How is your physical body the Temple of the Holy Spirit?

God says we are supposed to know, but do we?

1 Corinthians 6:19

Instructing the Christians in Corinth to flee from sexual immorality, the apostle Paul exhorted,

“14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. 15 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 harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Basically, those who do not belong to Christ do not have the Spirit of Christ residing in them (Romans 8:9). Thus, their bodies are not a temple of the Holy Spirit. Clearly, then, the greatest thing we can do for our bodies is to submit them into a temple for God’s Spirit to reside.

So, the question is, how are we joined to Christ and the Spirit (v. 17)?  (Infants are born perfect without sin, they are joined with the Lord automatically. They have no need for baptism for remission of sins until they reach an age of accountability in order to realize they are sinners.) The following scripture (Colossians 2:11-12) is most important to understand that the cleansing of sin is a work of God, appropriated (obeyed) by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ.

“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through the faith in the operation of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

We are possessed and occupied or inhabited by the Holy Spirit that spiritually begins dwelling within us as God awards at the point of scriptural baptism for the remission of sins. You may disagree with this but that's what it says. Read on.

We at the point of immersion for remission of sins repent and surrender. We die to ourselves and sin, and are gifted the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). God will not gift the Holy Spirit to any soul who is still unclean by refusing water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins. This is the final culminating act of faith that opens the floodgates of the cleansing blood of Christ in the new creature’s soul/temple.

To the Jews:

Then Peter said to them. “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

Of Saul:

So I (Paul) said, “What shall I do, Lord?” And the Lord said to me, “Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which you are appointed for you to do.” (Acts 22:10)

To Saul:

Ananias said to Paul, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16)

We are joined with Christ through belief, faith, repentance and baptism with one Spirit. We then yield to Him and are set apart for good works for Him.

“For we are Gods handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

You are bought at a price by the Gospel.

“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are Gods.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)

In summary, our bodies are no longer our own. We maintain our bodies fit for Gods use and residence. We are a new creature when and if we have properly obeyed the Gospel.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

If God meant to convey the idea that the Spirit lives within the believer, He could have used words such as “home,” “house,” or “residence.” But by choosing the word “temple” to describe the Spirit’s dwelling, He conveys the idea that our bodies are the shrine, or the sacred place, in which the Spirit not only lives, but is worshiped, revered, and honored in and separate of this world. Therefore, how we behave, think and speak, and what we let into the temple through our eyes and ears becomes critically important as well, for every thought, word and deed is in His view. Even though He will never leave us, it is entirely possible to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4: 30). Instructing the Ephesians to not grieve the Spirit, Paul told them to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). When we live by the Spirit, we will no longer gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Galatians 5:16). But in order to partake of Christ, we must as individuals properly obey the Gospel fully in order to possess the Holy Spirit (the helper John 14:16-18) from God. By divine circumcision during initial baptism, the Holy Spirit of God is grafted into ones soul, or temple by His operation and His good pleasure. Read Colossians 2:11-12 above again to see this unfold.

Adam, Moses, the Patriarchs, Prophets and Israelites lived in the age of the Father. The first century disciples from Jesus baptism to His ascension back to heaven lived in the brief transition age of the Son. Mankind since Jesus ascension now lives in the age of the Holy Spirit that came in Acts chapter 2 establishing the church with the Jews in Jerusalem, and 7 years later with the Gentiles at Caesarea in Acts chapter 10.

God the Father created our bodies, God the Son redeemed them, and God the Holy Spirit indwells them. This makes our body the very temple of the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is present in Gods church of Christ (Romans 16:16), the body collectively and individually. That is, if you have “put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).

Scriptures Weekly
2015

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