Your Temple

I still enjoy watching a batter successfully cross home plate, but nothing thrills me more than seeing the Holy Spirit at work in hearts as the Gospel is carried into stadiums, across the airwaves, and around the world.—Billy Graham

Most of us live in some type of dwelling place—a house, an apartment, a trailer, a tent—someplace we call "home." If you're a fisherman, you might live on a boat. If you're a forest ranger, you might live in a cabin. If you're a king, you might live in a palace. But where does the Holy Spirit live? A lot closer than you think. The Holy Spirit lives in you. Did you get that? The Holy Spirit lives in you. Take a look at Paul's letter to the people in Corinth.

"Or 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."—1 Corinthians 6:19-20

One | The Spirit lives in you

Think about the roles God's Spirit performs in our lives. For one thing, He is our helper, and He helps us in myriad ways:

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."—John 14:16-17

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."—John 14:26

"Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment."—John 16:7-8

And He gives us the power to be witnesses for Jesus:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."—Acts 1:8

He strengthens us when we are weak:

"Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."—Romans 8:26-27

The Holy Spirit is an incredible resource for us in many ways and on many levels. So what better place is there for Him to reside than within us as believers? It's genius. We have total access to the greatest (unlimited) power in the universe all the time. And that's by design—it's the way God wants it. Kind of blows your mind, doesn't it?

Two | The body is now God's

Yet here's another mind-bender. Paul says we are "not our own," God owns us. It's a good thing God is full of love, grace, mercy, and wisdom because He owns us. We were bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus. He is our Savior, indeed, but He also is our Lord, our Master. When we misuse or abuse our bodies, we are messing with someone else's property—and that someone else just happens to be Creator and Ruler of the universe. Think about that the next time you're tempted to engage in an activity, you know to be wrong in God's eyes. At the same time, however, don't forget that you have direct access to all the power you need to resist that temptation.

Three | The body is for God's Glory

As much as we'd like to enjoy a little personal glory now and then, it's just no longer an option. We belong to God, so every accomplishment and accolade belongs to Him. There's nothing wrong with pursuing excellence—with doing marvelous things in excellent ways—but perspective is everything, here. What's our motive? Are we in it for the glory it brings to ourselves, or are we in it to bring glory to God?

When Solomon built the Temple of the Lord in Old Testament Israel, he did so according to God's exacting standards and specifications. Gifted craftsmen used only the very finest timber, precious metals, and other materials to erect the magnificent structure. When it was completed, God said to Solomon:

"I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before Me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting My name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time."—1 Kings 9:3

Today, God has chosen your body, and my body, to be His holy temple. I admit that we may grow weary of what seems to us like frailties and imperfections in our bodies, but God has nonetheless chosen this earthly shell we inhabit as the dwelling place for His Holy Spirit. So with His help, let us strive every day to treat our bodies as the Temple of God – and live accordingly.