Unhindered

It's easy to understand that each of us have a physical body that serves as a home for the Holy Spirit during our life and ministry, and that we are the keeper of it. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) But have we really thought about the full impact of this? According to the Scriptures, It appears that the cleanliness of our physical body is no less important than any other part of our humanity. In fact, our body is called a 'temple', which literally means 'consecrated piece of ground' or 'special place specifically to worship a deity'. The root 'tem -' can be further traced to mean 'to cut', or 'a cleared space' or 'cut down for an altar'. This is of enormous importance, making our physical body not only like the base of operations or Headquarters, but also a most sacred, holy place!

As the temple of the Holy Spirit, we literally have the Holy Spirit actually living inside us. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) It's the exact same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead and 'powered' mighty miracles during His ministry. (John 3:34) For sure, Jesus kept his physical body in absolute and excellent condition, aligned to the Spirit within Him as a vessel completely fit for the Master's use. (Isaiah 61:1-2) That is the standard against which we measure ourself. (Acts 10:38) We are a potential powerhouse!

Just like an electrical grid will encounter as many malfunctions and hindrances as it has debris, dust, or other obstructions within it, so we are the same. How often do we have a physical cleaning review of ourselves? (2 Corinthians 7:1) It is our personal responsibility to stay clean. (1 Peter 2:11) Are we in order? Do we contribute daily to a path of purity, or do we make excuses to procrastinate? Do we consistently build a life of holiness by careful consumption choices and curbing physical activities? Do we obey the voice of the Spirit when He says 'No', or do we minimize His voice, telling ourself that it's 'just physical', or deprioritize it with a label of 'non-spiritual'?

The measure of control we have over our physical body and senses will contribute to our ability to walk in the Spirit in demonstrable ways. Controlling the desires of our body is the same as silencing the voice of our flesh. (Hebrews 12:1-2) When we master this, not only will we be nurturing a comfortable home for the magnificence of the Holy Spirit, but our temple will become a conduit free of impediments, that vessel fit for the Master's use as it was with Jesus during His earthly ministry. (2 Timothy 2:21-26) We can be a channel through which the Holy Spirit can work freely, passing blessing to others, and ultimately wrestling successfully against the spiritual forces that are continually at work against us. (Ephesians 6:12-20) The icing on the cake is that when we make this level of individual commitment, we will be an instrumental force within the Body of Christ as the Holy Spirit sees fit, reflecting more of the glory of God, and a greater influence towards Holiness. (Hebrews 12:14-15)

How far do you want to go? Challenge yourself to climb higher, closer to God and emerge as a stronger force in the Spirit realm!

More Reflection? 1 Peter 2:4-5; Ephesians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Ephesians 2:1-22; Revelation 18:4; Ephesians 1:23; Hebrews 11:1-40; Ephesians 4:1-32; 1 Corinthians 6:15-20; 2 Timothy 2:22; John 2:21; Romans 1:1-32; Ephesians 5:3; Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 12:18; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 3:16, Luke 4:1, 14; Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Timothy 3:16;