How Should We Then Live?

These Corinthians had some problems - big problems! Paul, never one to hold back, talked about some Christian-living issues in his writings - up front and personal. These people, mostly Gentiles, had brought a lot of pagan practices and cultures into this church. Remember from your Greek history that Corinth was the home of the Temple of Aphrodite - in Greek mythology, the goddess of love, beauty, and sexual rapture. Corinth had two shipping ports, and a lot of people, trade, and commerce passed through this city - sailors looking for a "good time" - and this temple in Corinth did not disappoint them.

Paul deals with the practices of abuse of alcohol, sexual promiscuity, and bad conduct - sinful practices that go way beyond what we can even imagine. I would say this was a spiritually-troubled church! So, Paul lays down some very basic principles for them concerning their bodies, their marriages, and their conduct. We would do well to read, understand, and remember his words.

We, as Americans, are obsessed with our bodies! Just think about all of the advertisements you see on TV. All the products you can purchase. Advertisements for food, diet, exercise, medical prescriptions, clothing, and even certain shoes to help give you muscle and tone you up! We could spend a fortune on all these products.

Or, how about this - why don't we just decide to become the master of our bodies? I think that would work. It would cut down on the amount of food we eat and the clothes we buy, increase the exercise we get, which in turn might take away some of the pills we have to take. Paul asks the question - do you not know that your body is the temple of the Lord? Remember the temple we studied in the Old Testament? The pattern for it, the building of it, the beauty of it, the use of it? David planned it, Solomon built it, and the Jewish people were honored to have it in their midst. It was a sacred site - a holy site - where God dwelt and where the people met with Him.

The Holy Spirit dwells in the body of each of us as believers. We are "temples" - wonderful, sacred, beautiful, and filled with the power and presence of God. People should be able to see Christ in residence within us. They should be able to sense the holiness and presence of God in our lives. Think about someone you know that is close to the Lord - there is something special about them - it shows in the face, in their attitude, and in their life. No, they are not perfect, but there is a noticeable difference. Just this weekend a friend and I were talking about a mutual Christian friend, and she said, "When I look at her, I can see God." I feel the same way about her. It shows in that person!

Paul goes on to ask - and whose body is it anyway? It is God's. He bought it, and He can do what He likes with it. We were bought with a price. He paid a very high price for it - His own beloved Son. He has filled us with the Holy Spirit, and He has a plan for your body and for your life.



The conclusion - everything we do must be pleasing to the Lord - how we treat our bodies, how we live our lives, what we think, and how we act. And, although certain actions are not sinful in themselves, we should avoid doing them in front of others who may think they are, or do anything that would be a hindrance or a stumbling block to others. We must live to glorify God, and hopefully others around us will see in us Christ, the hope of glory.