S.S. Rai, India
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 honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20
God created the first man (Adam, Genesis 2:7) and woman (Eve, Genesis 2:21–22), the ancestors of all humans. He created them with His own hands as His temple.
Scripture says that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and that you are to honor the Lord with your body. How do you do that? By taking care of it, respecting it, and treating it as a valuable gift. That means you use your body to bring Him glory.
As a physician and pastor, I do not hesitate to acknowledge the fact that in the world, people are perishing from incurable problems. The reason is explained in Romans 1:18–20. Allow me to share these verses and other Scripture passages to make my point clear:
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
We live in a fallen world, so some are sick. We also need to stand against temptation (Romans 6:12–14):
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
When you take care of your body, the temple, you are saying to God, “Lord, thank You for this gift of life. I am choosing to take care of myself, so that I can serve You with my whole heart, mind, and strength.” Keep your temple as a holy palace for the Lord (1 Peter 1:16). How do we achieve this? “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10–11).
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Get proper rest and nourishment through fellowship, teaching, prayer, and communion (Acts 2:42). Honor the Lord with your heart, with your soul, and with your mind by taking care of your body. Enjoy the blessings that God has given you and thank Him for everything. May God fulfill His covenant with you in a wonderful way, just as He did for the Hebrew people in Leviticus 26:9–12. Have a wonderful life in Christ!