“Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV84)

A few days ago I did a devotion titled “It’s Not Yours!” in which I stated that your body is not your own. The point I was trying to make is that everything we have has been given to us. All of our gifts and talents have been gifted to us from the Father of all good gifts. In today’s verses Paul went even further. He stated that, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” This verse strikes right at the heart of our Western individualism and self-proclaimed autonomy. At the end of the day, God owns us. We are His. He lovingly created us, gifted us, and saved us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We were purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Because of this fact, we are not free to do, think and be as we want. We are accountable to the One who bought us out of slavery and redeemed our souls. It is proper that we view the accountability not as a curse or a re-enslavement, but as a reciprocation of love. We ought to be indebted, grateful and in love with the One who has shown us His love. We are the prodigal son who has returned to his Father grateful for the opportunity to be in His presence and experience His love and grace. You are not your own! You are a precious member of the kingdom of God.

Peace!

Pastor Tom