goals, or making decisions that please me. I am under new management.
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One Thing to Think About: How can I use my body to honor Jesus?
One Thing to Pray For: A willingness to flee from evil (v. 18)
