Much More Than Just a Body!

Have you ever thought of yourself as the temple of God?

In Ephesians 2:21-22 NLT states, “We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a Holy temple for the Lord. Through him, you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his spirit.”

In Corinthian 6: 19 -20, NIV states, “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.”

I like how the TPT states in 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20, “Have you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the spirit of holiness who lives in you?” You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit lives inside your sanctuary.”

You are God’s expensive purchase, paid with pain and suffering and of blood, so by all means, use your body to bring glory to God.

I also like what 1^st Corinthians 3:16 states in the AMP, “Do you not know and understand that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells permanently in you collectively and individually?”

Every one of us who has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior is his temple, and the Holy Spirit lives in us. We are much more than just a body!

Jesus stated in John 14: 15-17, “I will ask the Father and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Holy Spirit of truth.” “You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

In John 16: 13-15, Jesus stated, “When he the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own. He will say only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me and he will make it known to you.”

You and I are the temple of God, and the Holy Spirit lives with us and in us.

I was listening to Tony Evans one day in a message about the Holy Spirit. He read from Ephesians 5: 17-18, “Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

Paul compares being drunk, and intoxicated with wine to being filled and intoxicated with the Holy Spirit.

We are God’s temple, and the Holy Spirit lives inside us. Paul tells us to be filled, be intoxicated, with the Holy Spirit.

You received the Holy Spirit when you confessed, asked forgiveness, and received the grace of God. The Holy Spirit wants each one of us to be under his influence, under his control, to bring glory to Jesus, and to make known to us what he receives from Jesus.

When someone is drunk, they are intoxicated, their personality changes, and how they speak, think, and act all change.

When someone chooses to surrender to Jesus totally and asks to be filled with his Holy Spirit, I like to think of it this way – it is like they are asking to be intoxicated with His Holy Spirit-totally influenced, totally controlled, in actions, thinking, and speaking. They are asking to see from God’s perspective.

When we are being filled, being influenced, being controlled, by His Holy Spirit, we are able to conduct our thoughts, speech, and actions as Christ.

 Galatians 5: 22-23 states,  “The fruit of the (His) Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Ephesians 4:32  says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 5:10 says, “Find out what pleases the Lord.”

Being intoxicated with His Holy Spirit means allowing him to influence you totally, and totally control you; once that happens, then you will be able to fulfill the scriptures I just quoted.

You might say I have asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and I did good for a few days, and then I started struggling.

This is not a one-time prayer. It is a command to be filled every day with His Holy Spirit. It is a prayer to pray every day.  As we pray this prayer to be filled, to be intoxicated, to be influenced, to be controlled, by His Holy Spirit, we have Christ’s thinking, speech, and actions. When we pray, His Holy Spirit will make known to us the will of God.

This is my prayer for each one of you that you will remember you are the temple of God and to be filled daily, to be intoxicated daily, with His Holy Spirit.