Daily Readings and Thought for August 25th. “GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY”
What a challenging chapter 6 in 1st Corinthians we read today. Giving glory to God is more than just a matter of words – of singing praises to Him! We confirm the things we say and sing by our way of living: this is the point Paul makes – in very plain language – to the believers at Corinth where some were even daring to take some of their fellow believers “to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?” [v.1]
Paul follows this up with an even more challenging statement, “… do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?” [v.2] Paul despairs and says, ” I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers … “[v.5]
The plain fact is – we demonstrate to our Lord that we are worthy (or unworthy) of living in God’s soon coming kingdom by how we live now – not just by correctly understanding and believing his word. Paul challenges them further, “… do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” [v.9] He then details the kinds of unrighteousness he means; attitudes and actions we see increasingly around us today!
“Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” [v.9,10] Paul then makes this wondrous point, “such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified …” [v.11] To be ‘sanctified’ – means – ‘saint-i-fied – accepted by God as – holy.
Do we sense this as fully as we should – the way God perceives you and I – now! The word picture Paul is painting to inspire their minds builds up to a climax of awesome thoughts – and a final truly challenging question – pointing to a wondrous ‘truth’ – we find it in the last 2 verses; “… 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.”
We must see our situation from God’s perspective – if we are to be in His Kingdom. He sees us, body, heart and mind, as being a “Temple” in which his Spirit can dwell and operate. We saw that point in 2 days ago in ch. 3 v.16,17.
We are ‘sanctified’ people and a final thought ‘jumps’ into our minds – the words of Jesus – in his prayer just before his arrest! We find it in John 17 v.19,20, ” for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” Let us “glorify God” today and every day until Jesus comes – recognising ever more clearly we “are not (y)our own.”
