HONOUR

"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; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:19-20

The dwelling place of God is a holy place. In the tabernacle and temple, the high priest enters this holiest place just once a year. He enters by stepping behind a curtain to burn incense and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificed animal on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. This is him atoning for his own sins and the sins of the people. These rituals remind everyone that man cannot enter God’s holy presence carelessly. Sin is not compatible in the place where God dwells.

With God now dwelling in his people through the Spirit, we are told to “be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15). This is what Paul means when he says we are to “honour God with [our] bodies.” In another of Paul’s letters, he tells a group of Jesus-followers in Galatians what a Spirit-filled life looks like. It’s a life characterized by “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). God receives honour when our choices and actions point to him, and we live a life worthy of the indwelling God in us.

ON THE COUCH WITH GOD TODAY

Memorize 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Use these two verses when you’re tempted to sin or being led to do something you know is wrong. Write them on a small card or type in your mobile to keep them easily accessible.