The Whole You - Part One
There sometimes seems to be a view among some believers that our bodies are not all that important when it comes to spirituality. Their talk and behavior indicate that things done in the body are of little to no consequence and are especially of no concern to God.
Such a view devalues the body and is ignorant of its importance in the Scriptures.
The body in the Scriptures is a temple for the Holy Spirit.
1Corinthians 6:18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 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? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
The truth is that God cares about the whole of who we are. God cares about us, spirit, soul, and body.
God loves the whole of us, not just 1/3 of us. He not only loves the new man in the spirit we have become in Christ Jesus, but He also loves our soul and our temple. Our salvation is threefold in scope. This is why we are promised a glorified body in the resurrection. Resurrection is meaningless if the body is nothing and has no value.
The truth is that we are spirit, soul, and body, and each part of us has value and is included in the salvation plan. Just as we do not wish to neglect to feed our spirit so that it might grow and be strong, we likewise place importance on washing our souls so they can be renewed daily. Likewise, we are to steward the temple (the body), for it is the temple of the Spirit.
Unfortunately, when we do not place an equal value on the body, we neglect its needs in terms of spirituality. Yes, it will eventually be changed. But the aspect of it being changed is concerning the mortality of it. It is still intended that we steward it well and do the things that bring it under the blessing of our salvation.
Just as our minds need to be trained to delight in the word of God and be washed by it, our bodies need to be weaned off the things enjoyed that are not good for us and are contrary to holiness. Things we engaged in before we came to know Jesus. This process of sanctification begins in the soul and manifests itself in the submission of our bodies to the righteousness we are in Christ.
His righteousness is meant to be pervasive in our lives. This marvelous, precious gift of God’s righteousness is not given to us so that our bodies can run amuck and do as they please without consequence. Nor is it intended to permit our minds to play and frolic with thoughts and ideas contrary to our true nature now in Christ and His desires. God loves the whole of who we are! He loves all of you and me. He’s not a 1/3 committed God, only caring about our spirit. He cares about our souls and our bodies, too. He literally loves all of you.
Salvation is about the whole of you. There’s value in the whole of who you are, not just in a small part of who you are. I pray this encourages you to pursue knowing and honoring Christ with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. God wants the whole of you!
