1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?… Easter is a season which emphatically belongs to the body. I. WE DO WELL, THEREFORE, TO GIVE SOME THOUGHTS TO THE BODY — for, do we not treat religion as consisting almost entirely of thoughts and feelings? and so we exalt the soul to the disparagement of the body. And yet I know nothing which you can say of the soul which you cannot also predicate of the body. Was the soul formed in the image of God? So was the body. No distinction is made in the narrative. Is the soul redeemed? So is the body. Did Jesus address Himself to the soul? Did He not equally to the body? How careful He was after His resurrection to identify His body. He ascended and will come again in His body. And at the last day the body is the leading feature of Paul's picture. Such honour does God give everywhere to the body. II. HOW CAN WE "GLORIFY GOD IN OUR BODIES"? 1. Generally. We should treat our body as something given us to enjoy and use for God. A part of our likeness to Christ; a part of our present being given us here to train for the services which it is to render in heaven. Such being, then, the body, we should pray about our bodies as much as about our souls. We should consecrate it in the morning to God, and deal with it all day long as a very sacred thing. You remember what St. Paul said about his body — "I keep under my body," &c. 2. In detail. (1) In the Old Testament very great stress indeed was laid on the keeping of the body very clean; and even in the New Testament we have it united almost as one with faith and conscience and truth (Hebrews 10:22). And more than many people think a clean body is a help to purity of heart. We are bound to take care of the health of the body, for it is God's body; and we all know how greatly even a little disease of the body can disturb even our peace and joy, and faith, as illness stops work, and gives sorrow and expense to others. Therefore we should try to "glorify God" by the health of our body. (2) There is not a part of our frame which may not be the embodiment of spiritual things of the means for religious service. When I comb my hair the very hairs remind me that they are all numbered. And the eyes, are they not inlets where-with I may first take into my very heart all the beautiful works of God in nature, and providence, and grace? And then by bright and loving looks spread peace and happiness. How much of Satan, how much of Christ there may be in the look of the eye. And the mouth! What action the mouth has for sin and self-indulgence, or self-denial and careful moderation for Christ's sake. And more than you are aware the mouth is the index of temper or of sweetness. Take care of your mouth. "Glorify God" with it. And the tongue! What a curse or a blessing it may be! And your ear! Learn when to shut it and when to open it. And your nerves. They are very good servants, but very bad masters. Take care of them. Pray constantly for more calmness. And all the senses — consecrate them. They are the Lord's. And all your members! Those hands, let them be busy, useful hands. And those knees. Let them fulfil the great design for which God gave you knees. And "the feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." And your whole body! Keep every part of it for God. (J. Vaughan, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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? |
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