What is the Significance of Being the Temple of God?

I Cor 6:19-20
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore, glorify God with your body.”

If we could truly comprehend the significance of being the “Temple of God”, the power of that truth would radically change our lives.  It could drastically effect what we watch, what we listen to, what we read, our use of drugs and alcohol, how we dress, and even what we eat, which is the focus of this devotional. Sadly, most of us don’t see ourselves as the “Temple of God” nor do we see food as an offering. However, both are true.

A Divine Revelation

One morning while enjoying a delicious decadent Bavarian cream-filled donut, God brought this Scripture to my mind. I had been studying about the beauty of His temple descripted in I Kings 6:2-38. I was also studying about the sanctification process His priests had to go through to maintain holiness, and the standards for the offerings the Israelites had to meet in order to bring them into the temple.

For example, if the offering was an animal, it had to be pure, spotless, the best of the best. The same standards applied to grain, fruit, oil, and spice offerings, as well. After reflecting on this for a while, the Spirit then asked me a very pointed question that cut deep, “What kind of offering did you bring into God’s temple this morning?”

As good as that Bavarian cream-filled donut was in satisfying my fleshly tastebuds, it was a very poor offering that provided no nutritional value for my body – God’s temple. I must say, seeing food as an offering brought a much deeper meaning to this text then I had very considered. However, with that revelation, it also brought a greater conviction. In that aha moment, God opened my eyes to the significant of being the temple of God which broke my heart, and a “sorrow that leads to repentance” followed.

A Divine Challenge

God’s Word has a lot to say about the subject of food and what is healthy, what isn’t, and why. Remember, Adam and Eve’s first sin had to do with food. With statistics stating that 65% of Americans are struggling with obesity, food has become quite a health issue in our country. Though the church doesn’t say much about this sin issue, in the world, it’s a billion-dollar industry. From touting the latest fad diet to surgical intervention, food, and our obsession with it, has center stage.

I don’t mean to sound legalistic or insensitive to those struggling with weight or eating disorders, but this Scripture does imply a very simple solution to the food issue. If it doesn’t benefit the body nutritionally then it is not an acceptable offering to bring into God’s temple. So, DO NOT EAT IT or at least eat it in moderation! After all, if we’re going to request that God bless our food to the nourishment of our bodies, it shouldn’t take a miracle to accomplish that.

You might be thinking at this point, “No more cookies, cheeseburgers and fries, ice cream, and the multitude of other unhealthy foods that we, as Americans, love to eat.” Paul answers this question in I Cor. 6:12, “Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” Paul is giving us some “food for thought” (pardon the pun) about our liberties that promote the concept of moderation in all things.

However, Paul’s earlier statement in I Cor. 3:16-17 brings the significance of I Cor. 6:19-20 into full view. It includes a strong exhortation that definitely warrants our attention. “Don’t you know that you, yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” Ouch!

Call to Action

A consistent diet of unhealthy food and/or addiction to food can destroy God’s temple. Therefore, we have a responsibility to feed our bodies with something that is healthy and nourishing. This is an act of self-care that embraces the significance of being the temple of God. Beloved, we are not our own. We have been purchased with a price and the price tag was His Son, Jesus Christ. Let us seek to honor God with our food choices, not because we have to, but because it shows love and care for our temple and glorifies Him as well.Father, food choices are a daily decision that we need Your guidance and direction in. Help us to eat to live and not live to eat. Deliver us from the temptation to indulge our flesh with food that feeds our appetite but destroys our health in the process. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!