1 Corinthians 6:13-19 - Homilies By E. Hurndall

Duties to the body.

Christianity concerns itself about man's body as well as about man's soul. Christianity is a religion for man—for a whole man. When considering matters of religion, we are apt to leave the body too much out of account. Our remissness might be corrected if we remembered how large an influence the body has upon the mind and soul.

I. CONSIDER WHAT CHRISTIANITY SAYS ABOUT THE BODY . It is:

1. For the Lord.

2. A temple of the Holy Ghost. Solemn thought! How true—yet how often forgotten! Whilst in the body, God dwells in us. The body is the outer framework of the sanctuary of the Divine Spirit. It is thus consecrated for a high, holy, and sacred purpose. It is God's possession and dwelling place, like the temple of old. Thus:

3. It is not our own. Then we must not deaf with it as though it were. It has been bought by Christ, and should be freely and fully surrendered to him. When we give him our heart we should give him our body also. Many forget to do this.

4. Cared for by God. "The Lord is for the body." He preserves, feeds, clothes, shelters, guards it. How soon it would perish if uncared for by him!

5. To be raised. The resurrection of the body is a cardinal doctrine of Christianity, and insisted upon at great length by the apostle in the fifteenth chapter of this Epistle. We are but too apt to ignore this, and practically to conclude that at death we shall part with the body forever. We think it worthless, but God does not. He will raise it in a glorified form. Its present constitution will be greatly changed, as the apostle intimates in 1 Corinthians 6:13 . The time will come when the body will not be sustained, as it now is, by meats. It will be a "glorious body" ( Philippians 3:21 ), a "spiritual body" ( 1 Corinthians 15:44 ).

II. THESE TRUTHS RESPECTING THE BODY SHOULD :

1. Greatly ennoble it in our estimation. It is not to be thought lightly of or treated with contempt. Ancient philosophy taught hatred of the body, but ancient philosophy is not Christianity. We must not despise the body; this is a dire mistake often perpetrated. The body has a great part to play both here and hereafter. It has been an occasion of sin—often is a burden; but it is in the hands of God, and he will fully redeem and glorify it. It is his workmanship, thrown much out of gear by evil; but he shall rectify its defects, and make it "meet for the inheritance."

2. Lead us to use it most carefully. Being precious in God's sight, purchased by Christ, tenanted by the Divine Spirit,—shall we deal with it as though it were a common thing? There is one sin mentioned by the apostle which injures the body grievously, and utterly outrages the Divine intent concerning it. Let us guard carefully against this and kindred evils; terrible will be the punishment of those who defile the temple of the Holy Ghost, and who prostitute to base uses the "members of Christ. Pure body, pure mind, pure soul;—may this trinity of blessings be ours!—H.