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Our bodies are central to who we are. From the beginning, God formed man from the dust and gave him life by breathing into his nostrils. In this union of body and soul, man became a living creature.
Though now mortal and weak, our bodies are not insignificant or disposable. Writing to a church marked by immorality and confusion, Paul gives some of the clearest teaching on the purpose of the body. In 1 Corinthians 6, he shows that the body matters both for our present life and for our eternal hope. He sets out five distinct but very connected truths that every believer must grasp.
First, “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” (v. 13). There is a reciprocal relationship. The Lord cares for our bodies and sustains them, and in return we are stewards. Our bodies are to be offered to the Lord and used in His service.
Second, “God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power” (v. 14). The Bible plainly teaches, here and elsewhere, that the resurrection of Jesus is the firstfruits—the initial and best part of the harvest. But even as His once-broken and pierced body was raised by the power of God, so, too, will our bodies be raised to become like His.
Third, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” (v. 15). In imagery that the Bible often uses, Paul says that our body relates to Christ the way that a limb relates to the body—not only is it part of the body, but it gets its life and strength from it. There is a living and vital union between Jesus and believers, and through that we partake of His life in soul and body.
Fourth, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (v. 19). The indwelling of the Spirit can seem mysterious and ambiguous, but it is a fundamental truth: The Holy Spirit dwells in the believer. As the presence of God in the temple made it holy, the Spirit’s abiding in our bodies consecrates them to God.
Finally, “You were bought with a price” (v. 20). By the purchase price of His blood, Jesus has not only delivered our souls from sin, but He has redeemed our bodies. The body may not yet be what it will be, but not a drop of that precious blood has been spilled in vain, and we “belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to [our] faithful Savior, Jesus Christ” (Heidelberg Catechism 1).
Our bodies are for the Lord. They will be raised by Him because they are united to Him—a temple for Him to dwell in by the Holy Spirit, and purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. This gives both present and eternal importance to our bodies, leading to a single conclusion from the Apostle Paul: “So glorify God in your body” (v. 20).