GREATER: Glorified Life
Jul 06, 2023
READY
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.”
SET
As coaches and athletes, we know what it means to sacrifice our body for the sake of our sport. We get up early, we grind in the gym, we skin our knees to keep the ball in the air, we fight for air in our lungs to gut out that last 50m sprint to the finish line. We also know what it means to treat our bodies well. We eat, we hydrate, we rest, we exercise, we recover, we repeat the process. But do we fully comprehend how spectacular these bodies really are?
This passage teaches us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Now temple is kind of a foreign word for us these days, but to the Israelites, this was pretty wild imagery to think about. The temple was God’s house, His dwelling place, a sacred and holy space. Just to enter the temple meant you had to do all sorts of cleansing procedures for your body (like the most intense shower scrub down ever) and your soul. And all of a sudden, Paul hits us with this truth: the temple is no longer just a super holy brick & mortar; your body is a temple - a house, a dwelling place, a holy space for the Holy Spirit. Mind blown.
But then Paul levels this up one more time. He not only tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, but that “[we] are not [our] own, for [we] were bought at a price.” You may be asking, what price was paid for me? And the answer is (drumroll please): Jesus. Jesus paid for your life with His life. “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He loves us so much that He was willing to die for us! That’s pretty epic. But Paul knows this was a steep price and (like any good coach) he gives us a call to action: “So glorify God with your body.” What greater offering could we give than to honor and glorify God with our body? I mean it’s already His house anyways - so let your body be a temple, let it be a holy place, let it be a body with skinned up knees bent in worship before our God.
GO
- Would you be willing to pay for something/someone with your life? Do you believe that Jesus thought you were worth it?
- How does your view of your body change when you see it as a dwelling place for God’s Spirit?
- What is one way that you can glorify God with your body?
WORKOUT
- Romans 5:6-8
- 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
- Ephesians 1:7-14
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Every good athlete knows that to succeed in their sport, they must spend ample time training and building endurance so that when game day arrives, they’re ready to show up and show out. The same thing is required of every Christian. We build endurance when we suffer well in the midst of trials and choose obedience in the face of temptation. And after we’ve built endurance, our faith strengthens and our enjoyment of God increases. Suffer Well There’s no question: if you’re a follower of Jesus, you will encounter trials, loss and pain on your journey. In fact, the Bible goes so far as to say that we shouldn’t be surprised when we face these things: “Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ.” The second half of that verse is difficult for most of us to grasp. How does one manage to rejoice in the midst of suffering? Romans 12:12 reminds us to fixate on hope , be patient in the pain, and to pray like our lives depend on it when hard times hit. And the apostle Paul says that loss and suffering pale in comparison to knowing Christ –that gaining Him is better than gaining anything else. Here’s the best part: as we suffer well, endurance isn’t the only thing that’s produced in us. Endurance leads to character , which results in hope (which will never disappoint us) according to Romans 5:3-5 . Still not sure what this means? Consider picking up a book like this or this , or spending time with someone in your local Christian community who has embraced loss or difficulty with grace, joy and endurance. Learn from them! Choose Obedience In John 14:23 , Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” The surest path to enjoying God fully is obeying Him completely. The commands found in Scripture are not given to us to punish or imprison us. Obedience actually leads to life, and–according to the above verse–the love of God! But make no mistake: obedience both requires and leads to greater endurance . James 4:7 says, “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Resist is an active verb–it gives a sense of effort, sweat, and strength . And we are given this promise in our pursuit of obedience: “God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.” As you resist temptation and seek to endure in obedience, remember that God will never abandon you or leave you without a way out of sin. Consider it Joy The difficulties of the Christian life are given to us so that we might endure and become like Jesus . In fact, we should : “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” Our suffering and obedience aren’t for nothing! We can “consider it joy” because the endurance that we’re building ultimately leads to maturity in Christ . In short, we become better versions of ourselves as we endure. But just like athletic endurance, spiritual endurance isn’t achieved overnight. It takes countless hours, weeks, and even years of training. Thankfully, you don’t have to train alone. Come join us at FCA as we seek Jesus and build endurance together!
Our culture is growth-obsessed. Every self-help book, social media influencer, and advertisement promises that if you just grow your wealth, your wardrobe, your experiences, your belongings or your physique, then you’ll be satisfied. You can be your best self… if you focus on growing yourself. But the kind of growth Jesus calls us to is altogether different . In 2 Peter 3 , the apostle Peter warns his readers that as the day of Jesus’ return draws nearer, there will be people who scoff at God and follow their own desires instead of His. He reminds the Church to be ready for the day when Christ comes back, and to live holy and blameless lives until He does. The chapter ends with this encouragement: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” What does this kind of growth look like? Time in God’s Word If you want to get to know someone, you have to spend lots of time with them. The same is true of God. If we want to grow in knowledge of Jesus, we need to spend time with Him . Thankfully, He’s revealed Himself to us in His Word, the Bible. It’s often referred to as God’s love letter for us–given so that we might know and understand Him and His story of redemption. Not sure where to start? Try one of the following: Download the YouVersion Bible App , an easily accessible resource for the content of the Bible in countless versions and languages as well as reading plans and Scripture studies Connect with someone who has a rich, personal knowledge of God’s Word and God Himself. Ask that person to meet with you and help you grow Start small: 5 minutes a day in the book of Psalms, James, or John is a great way to get yourself comfortable with and excited about spending time with God Abide in Jesus The mark of a true believer who is growing spiritually is the presence of what the Bible calls the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). But this fruit can only be seen as a result of abiding in Jesus. He says this in John 15 : “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” What does it mean to abide in Jesus ? 19th century theologian J.C. Ryle explains , “To abide in Christ means to keep up a habit of constant close communion with Him–to be always leaning on Him, resting on Him, pouring out our hearts to Him, and using Him as our Fountain of life and strength, as our chief Companion and best Friend.” Are you friends with Jesus? Do you look forward to talking to him, spend time thinking about him, and trust him to meet your needs? Spend some time this week asking yourself what it might look like to abide in Jesus, and if you’re living in a manner worthy of Him . Lasting Growth The only kind of growth that offers true satisfaction is Godly growth: that of the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Athletic, financial, and status growth will offer temporary happiness, but the work that God began in you is so much more fulfilling than anything the world can offer–and He will bring that work to completion. One growing pain at a time. Here at FCA, we are committed to growing together. Come join us !
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