OUR BODIES Devotion 2 of 15 Asking this question may appear insignificant – "What is the body?" However, more hinges upon our perception of this definition than may at first appear. The indulgent person, or hedonist, for example, views the body as the ultimate object for gratification. Thus the immoral individual freely satisfies its lusts, gratifying the cravings of the body, without any qualm of conscience. For others, the body is at the core of the pride of life, and is the cause of "care," or anxiety. Feeding, pampering the body, clothing it in extreme ways, and making it a near-object of worship, are the ambitions of many such souls. On the other extreme, the ascetic sees the body as the object of disdain, neglect, and severe discipline. – Tomorrow:
" . . . Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body . . . Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? . . . Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:13-20, KJV).
FOR BELIEVERS
For the people of God, the body is viewed quite differently. First, it is our greatest impediment – the weakest part of our constitution. It is the part that tires more easily, is the most ill at ease in the presence of God, and links us to the temporal, or passing, order. Of the body it is said, "though our outward man perish" (2 Cor 4:16). It is referred to as our "vile body" (Phil 3:21), "this corruptible," and "this mortal" (1 Cor 15:53). It is a "natural body" that will finally be "sown" in the earth "in corruption," "in dishonor," and "in weakness" (1 Cor 15:42-43). It is also referred to as "the body of this death" (Rom 7:24). It is weak in constitution, yet aggressive in its opposition to the "inner man," with its desires "lusting against the Spirit" (Gal 5:17).
Second, it is to be controlled, or brought into conformity to the will of the Lord. The body will not volunteer for Divine service, or enter willingly into the worship of God. There is nothing about the body that craves fellowship with the Lord. For this reason, it is imperative that the people of God follow Paul's example, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Cor 9:27, NKJV). That is, the various "members" of the body must be "yielded," "presented," (NASB), or "offered" (NIV) to the Lord (Rom 6:19). The truth of the matter is that if you do not control your body, your body will control you.
Third, it is a stewardship, belonging to God, but given to us as a proving ground for our role in the world to come. As a child of God, your first assignment is to subdue the natural part of your person, which is localized in your body. You are to "glorify God in your body," which is part of what has been "bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:19-20). The body is not yours to do with according to your own natural desires. It belongs to God by creation, and by redemption as well, and is to be used in His service – and that is something YOU must do.
Some academic definitions may be useful at this point. The body is the lowest part of man as a triune being, in which his soul and spirit reside (1 Thess. 5:23). In the body of a redeemed man the Holy Spirit dwells (1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Pet. 1:13-14), and his body is thus said to be peculiarly God's property, and the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Its members are to be yielded unto God as instruments of righteousness rather than unto iniquity (Rom. 6:13,19). The body is the material or physical part of man whether, alive or dead.
NOT AN END OF ITSELF
It is evident that the body is not an end of itself. Its vitality depends upon the presence of the human spirit and soul. It is subordinate and ancillary. As it is written, "the body without the spirit is dead" (James 2:26). Because it is a subordinate part of our constitution, it cannot be given the preeminence without infracting the will of the Lord. This is the reason for the condemnation of moral vices, ranging from aberration (such as fornication, adultery, and sodomy), to drunkenness and other forms of indulgence. Those who become enslaved to these vices have given the reign of their lives to their bodies – something strictly forbidden by God's Word in particular, and the nature of salvation in general.
The body is the most external part of us. It is closest to the world, and the farthest from God. It cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50), and can cause you to be disqualified from entering that glorious kingdom (1 Cor 9:27). It is to be controlled by the highest part of our persons, as it will not volunteer for the good work of glorifying God. That highest part is the redeemed and regenerated spirit.
As long as you are in the world, you will be in your body – a corruptible and vile body that is destined for the grave – to return to dust (Gen 3:19). In order to remind you of its declining nature, it waxes old and feeble before your eyes and in your experience. It is the part of you that is deteriorating. Satan seeks to use your body to drag you down and cause you to be excluded from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power.
In salvation you have been given all of the means necessary to subdue the body, bring it into subjection, and present it to God as a living sacrifice. See that you do it.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, help me to be a master over my own body. Then, and only then, will I be able to serve You.