In this passage, Paul asked readers to "control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans," which laid out two ways to stay holy. First, proactively, we must guard our holy and honorable body. A prince will not do anything unfit for his status, because if he had done anything inappropriate he'd bring shame to his country. Similarly, as Christians we must understand our status as children of God. Once I went to a Christian campsite, and its restrooms have signs that say "Prince" and "Princess" on the doors. I thought these restrooms may not be for ordinary people like me, but then I realized that since this is a Christian campsite, "prince" must be me! As children of God, we are princes and princesses in God's kingdom, hallelujah! It was the first time that I felt strong how precious is my status, as our childhood dream of being a prince has come true! Did you know how precious your status is before God? Your body is the temple of Holy Spirit; Holy Spirit lives in you, and Holy God also lives in you. As soon as you understand how precious is your status, you won't casually sin and disgrace your own body.
Second, reactively, do not have passionate lust like the pagans, which mean do not let evil thoughts grow inside you. Bible says that lust can be conceived and given birth to sin, and sin will grow and lead to death. Sometimes we seem to be living in death, because we allow evil thoughts to conceive inside us. Many people think they've not sinned, but if they didn't do anything sinful, yet allow evil thoughts conceive inside and enjoy the thoughts of lust, then eventually they will be led into adulterous act. Martin Luther once said: "You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." Evil thoughts may appear in our mind, but we can refuse to let them settle inside us. Let us know how to reject evil thoughts in our daily life, and keep ourselves holy with God's help!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.