August 8th
“And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” “Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 NKJV
How we see ourselves can have a big impact on our ability to stop acting out in sex addiction. Since God paid for our sin through Jesus’ death, we are in a sense God’s property. We have been “bought” through the blood of Jesus and our bodies are now God’s property.
As our heavenly landlord, God wants us to keep ourselves pure from the world’s influences. Our bodies are of particular interest to God, as they are literally temples for the Holy Spirit (16). Our bodies are the vehicles through which God reaches other people with the love and truth of Christ. We are God’s ambassadors on earth. When we abstain from the “filthiness” of sin and exercise ourselves toward godliness, we remove the internal obstacles to God’s power and love flowing through us. We become better reflectors of God to those around us.
When we see our bodies as God’s property and recognize the vital role that we have in his work, hopefully we’ll engage our bodies in acts of righteousness (instead of sin). Paul mentioned that we should perfect holiness in the “fear of God.” A healthy fear of God is linked to a revelation of who God is and the reality that he is present in us at all times. The fear of God will help us succeed in perfecting holiness.
We can ask God to help us see ourselves as his property, and our members as his instruments. We can then ask him to reveal to us who he is and create in us a healthy “fear of God” that will help us live in holiness. God will help us do this through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11,13).
Questions for further thought:
Do you regard your body as the Lord’s property?
How has this attitude impacted your ability to overcome temptations?
What happens to our capacity to be used by God when we allow the world to corrupt us? (2 Timothy 2:19-21)
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, Thank you for purchasing me with the blood of Jesus. I accept your ownership of my body. Please forgive me for corrupting my body, your temple, through sin. I pray for a renewed understanding of who you are and the awareness of your presence in me. Please give me a healthy “fear of God.” I commit to perfecting holiness. Holy Spirit, please guide me in the path of righteousness. Thank you, Lord! I praise you that I am a new creation and I am free from the law of sin and death! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”