In 1958 I started my senior year in high school. The pastor who baptized me, Dr. Allen W. Graves, had moved from Immanuel Baptist Church in Tulsa to Nashville, Tennessee, to work with the Training Union Department of the Baptist Sunday School Board. This past week I happened across an advertisement for one of his training programs. The nostalgia bug bit me and I ordered the book.
Looking more than half a century back, the lesson is just as valid today at it was when it was written – basically by scriptures in the first century. Take a look at what I found on page 1:
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV)
And Dr. Graves words: “Christians belong to God. A Christian’s life is measured by the way it is used for God.”
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (Matthew 7:2 KJV)
I prefer my life to be measured by God’s word, which is what He said He would use in judgment. I don’t have to wonder what measurement He’ll use, He laid it out for all mankind to see, to live by or to ignore. From the beginning mankind has chosen life’s direction. Many have chosen badly, ignoring God’s word and His will.
The course closes with these paragraphs:
John the Baptist expressed the secret of success for the Christian when he said of Christ, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
With this attitude and commitment every Christian may follow Christ in his career.John was willing to die. Most of us are asked to do far less – or are we only looking to live far less? What do we do for career advancement that compromises our Christian witness? Are there compromises we’re making in our lives right now? How can we be certain?
Finding those answers takes time and energy. Prayer and service. There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer inside or outside of scriptures. Just as there are many parts to our bodies, there are many parts to the church, and many different ways we are to serve Him there.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14 KJV)
It would be very good for us to take care of the rest of the body, wouldn’t it? By taking care of the body, we’re taking care of ourselves, too. That’s part of Dr. Graves’ lesson, too.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV)
ReplyDeleteGreat verse . I have been thinking about health. Spiritual connection with God is most important and I believe God is with us and gives us grace and strength in times of illness , even old age when things start shutting down. I saw strength in my Dad during his weakest hours but I think we have a responsibility to take care of this earthly temple, physical body and it does effect us spiritually if we are knowingly harming it. There's a verse somewhere that says remember your Creator in the days of your youth..meaning to me that youth and good health are gifts to be taken care of . If we take care of ourselves it strengthens us to reach out to those who need compassionate and helping hands