1 Corinthians 6:19–20: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

May 17th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Paul was reminding the believers in Corinth, and us, to remember whom we belong to. Our inner man, our heart, is now a sacred place because it has become a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit of God. We can no longer claim any ownership since God the Son has paid for it and owns the whole works: soul, spirit, and physical body. We were being held captive, like slaves in a slave market; and God came and purchased us at a tremendous price, paying the most expensive ransom that has ever been paid for anyone. Now we are obligated, compelled, and duty bound to represent Him correctly with our complete being.

There is a beautiful illustration of this truth in this old story:

An orphaned boy was living with his grandmother when their house caught fire. The grandmother, trying to get upstairs to rescue the boy, perished in the flames. The boy’s cries for help were finally answered by a man who climbed an iron drain pipe and came back down with the boy hanging tightly to his neck. Several weeks later, a public hearing was held to determine who would receive custody of the child. A farmer, a teacher, and the town’s wealthiest citizen all gave the reasons they felt they should be chosen to give the boy a home. But as they talked, the boy’s eyes remained focused on the floor. Then a stranger walked to the front and slowly took his hands from his pockets, revealing severe scars on them. As the crowd gasped, the boy cried out in recognition. This was the man who had saved his life. His hands had been burned when he climbed the hot pipe. With a leap the boy threw his arms around the man’s neck and held on for dear life. The other men silently walked away, leaving the boy and his rescuer alone. Those marred hands had settled the issue.¹

In the exact same way, Jesus’ nail-scarred hands serve as physical proof that we now belong to Him. And what a privilege it is to belong to someone who loves us so selflessly and completely.

“LORD, we are honored to belong to and serve You. Please help us to be effective in that service we ask in Jesus’ name.”

¹Barry L. Davis, The Claims of Christ: What Jesus Had to Say about Himself (New York: Writers Club Press, 2001), p. 61.