“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; for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NKJV

A few years ago, a friend who was travelling abroad left with me something valuable to keep.

I was surprised at how I ensured that I took great care of the asset, even more than I would have cared for it if were my own property.

I didn’t want to disappoint my friend. I mean what would my friend think of me if the asset got in a mess and broke down in my custody?

When something like money belongs to a person you trust and love, you make sure that it is kept securely.

Indeed should it get a problem while in your custody, you try your best to fix it without even mentioning it to the owner.

That’s called faithfulness, good stewardship and dependability. 

In our meditation today, the Apostle Paul is asking a very important rhetorical question and reminding the believers that they were someone else’s property.

Indeed, in Chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians, the apostle was responding to a litany of issues regarding moral living in the dispensation of Grace.

There was a serious mismatch in the Corinthian fellowship as believers were suing each other in secular courts thus undermining the name of God before the world.

They were cheating and fleecing one another. There was greed and abuse of the body through sexual immorality because everyone believed that they had the ‘right’ to do whatever they wanted.

The apostle’s reasoning was that their behaviour and conduct was a result of one thing – ignorance.

As someone aptly put it, every problem is because of a knowledge gap.

So the apostle wrote to remind them that ignorance was making them abuse God’s ‘property’ as it were.

“Know ye not?” Do you know that you are not your own?

Do you not know that your bodies are God’s property?” He asked, while stressing the fact that the Holy Spirit in them was God’s irrefutable proof of ownership.

“Know ye not?” Do you know that you are not your own? Do you not know that your bodies are God’s property?”

In Luke 16, Jesus taught His disciples that they were “stewards” of everything that they had received.

 “And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” (verse 10).

Please be reminded that you were purchased with a hefty price – the precious Blood of Jesus – which He shed to make you and everything you own His!

That means you own nothing; you’re a mere steward and you neither have the freedom nor the right to do whatever you want with what belongs to Him.

In this era when people are obsessed with ‘grace,’ ‘rights,’ ‘freedoms’ and ‘personal liberties,’ God demands that we glorify and honour Him in and with ourselves, which are His own “purchased possession” (Ephesians 1:14).

Prayer:

Almighty God, whatever I am and whatever I have are yours. Help me to glorify you and honour you with everything that I am and have every day of my life. For the glory of your Name, Amen!