Our Physical Bodies Have Value To The Lord

Feature 3 – July/August 2020 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Our Physical Bodies Have Value To The Lord

Do our bodies have any value to God? We believe they do, and we want to consider a little of what the Scriptures have to say about their value.

How We Are Created
Now the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly: and your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. —1 Thessalonians 5:23 JND

First we want to consider how we are formed as human beings. The verse above tells us that we are composed of “spirit, soul, and body.” Our spirit is that part of us which is able to commune with God, who is Spirit (Jn. 4:24). Our soul is the seat of our emotions and will. Our body is the part of us by which we communicate and interact with the world around us. Paul’s desire for the Thessalonians – and for us today – was that the God of peace would sanctify them, or set them apart for Himself. This would not be partially but wholly, completely and of the whole person: spirit, soul and body.

The Incarnation Of The Son Of God
Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me. —Hebrews 10:5 KJV

We have seen that as human beings we are composed of spirit, soul and body. In amazing grace, when the eternal Son of God came into the world, He also took a body which was prepared for Him. The words “incarnation” and “incarnate” refer to the fact He became Man and took a body as well as a human spirit and soul (Jn. 13:21, 12:27). He is truly God and Man in one blessed person, “God ... manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16)! Just “as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,” so He took part in the same, “yet without sin” (Heb. 2:14, 4:15).

Why did the eternal Son become a Man? In order to do the will of God here! “Lo, I come ... to do Thy will, O My God,” He said (10:7). Notice the Holy Spirit in this Scripture tells us the Lord said this when He came into the world (v.5). By way of contrast, if each of us could have spoken when coming into the world, we would have said, “I am coming to do my own will!” However, the Son of God came to do the will of God, the will of His Father. He said, “My food is that I should do the will of Him that has sent Me and that I should finish His work” (Jn. 4:34 JND).

The Lord Jesus is the only human being who glorified God in His body 100% of the time. He is the only One who did the will of God 100% of the time. All praise to His name!

Purchased At A Price
For ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. –1 Corinthians 6:20 KJV

This verse gives us a motivation for glorifying God in our body: we have been bought with a price. The Lord Jesus paid the great price in order to buy us for Himself and the Father. The cost required that the Lord Jesus die for us; His precious blood had to be shed. Why did He do this? He did it because He loves us. The hymn writer E. L. Bevir (1847–1922) expressed it this way:

What tongue shall sing, what heart conceiveThe love divine that made Thee die?Bought with a price, forever Thine.

We belong to the Lord Jesus, and each of us should seek to please Him. Notice 1 Corinthians 6:20 says we are to “glorify God” in our bodies. It is good to sing hymns and be occupied with Christian activities on Sunday, but what about the rest of the week? Do we recognize the claim of His love on us? We belong to Him!

We are sad and disappointed when we purchase an item thinking it could be of help to us but then find it does not fulfill the purpose for which we had spent our money to purchase it. In the same way, do we disappoint the Lord, who has purchased us for Himself at such a cost? He has a definite purpose for each of our lives. While that purpose will differ from believer to believer, it is the same for all of us in that we should glorify God in our bodies.

Keeping Our Body For The Lord
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. —1 Corinthians 6:13
What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy [Spirit] which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? —1 Corinthians 6:19
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. —1 Corinthians 9:27

Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians was that the God of peace would sanctify them wholly. We also have a responsibility to keep our bodies – in fact, our whole being – for the Lord. The apostle wrote to the Corinthians that he kept under, or disciplined, his body and brought it into subjection. This means that he was not controlled by the natural demands and desires of his body.

The world is very self-indulgent. Many live to please themselves rather than God. As Christians we should follow the example of the Lord Jesus in always seeking to do the will of God. First Corinthians 6:12-20 is helpful in understanding how to do this. Learning to exercise self-control, one part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), is important for believers in the Lord Jesus.

We are told that food was made for our physical stomach, and our physical stomach and digestive system were made for food (1 Cor. 6:13). However, food and eating are not the goal of life. In a similar way, just as food is for the belly and the belly is for food, so our bodies are for the Lord, meaning they are to be used for Him.

Furthermore, the Lord is for our body, meaning He is able to sustain and maintain it in a fallen world full of diseases, parasites and so on. In connection with this, we are plainly told that our bodies are not to be used for fornication or sexual activity outside of marriage as God established it. We know this runs counter to what the world teaches, but our God, who created these bodies, knows what He is talking about and what is best for us. In fact, we are told that every other sin a person may commit does not affect a person in the same way as fornication. He who commits this sin actually sins against his own body (v.18); there is a physical effect and consequence. Dear reader, this is the wisdom of God, who seeks to spare us from these consequences through obedience.

We also read in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He, a person of the Godhead, actually lives inside each believer on the Lord Jesus. This is a solemn but wonderful fact and shows how complete the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross really was! We are cleansed by His precious blood, so the Holy Spirit can dwell within us. This should also govern how we use our bodies. We should treat them with respect as His sanctuary.

