No longer mine but Yours – 1 Corinthians 6
“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 NIV11)
“Mine!”
If you grew up with a brother or sister in the house this was probably one of your earliest words after mum and dad etc. It may have even been the first! To identify that which is ours is vital to getting what we want out of life. There’s only so much LEGO to go around, only so many dark-haired dolls, only so many people who can sit on the billy cart at one time.
It appears that the Corinthian’s self importance and disputing was spilling over into the public courts. Paul shames them by declaring that in the future God’s people will judge the world and indeed angels! If this is so, he argues, then how can it be that you can’t figure out minor disputes among yourselves?
This wrong doing and disputing offers a deadly danger. God has declared that wrongdoers will not inherit the Kingdom (heaven). In an incredible paragraph Paul draws their attention to their current position – former wrongdoers. Where before they were facing judgement and hell that is no longer the case because of Jesus:
“And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)
What grace of God is here! Perhaps this is your story too. Once we see this clearly then disputing and sexual immorality must find their place as the ‘old life.’ We have a new purpose now that we have seen God as the ultimate director of our lives.
“The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.” (1 Corinthians 6:13–14)
The great reality behind the moral encouragements and rebukes Paul sets forth are to do with the question of ownership. Whose are we? Do you still cry, “mine!” over your body, and over your life? The Christian has left this behind in the great decision of conversion. Now there is a far more beautiful reality – we are temples of the Holy Spirit and because we were bought by Jesus’s blood we owe Him our life, our honour, and our worship.
Perhaps in light of this we can see that the Christian life starts with a declaration something like this, “I’m no longer mine. I’m truly Yours.”
“Dear Lord, save us from moralism and judgement. In their place instill a deep conviction and thankfulness that You have bought us at the great cost of Your Son. We thank you for your Holy Spirit and ask that He might do His work of making us holy. We are made for You – help us to honour You with all we do today. Amen.”
Grace and peace,
Stuart.
#newlifeisfoundhere #readingfornewlife
