Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Sometimes when the Holy Spirit gives me scripture to look up that supports the encouragement He’s inspired, He reveals an unrelated revelation. Last week while I was looking for scripture to support my exploration of spiritual freedom, the Holy Spirit showed me the fact that our physical bodies are being transformed into spiritual one’s.

Accordingly, this week I will share what the Holy Spirit shows me about becoming the spiritual person God destines us to be.

In Today’s scripture, 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NLT) says…
[42] It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. [43] Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. [44] They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

Consider…
Typically we hear about spiritual bodies as encouragement at funerals. However, the Holy Spirit showed me that God is transforming our physical bodies into spiritual one’s from the moment we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. That means we can and must view our bodies differently.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT) emphasizes…
[19] Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, [20] for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

And Romans 12:1 (NLT) exhorts…
[1] And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

These verses make it clear that God expects us to submit our bodies to Him while we’re still here on earth.

This made me wonder, how exactly do we give our bodies to God. The Holy Spirit directed me to 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (NLT) exhorts…
[3] God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. [4] Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— [5] not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.

And 1 Corinthians 6:18 (NLT) reemphasizes…
[18] Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.

I believe God gives the stern warnings about sex because He made it good and enjoyable, but like many things, Satan uses it to promote self-gratification over God glorification.

This is the same tactic used in Genesis 3:1-7 (NLT), which reads…
[1] The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” [2] “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. [3] “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” [4] “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. [5] “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” [6] The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. [7] At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

The enemy uses the same tactics today, suggesting God withholds good things that He’s made from us. And just like in the garden, when we choose what God has forbidden, we too feel the guilt and shame of being uncovered in His presence.

You see, God knows our temporary pleasure will block His eternal treasure. Thus why 1 John 2:15-17 (NLT) exhorts…
[15] Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. [16] For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. [17] And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

So how does all of this relate to spiritual bodies? It’s about the spiritual fruit of self-control. The Holy Spirit pointed me to 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NLT), where Paul testified…
[27] I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

More importantly, the Holy Spirit directed me to Hebrews 4:15 (NLT), which explains…
[15] This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Notice, Jesus faced all of the same testings we face but didn’t sin. To illustrate this fact, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Matthew 4:2-4 (NLT), which details…
[2] For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. [3] During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” [4] But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Notice, Jesus maintained spiritual purity, by clinging to, and obeying, God’s word when tempted by physical desire. To be clear, Jesus was hungry and had the ability to make food for Himself. However, Jesus knew that He didn’t have His Father’s authority. That’s the lesson for us, just because we may want to and could have the ability, doesn’t matter without God’s authority.

So, unless God says so, don’t do so.

The Holy Spirit is telling me to end with the reminder, that after we’re saved, it’s not about us, it’s about Jesus!

Today’s song is…
Not About Us

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)