Beyond the Weekend: Spaces
Where does God meet us? Throughout Scripture, he meets his people in real places—mountains, deserts, seas, and the temple. Each place teaches us something about who he is. Join us for The Places Where God Meets Us, a six-week series exploring how these spaces point forward to Jesus, the one who meets us still.
The Body as a Temple
During the Spaces series, Beyond the Weekend will preview the coming weekend’s message rather than looking back at the previous one—mirroring our group curriculum and helping prepare our hearts for the upcoming sermon. This week, that means looking ahead to The Temple.
Read: 1 Corinthians 6:12–20 | Listen: 1 Corinthians 6
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. 1 Corinthians 6:19
Paul has his work cut out for him as he writes to the early church in Corinth. The Corinthian believers grow up in a thriving city that values materialism, status, and sexual freedom. Paul points to their culture’s slogan, “I have the right to do anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12), to show the difference between Corinth’s understanding of freedom and the freedom found in Christ. Freedom in Jesus is not a license to sin; it is a claim God has made on their lives. Paul uses temple language to explain the importance of God’s Spirit living in them. Their bodies are sacred, and they should use them to honor God. Paul urges them not to dishonor God with their bodies. They need to flee from sexual immorality.
Understanding our bodies as God’s dwelling place affects how we move throughout the world. It changes how we approach moral decisions, especially in areas of sexual morality. Many today believe we have the right to do anything as long as it doesn’t hurt someone else. However, God calls us to a higher understanding. We have been bought at an incredible price, and that includes every piece of our personhood, including our bodies. Holiness begins when we recognize who lives in us. It grows as we put our trust in him and intentionally rid ourselves of sin.
TODAY: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any sin he is inviting you to turn from. Take a step toward honoring Jesus through confession.
For more encouragement, listen to the Beyond the Weekend Podcast as the team discusses last weekend’s sermon—find it wherever you listen to podcasts or watch on YouTube.
