Body Building

Last week I was trying to profile in the parking lot (big mistake!), and I mentioned to a couple of people that I was working out. While I was flexing my mediocre arm muscles Pastor Benji interjected, "Keep working!"

It's a good thing to care for ourselves and strive for healthy living. More important than caring for our physical bodies, though, is caring for ourselves and each other as members in the community that worships the Christ. Sunday's sermon used some metaphors in describing this community, and today we will take another look at those three terms.

The Body of Christ (First Corinthians 12). This passage encourages each believer to think of the entire community of faith as one unit made of many parts (12:1). Our spiritual gift or gift-mix has a particular function that serves to enhance the body as a whole. The Holy Spirit gives these gifts, and we are exhorted to use them within the context of the church community.

The Temple of God (Second Corinthians 6:14 - 7:1). Identification with Christ does carry with it the expectation that we will not engage in behaviors that cause us to be identified with the enemy. We are warned against idolatry. While this might cause us to think of a physical statue that is worshiped, idolatry often appears in the guise of people insisting on their own way as opposed to submitting to God's way. Avoid the trap of insisting on your own way and becoming a stumbling block to other believers.

The Family of God (Second Corinthians 6:18). God promises to make His dwelling place in us and to walk among us, but He also warns us that He will not receive those who touch the 'unclean thing' (6:17). Leviticus chapters 26 and 27 give clear indication of the punishment that befalls those who embrace disobedience and crave those things that are contrary to the heart of God. According to the scripture, our membership in the family of God is evidenced by our embracing holiness (7:1).

My prayer for you is that, if you claim to be a Christian but are still preferring your own agenda to God's, that you would repent and abandon yourself to the Spirit of God. No sinful relationship or ideology is worth losing the favor and commendation of God. In fact, your duplicity identifies you not as a child of the kingdom of light, but as an agent of the devil.

There are only two sides, and you cannot straddle the two. Whose side are you on?