Do y’all remember that gameshow “Legends of the Hidden Temple” on Nickelodeon in the 90’s? Everything was golden, there were pyramids and trap doors, and various treasure chests hidden throughout. Or maybe you remember the “temple” from Aladdin? Again, full of treasures that people really wanted to steal. In my mind, when I think of temples I think of rooms full of treasure, not sacred spaces where the Holy Spirit resides. 

As I have read more and more of the Old Testament, I have realized that God thought the temple was a really big deal. There are pages and pages, chapters and chapters, with specific instructions on how the temple is to be built, maintained, and cared for. I am talking measurements, interior design directions, and even when to take the appropriate steps. God was not playing when he gave the instructions for the home He would be residing in. The temple was sacred: worthy of instruction, time, depth. The temple was a place where He resided, and it had to be worthy of this residence.

We’ve all probably heard this verse a thousand times around Valentine’s Day when the sex talk is coming up at youth group, or when the church dares to talk about sexual immorality, but let’s really think about it:.

“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

Maybe this verse has been used to shame you. Maybe Christians, pastors, mentors have used this verse to tell you that when you don’t take care of your body you are sinning against God. Or maybe you’ve heard this verse and thought of all of the dishonor you’ve heaped onto your earthly body. I’m here to tell you, this verse speaks more to the deep love of God for you AND your body: not shame, not sin. 

This verse is not an instruction for us to make our bodies shiny and new like the temples we imagine. It’s not a direction to store up treasures, and protect ourselves from invaders. This is a verse that begs us to remember that God created us to be temples of the Holy Spirit. He took our bodies that He created, and gave them specific purposes, just like the temples in the Old Testament. This purpose was to house the Holy Spirit.

And when Paul spoke of our bodies being temples in 1 Corinthians, he was using the Greek word for the innermost room of the temple: naos. We’re not talking about where the priests made sacrifices, or where people came to be cleansed. We are talking about the “Holy of Holies'' where the spirit of God literally lived. And that is how Paul wants us to view our bodies. 

He created our specific bodies to hold the Holy Spirit, to be walking-around images of God. This isn’t a call to make ourselves look better but a call to follow his instructions for how we are to live our lives. This is a call to each and every believer that He bought us at a price, constructed us for one purpose: to house the living, powerful, Holy Spirit.

So instead of looking at honoring your bodies as bettering them to be beautiful temples for people to look at, let’s make them useful, and important. Let’s look at the longevity of our earthly bodies as the goal. Let’s look at the use of our bodies for His purposes, not for others purposes. And His purposes are always and only for our good (Romans 8:28). Our purpose here on earth is to continue to make our bodies worthy of housing the Holy Spirit, and that only takes abiding with Him, leaning on Him, letting Him in. 

A body worthy of the Holy Spirit remembers forgiveness and second chances, and being free from shame. A body worthy of the Holy Spirit honors Jesus and his death and resurrection, and knows that we can make mistakes, and we can come back from them. We can dishonor our bodies, and then take the necessary steps to make them sacred again. We can ask for forgiveness and the dishonor melts away. A body worthy of the Holy Spirit knows that their earthly body is sacred, created for Him and by Him, and there is nothing wrong with it. A body worthy of the Holy Spirit knows deeply, and truly, that God does not make mistakes: that the “naos” that He created you to be is perfect, flawless, and worthy solely because HE created it.

We are temples of the Holy Spirit, and we will honor God with our earthly bodies because He asked us to, and because He showed us that the care and maintenance of the temple was worth more than just a single verse in the Old Testament. Our care and maintenance of our temple is worthy of a second glance, worthy of time spent with Him, worthy of abiding in the one who created it. It’s not about honoring our bodies with beauty, but honoring our bodies with His presence.

Need more?

Food Freedom Bible Study is now available for individuals and Registered Dietitians who want to earn CEU’s. It’s a simple, online, gospel-centered program for breaking the bondage of food, exercise and body image issues.