The Purpose For Our Body As Christians
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. —Philippians 1:20

The apostle Paul wrote from a Roman prison to the believers in Philippi, yet, as has often been noticed, this epistle overflows with joy. In this verse we see Paul’s earnest expectation and hope. Was it to be set free from prison? Was it to have a long life with no trials? No, it was neither of these. His desire was that Christ would be magnified in his body, whether in life or in death.

When an object is magnified, as with a magnifying glass, the object is not actually made larger. Rather, it is brought into view, made more visible to someone who otherwise could not see it as well. So it is with magnifying Christ. Paul could not make Christ any greater than He is, for that would be impossible, but he desired that Christ would be brought into view in his life so others might see Christ in him. Even in prison? Yes, even there! How often it is in the difficulties of life that others must see Christ in us, as He upholds and carries us.

This is the purpose of God for our bodies as Christians – not that the old, sinful life of Adam would be seen in us, but that the life of Jesus (2 Cor. 4:10-11) might be manifested in our bodies. It is amazing grace that we, who once displayed only a life of rebellion and sin against God in our bodies, should now display something of His blessed life. How striking it is that the “life of Jesus” can be seen in us! This brings before us that meek, lowly, compassionate, holy, sinless, faithful, blessed Man whose life is recorded for us in the Gospels.

Is it possible that His blessed life can be reproduced in us? Yes, according to Scripture. Perfection, of course, will not be attained until we have reached Him in the glory, where we shall be with Him and like Him. This, however, can be increasingly true for us here. How? Again we find it is through trials! Read 2 Corinthians 4 for the example of Paul and his fellow laborers.

Our Bodies Are Not To Be Abused
... According to the injunctions and teachings of men (which indeed have an appearance of wisdom in voluntary worship, and humility, and harsh treatment of the body, not in a certain honor,) to the satisfaction of the flesh. —Colossians 2:22-23 JND

We add a brief word about treating our bodies in the right way, particularly addressing those who abuse their bodies for religious purposes. At various times in the history of the Church, ideas have arisen which say that harsh treatment of the body somehow shows the spirituality of the person. Paul said this belief is “according to the injunctions and teachings of men” and is not of God. When I was younger I would fast to punish myself for sinning. While fasting has a legitimate place in the Christian life, it is not to be used to punish ourselves. It does not make us more holy. Likewise, the monks of the Middle Ages would beat themselves with chains in order to try to increase their holiness.

Such things are really dishonoring to the Lord. Christ has died for our sins. He bore them in His own body on the tree (1 Pet. 2:24). He endured God’s judgment so we might never have to. Treating our bodies that way actually takes away from the work of Christ, as if we could actually do something to atone for our sins. This is impossible!

When we sin let us lay our hands upon Christ, the sin offering, as in the Old Testament picture (Lev. 4:4,15,24,29). With confession and grateful and humble hearts, let us realize in a fresh way our sins required the suffering and death of the Son of God. Do not try to make atonement for a sin, including afflicting our bodies. This is not only unnecessary but also dishonors our Lord and Savior.

Our Hope
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. —Romans 8:23 KJV
For our commonwealth has its existence in the heavens, from which also we await the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, who shall transform our body of humiliation into conformity to His body of glory, according to the working of the power which He has even to subdue all things to Himself. —Philippians 3:20-21 JND

We are saved in hope (Rom. 8:24). Already now we experience the blessed results of God’s new creation work in our spirits and souls (2 Cor. 5:17). As believers in the Lord Jesus, we can already enjoy the fellowship of the Father and the Son with our human spirit. Our souls, emotions and will can be brought into line with the will and thoughts of our God.

Yet as to our bodies, we are all consciously aware they are still affected by sin and death. We age; we get sick; our bones may be broken; we may have a heart attack or get cancer. Believers as well as unbelievers experience these things. However, as we have seen, our faithful God uses these experiences for good in the life of the believer. One purpose of our trials is that the life of Jesus might be made visible in us.

Moreover, as believers we have the hope before us of meeting the Lord in the air (1 Th. 4:16-17). We are waiting for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. As far as our bodies are concerned, at His coming He will change these bodies “of humiliation” to be like His body of glory (Phil. 3:21). What a transformation!

Romans 8:23 tells us this will be the redemption, by power, of our bodies. They will be redeemed from all the effects of sin. Further, Philippians 3 says the power which the Lord Jesus will ultimately use to subdue all things to Himself is the power He first will use to change us. What a display of power that will be! The dead will be raised and this corruptible shall put on incorruption; living believers will be changed too (1 Cor. 15:51-54) – all at the power of His word! “He who has begun in you a good work will complete it unto Jesus Christ’s day” (Phil. 1:6). This change of our bodies will complete His work in relation to us. We will then have new creation bodies suitable to the eternal life that is already ours.

So, do our bodies have value to God? After considering these Scriptures we must answer with a resounding “Yes!” May it be our desire to use our bodies today to carry out His will, so Christ will be magnified in us for His glory.

By Kevin Quartell