“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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
A few months back, I saw a Youtube video of a dog being rescued from an animal shelter. The dog was so excited and happy! The couple put a collar on the dog and connected a leash to the collar. When they went outside, the dog pulled continuously on the leash. He was so thrilled to be free from a cage and wanted to explore the world … but the leash was holding him back. He was still happy, just a little hindered.
We know what would have happened if the owners turned him loose from the leash. He would have run away from the couple that lovingly adopted him & probably would have gotten lost or killed by a car. The leash that the dog thought was holding him back was actually protecting him. The leash seemed to limit his freedom, but was really working for his best interests.
That's the way it is for the Christian. We were in the cage of sin, awaiting death. Then Jesus came, paid the price and adopted us. In our flesh, we want to roam freely, yet the Lord has His ways of keeping us on a protective leash. Left to ourselves, we would end up in the gutter --- or worse. The only way we can experience His love and enjoy His presence is by staying close to Him. The leash of protection keeps us close to Him.
When we were adopted, we became His. We belong to the Lord.
When we refer to Jesus as our “Lord,” do we really understand what we are saying? In essence, we are declaring that we are surrendered to His Lordship. He is the King and we are His servants. He is the leader and we are His followers. He is the boss. He is in control. We march at His command.
This description is rather offensive to many, including some who claim that Jesus is their Lord. Yet that is what it means to have Christ as your Lord. When you surrender to the Lord, you give up your rights. He purchased you with His blood. Ownership has been transferred from the devil to Jesus. You never really owned yourself. Instead, you have a new Lord, One who loves you and wants the best for you. Like the dog I mentioned earlier, the devil kept us caged up and would have let us die. Jesus has freed us from the cage and from ultimate eternal death. He has freed us from the devil's dominion. We now walk with Jesus.
In our country, many argue that they have certain rights. They will complain and pursue litigation to prove that their rights have been violated. Christians really have no rights. We are owned by the King. He has ownership rights. This creates conflict in our lives because our flesh resists a life of obedience. It is a daily battle. That's why we need to be surrendered to Jesus every day. Otherwise, the protective leash will begin to choke us as we try to work ourselves free of God's control.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” Notice that Paul states that we belong to God. Not just the spirit. Even the the body belongs to Him. Thus, we should glorify God in our spirit and our body.
We've been purchased by Jesus. Thus, we belong to Him. Everything we have belongs to Him. Our health, our wealth, our jobs, our families, our possessions --- everything belongs to Him. In fact, it is by His grace that we enjoy these things in the first place.
Someone has wisely said that when we hold tightly to the things of this world, it hurts much more when God releases our grip to take them from us. It doesn't hurt nearly as bad if we keep our hands open in surrender. You see, we came into this world with nothing and that's how you will leave it. Everything we strive for in this world --- homes, property and vehicles --- they are all temporary. Even our family members are here for us to enjoy for just a short period of time. God has the right to give things to us & to take them away. Job realized this. When he heard that his children had perished, Job said, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
God paid a tremendous price for me, far more than I am worth. The same is true for you. Because He purchased us, we belong to Him. He has the ownership papers. We belong to a loving God. We are no longer a caged by a tyrant who sought our death.
We owe Jesus everything. He has proved His love for us in the most tangible way. Thus, we should glorify Him through every aspect of our lives. Let's love Him with the same kind of sacrificial love that He has shown us.
I'm glad I am His and He is mine!
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