The excerpt was then extracted with permission from the book Refresh, by Shona and David Murray, Faithful Editor.
While the secular world often emphasizes the body to the point of neglecting the soul, the Church sometimes seems to defend a position that represents the opposite end: to enhance the soul to the point of excluding the body. In some groups, any attempt to take care of the body is considered a lack of spirituality. Once, a Christian said to me, Why are you going to run, why don’t you do something like sew?He was planning to do a worldly activity, while sewing seemed more spiritual to him. If I saw how bad I am at sewing, I could change my mind.
- However.
- The Bible presents an intermediate path between the two extremes.
- Which leads us to care for both the body and the soul.
- The Apostle Paul presents his theology of the body in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-20.
- He begins by admitting that the human body has been wounded by sin (vv.
- 9-10).
- However.
- This doesn’t mean we just have to put the body aside.
- No.
- Paul says that Christ’s redemption is not only for the soul.
- But also for the body.
- It is a salvation that includes the whole body and the whole soul.
- ? The body is? For the Lord.
- Insists Paul.
- And the Lord for the body?(V.
- 13).
- He created the body.
- Saved the body.
- And is eternally interested in the body.
More than that, his body is a member of Christ (vv. 15-17). It is not only souls who are members of Christ; the body too. This should have an impact on how we care for our bodies. Think about it the next time you look in the mirror or get on the scale.
And more: your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (v. 19). This is the home of the Holy Spirit, this is where he lives. Think about how much you care for your home, shouldn’t you take much more care of the house of the Holy Ghost?
And there’s even greater motivation. His body cost the blood of Christ (v. 20). He paid with the biggest ransom of all time. Try to think about the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought. A house?Now think about how much Christ paid for your body and consider how you manage this property that cost him the blood. “You’re not yourself, ” said Paulo, why were you bought by price?(Vv. 19-20). We have a new owner who paid a high price for his property, declares that our body belongs to him and calls us to manage our body for his glory.
So he concludes by saying, “Glorify God in your body?”(V. 20). Paul’s logic is simple, did he buy you?Your body and soul. Therefore, serve it with your body and soul. We will need to inform God how we use, abuse, or underutilized His property. This should make a difference in the way we view and manage our bodies.
If it is a theology of the body, what are the practical implications?How do we glorify God with our bodies?
Are you running, can’t meet all the requirements of your constantly growing to-do list?Are you full of commitments, but don’t know how to slow down when the world tells you to speed up?Is there any hope of balance in Many women not realizing that they are running at an unsustainable rate until they enter a state of physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion. Based on many years of counselling and their own experience of depression, Shona and David Murray help him slow down so that he lives at the pace of grace for God’s glory.
Check