As humans, we are a soul and have a body. And a successful spiritual transformation will also impact our physical bodies.
This is Felicia Ferguson with Christian Mix 106, helping you build faith for the journey.
As humans, we are a soul and have a body. And a successful spiritual transformation will also impact our physical bodies. As believers, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He lives in our bodies. While we will get redeemed bodies once we are in Heaven, until then we must work to transform our current bodies. In fact, the apostle Paul says we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God.
One of the most difficult parts of our bodies to control is our tongue. When we let it run unchecked saying whatever we feel in the moment, it can do incredible damage to ourselves and those around us. When we do filter our speech, thinking before we speak, we are bringing our tongue under submission to the Holy Spirit inside of us. Allowing him to speak rather than our sinful flesh.
Bodily desires must also be brought under submission to God and his will and purpose. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life can be a human’s downfall as he gives into doing what feels good. Sexual perversion or addiction will twist an act which God created for humans to bond them to their mates and create the next generation. The is no such thing as free love. You will end up paying one way or another. But repenting from sexual sins and turning away from pornography, sex outside of marriage, or perverted sexual acts can be done and forgiveness is available.
Idolizing our bodies and youth in particular is another battlefield for believers—especially American Christians who live in a culture where appearance is paramount. From hair care and makeup and wearing the right clothes to exercise and weight loss and aging management, we are bombarded by the idea that our bodily appearance must be kept within a certain standard in order to be acceptable to those around us. This is a lie from the pit of hell. Yes, we are to maintain a healthy body by eating the right foods and getting exercise, but the fascination with youth flies in the face of scriptural truth. That our bodies are wasting away daily. Humans are supposed to age. Our bodies will wear out. We will one day die. And only in Heaven will we achieve a glorified body free from sickness, disease, and decay.
Remembering our spiritual disciplines of keeping the main thing (God) the main thing, will help us to keep our priorities correct. Since our bodies are holy unto God, we are to nourish, exercise, and rest them. But we must accept where we are in our stage of life. Don’t fight it by coveting a youthful appearance or undergoing endless rounds of plastic surgery.
When we have accepted the Truth and submitted our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, we can be at peace not only with ourselves and those around us, but also with our bodies.
This is Felicia Ferguson. Thanks for listening to Christian Mix 106.
