The Apostle Paul tells us that a believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Since we trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit regenerated and now indwells us.
The temple in the Old Testament was a place of worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It was a holy place where they met God. Just like the Tabernacle, the temple in Jerusalem is a symbol that God dwells among the people (Exodus 25:8.)
However, the constant disobedience of the Hebrews prompted God to destroy the temple. This shows that God will not dwell with people who constantly reject and disobey Him. The temple was made according to the commands of God with such beauty and intricate details. But God destroyed it because He cares more for the holiness of the people (2 Chronicles 36:16-19.)
When Jesus came, He abolished the need for a single temple in a specific location. With His authority as our great high priest, we no longer need to travel to the temple to worship and pray. Since the Holy Spirit dwells in those who trusted in Christ, we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The proprietor of our body.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19
God the Father created us, the Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us, and the Holy Spirit indwells us. This makes God the owner of our body. God owns us through creation, redemption, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Some Christians think they own their bodies and can do whatever they want. However, the Bible disagrees with this ideology. Assuming that you own your body is a manifestation of pride and an insult to the one who created and redeemed you.
The price for our body.
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6:20
Though God owns us through creation, sin separates us from Him. As a result, God will not dwell within us because we are sinful. That’s why Christ died on the cross for our redemption.
18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1 Peter 1:18-19
To redeem means to buy out. In this context, it is used about the purchase of an enslaved person’s freedom. We were slaves of sin when we were without the Lord Jesus Christ. God purchased our freedom through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are no longer a slave of sin.
The shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ gave us redemption and forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28.) Moreover, His blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7.)
Thus redemption, forgiveness, and the cleansing we receive through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ make it possible for the Holy Spirit to indwell us. As a result, believers in Christ are now the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The purpose of our body.
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6:20
Since a believer’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, we are to use it to glorify God. This gives the idea that our body must be holy, must be used for worship, and must give honor to God.
Furthermore, Since our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, no sin or evil should defile it. Thus, a believer must avoid sin at all costs. Our body belongs to God and must be used to glorify Him.
How can we keep the temple of the Holy Spirit clean and undefiled?
Keep the temple of the Holy Spirit away from any appearance of sin.
Since your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, you must keep it away from any appearance of sin. The reason why we fall into temptation is because we hold ourselves near temptation. We don’t run away from it. Instead, we welcome it.
The devil knows your weakness and which sin you’re susceptible to commit. He will constantly use these to take advantage of you until you fall into sin. We might think that we can handle temptation. But the devil is waiting for the right time to pounce and devour you with sin (1 Peter 5:8.)
If you’re going to avoid sin, you must stay away from temptation. For instance, if you have a history of substance abuse (alcohol, drugs), don’t keep those substances in your house. Stay away from people who will encourage you to get wasted. And stop looking at social media videos and ads that promote substance abuse (Ephesians 4:27.)
Prioritize your worship for Christ.
In the Old Testament, the people worshipped God in the temple. Since we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, we ought to worship the Lord Jesus Christ at church and in our daily lives.
Attending church services must be the priority in our schedules. God gave us a set day to assemble with other believers and worship Christ. The first day of the week is the day that is exclusively for the worship of Christ.
Our worship of Christ does not stop when Sunday ends. Our daily life must reflect a life that worships the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, our attitude toward worship at church must be the same attitude we show outside the church.
Cleanse your heart from idols.
The temple was a Holy place that was exclusively for God. Once again, just like the Tabernacle, the temple symbolized that God dwells among the people.
However, there were many instances in the times of kings when an evil ruler placed an idol, a false god, in the temple. They defiled the temple and corrupted the people with idolatry. This shows complete disrespect toward God and implies that He is not worthy of worship.
However, there were always righteous kings who cleansed the temple of idols and worshipped the only true God, just like King Manasseh, who destroyed the idols he built in the temple and repaired the altar of the Lord (2 Chronicles 33:15-16.)
Since our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, we must eliminate any idols we are hiding in our hearts. Anything that takes away the preeminence of Christ in your life is an idol. Our job, relationships, hobbies, and even studies can be an idol if they take away Christ’s preeminence in our life.
God owns us through creation, Christ redeemed us with His blood, and the Holy Spirit indwells us. Thus, a believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Our responsibility is to live in holiness, prioritize worship, and cleanse our life of idols.
