Not My Own

God, the past couple days has been teaching me the severity and the heaviness of what was done on Calvary. The weight that was carried was far greater than I had ever given thought to. Recently, it had me in tears.

1st Corinthians chapter 6: A chapter of sexual immorality. A chapter that Paul writes to the church in Corinth reminding them that such sinners a themselves, do NOT inherit the Kingdom of God. Such sinners as ME... But Paul tells them they were washed, and sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of Our God (verse 11).

Such sinners as me.... To think back and remember what the Lord saved me from is enough to bring me to my knees in praise. But then to think of my Jesus bearing the burden of MY shame, knowing that when He was making His way to the hill on Calvary, being beaten, scourged, spit on, yelled at, all the while carrying that heavy cross, and then nailed to that cross, all this done with MY name in mind... makes me weep. A love like that is impossible to find. He did it for such a sinner as me.  He did it for such sinners who believe on His Name.

And because of that love, I am washed clean.  And because of that love I am made new. Because of that love I am to walk in newness of life! Because of that love, I should want to give everything back to Him!

Paul says in vs 12: All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

In short, you are "allowed" to DO whatever you want. But whats the cost? How do your choices affect you? Are they pleasing to the Lord? Are you under the power of the choices you make? Do I use my free will to glorify my flesh or my Lord who paid for my freedom? 

Paul says in 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!

Do I use my body to glorify God? Do I use it to glorify sin?

Verse 17: But he who is joined to the lord is one Spirit with Him

If you are a believer, if you have been purchased by Jesus Christ, you are joined together with God. You are one spirit.

In this chapter, Paul is referring to sexual immorality. He says that to be sexually immoral is to sin against your body. And if we are joined together in one spirit with God we are sinning against God's temple. If you think that just because you may not be in sexual sin that this doesn't apply to you, I would say you're wrong. To present my members to any sort of sin becomes a direct violation of the One dwelling within me.

in Vs. 19: Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which  is in you, whom you have from God, and YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN?

You are not your own. If you have been PURCHASED BY CHRIST...you belong to HIM. Your body is the dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.

Vs. 20: For you were BOUGHT at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

You were BOUGHT AT A PRICE: That price was Christ bearing the weight of the sins of those who believe on Him. That price was Him crucified. He viewed His children valuable enough to carry our shame and DIE for them. You were not bought at some cheap second hand store price. You were purchased by the blood of the ONLY Living God's ONLY Son...Jesus Christ. How do you present your body? What do you do with the house that the Holy Spirit dwells in? What do you allow into it?

My prayer before I sat down with the Lord this morning was that He would put a fire in me to desire Him. I prayed that I would be cleansed of anything that was not pleasing to Him. To be rid of anything that kept me from serving Him the way He calls me to. I prayed that I would burn with desire for only Him. And this was the chapter I read this morning.

To be purchased by the Lord. To know that He views me so valuable to BUY me at such a hefty price brings me to my knees. To know how valuable I am to HIM that He was willing to die for me is amazing. Because I am SUCH A SINNER as them. What will I do with that gift?

Glorify God in your body and in your spirit, Which are Gods.....