Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,

Who is in you, whom you have received from God?

You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

Therefore honor God with your bodies.

(I Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV)

Imagine, if you will, being gifted a priceless mansion, the kind of home of which you had always dreamed.  The kind of home that could easily grace the cover of a haute home magazine, yet a house that boasted all the comforts of home.  A house that had been meticulously planned and executed, from the square footage of each room right down to the interior design.  Imagine being gifted a home for which no expense was spared; a house that was, in a word, perfect.

Now let us suppose for a moment that the house you had been gifted was in fact your body.  Let us imagine for a moment that your body, your temple, was in fact crafted with the finest materials, the most expensive upgrades.  Let us imagine for an instant that every aspect of your body was created to interact directly with your surroundings; your feet to walk, your hands to heal, your mind to innovate, etc.

Genesis 1:27 tells us that we were made in the image and likeness of God.  Why then would one want to deface that which, in essence, is created perfect?  Many of us would not deface our homes, million-dollar or otherwise; yet many continue to deface their bodies with sexual sin.  In much the same way that graffiti defaces a home, immoral sex – sex outside of God’s design of marriage – defaces the body.  In 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul writes that anyone who commits sexual sin is sinning against his or her own body.  Using our analogy means that you – the homeowner – are the one deliberately wielding the sledgehammer and paint can with the expressed intention of destroying your home.

Paul continues, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV).  It is therefore vital that we heed this warning, not only for the primary benefit of honoring God with our bodies, but also for the added benefit of protecting ourselves from the consequences of sexual impurity.

It is my prayer for you my brothers and sisters that you will begin to rethink the dangers of participating in pre-marital sex.  I pray that you will begin to see in the physical the spiritual consequences of sexual sin.  It is my prayer for you that you will choose this day to relinquish the “paintbrush” to your heavenly Father, trusting Him to maintain your temple until such time as you are joined together in holy matrimony with your mate.  Finally, I pray that God will reveal to you the blessings associated with living a life of purity unto Him.  I pray this prayer in none other than the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Alleluia!

Know that I love you, all.

So that none should perish.

Danielle, The Girl in the Red Shoes