Honoring God With Your Body

By Angie Lewis

If you are a Christian (Christ One) then you belong to God. But many Christians have been deceived into thinking they can do whatever they want and God will forgive them. But this notion is not correct. As Christians we cannot go on living in sin when we know it to be wrong. We can’t think that we can continue to give away our bodies in sexual lust, and each time we will receive forgiveness because that is hogwash!

When we become a Christian that means we are a new person, reborn in Jesus Christ. The old has passed away and the new creation has come. It is a transformation of the heart, mind, and soul within us. We repent, become saved and God blesses us with His resources to keep us protected from the world of temptation. To be reborn in Christ means the we died to the sins that were controlling us.

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, "You must be born again."
John 3:3-7

If a Christian is involved in a sexual relationship before marriage then he or she is enslaved and controlled by their own thoughts and desires because they have not allowed Christ to go to work in their life - they are still living to feed the desires of the flesh. They have been deceived into believing that whatever they want to do with their bodies is freedom, but its not freedom in Jesus Christ. It is only freedom in ones own mind.

Sexual desire is a temptation that will always be around us. In society sex outside of marriage is considered a normal way to entertain and almost desirable before getting married. Young people have been conditioned into believing it is ok to experiment sexually with several partners before marriage. “Have fun now before you tie yourself down with marriage” many unbelievers like to say. Before you tie yourself down? How contradictory! Most marriages today don’t last! Where is the tying down?

Anyone can remain sexually pure until marriage by putting their mind into the things of God and setting a commitment in their heart to do so. For some reason Christians have stopped thinking they are accountable to God for their actions and it is degrading society with great force. What ever happened to “Honor God with our body?” As Christians should we not do that anymore?

You are not your own; you were bought at a price (Christ’s death). Therefore honor God with your body.
I Corinthians 6:20

Having sex before marriage has been a growing trend for decades – it’s an attitude problem. When we believe there is nothing wrong with giving our body away and that it really won’t hurt anyone, why not join the ranks of sexual excitement, Christ will forgive me. Wrong! Jesus Christ will not forgive us. He will not forgive us because we have not forgiven ourselves! We are sinning against our own body.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
I Corinthians 6:18

Having sex with someone we are not going to marry, not only hurts us emotionally, and spiritually, it takes away the special purity that God intends for us to reserve for the man or woman we have decided to love for the rest of our life. When Christians cop the attitude that they belong to anyone who wants to have sex with them, they will eventually give in to it. Where is this run-of-the-mill attitude coming from?

I realize that peer pressure from friends, society, and the media makes it difficult for a young man or woman today to remain pure sexually until marriage, and in most cases a young man or woman may need to find new friends, new places to socialize and worship the Lord. What else can we do? To honor God with our body means we must choose to flee from people and places that are tempting for us, and realize that as Christians we do not belong to the world or what the world does. We belong to God and what He wants for us. We shouldn’t let the world abuse our body. God says He will protect us from the temptations of this culture.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it.
I Corinthians 10:13