SUN-DAY SCHOOL LESSON: THE TEMPLE
by eric d.graham
by eric d.graham
"Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit" 1Co 6:19
The Bible tells us to feast, eat, drink, celebrate, sing, dance, shout, and make music-all things we do with our bodies. These appetites, desires, and delights can actually become a way of remembering how good The Most High is. The physical is not separate from the spiritual; indeed it is the Most High's Spirit who makes our bodies come to life. The Bible doesn't condemn you for wanting to be physically attractive.Now, this needs to be kept in perspective: "Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion (Pr 11:22). So, we desire our women to be fashionable without displaying their bodies to the world.
The same principle applies to men.But the Most High did create our bodies. So can we get real? The Most High made us with a love of beauty.
Therefore, we must take care of our temples. According to (1 Corinthians 3:17-19) it states clearly: "If any man/woman defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
So, we must find ourselves walking, working out and exercising. We also must try not to de-foul our bodies with unhealthy foods (Lev. :11:3 and 11:7-8), which could lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol. Alongside a healthy diet, that is not dominated by fast foods, we should try not to smoke cigarettes, which could cause cancer.
Have you noticed the recent outbreak of vaping-related deaths in the US, which has been described as a public health crisis, where at least 39 people have died and more than 2,000 have suffered lung injuries from vaping-related illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?
These are simple suggestions. Nothing new under the sun. But, our people, according to (Deuteronomy 31:27,) are stiff-neck and rebellious. So, year after year, despite constant warnings NOT to "do drugs," they continue to do the opposite. For instance, currently, between 2002 and 2013, the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled, and more than 8,200 people died in 2013. Despite these devastating facts, the number of "NEW" heroin users continue to increase.
While drug addiction is a problem, some people tend to overlook alcoholism (Ephesians 5:18), which is defined as the most severe form of alcohol abuse that involves the inability to manage drinking habits, which could destroy a person's professional life, personal life, marriage, and family.
This is why the scripture states in (1 Peter 5:8) Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Case in point, every year like clock-work, there is some news report about some college Alcohol-related hazing incident that leads to the death of a young pledge on a college campus.
Unfortunately, people have forgotten their body is the temple of God and should not be abused. This, of course, also includes sexual relationships as well as "sexual immorality", (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) which we have witnessed with conversation about R.Kelly, Billy Cosby, Jeff Epstein, Harvey Weinstein along with Malik Yoba, Tank, and Lil Nas X. (Mark 7:21-22)
As we deal with these issues of sexual immorality and sexual identity, let's not forget, more than 58,000 Georgians are living with HIV, and about 32,000 of them are in the metro Atlanta area.The issue is particularly acute for young gay and bisexual Black men..
So, remember "Your body is a Temple of the HOly Spirit." take care of it.(Source:WOT)
