Sin – Part 7 of 7

By Tom Buckle
Shutting Sin Out of the Temple

 

The Apostle Paul teaches that your body is to be given to God as a living sacrifice. (1) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God” Romans 12:1-2Romans 12:1-2
English: World English Bible - WEB
12 ¹ Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. ² Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

WP-Bible plugin NKJV). Again he reminds the Corinthian that the Christian’s body is the house the Holy Spirit: (19) “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) You were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV). Declaring the same emphasis on the body-temple teaching, the Apostle Paul adds a judgment for ignoring this teaching that the body of the Christian believer is the temple of God. (16) “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (17) If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (I Corinthians 3:16-17 NKJV).

 

Writing to the church in Galatia, Paul warns each professing member to examine the seriousness of their faith and service to God. Do not be a hypocrite. How you live and the example you set is eternally important. The Apostle writes, (7) “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever man sows, that he will also reap. (8) For he who sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8Galatians 6:7-8
English: World English Bible - WEB
7 Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

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Scripture promises that God will not let you be tempted more than you can stand. God will always provide you with strength to overcome the temptations that come your way. (13) “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (14) Therefore, my beloved, flee idolatry” (I Corinthians 9:13-14 NKJV).

 

Throughout the Bible you cannot escape the massive warnings against sin. Equally, there are even more teachings concerning God’s provisions to overcome sin, such as putting on the whole armor of God to fight the righteous battle against the devil (Ephesians 6:10-20Ephesians 6:10-20
English: World English Bible - WEB
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints: ¹⁹ on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

WP-Bible plugin; also chapter 5). Romans 6 speaks of the Christian’s status in battling the flesh and sin. In Galatians’ the epistle speaks about living in the Spirit to overcome the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:13-26Galatians 5:13-26
English: World English Bible - WEB
13 For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another. ¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one other, that you may not do the things that you desire. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, ²¹ envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. ²⁶ Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.

WP-Bible plugin). In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi he reminds the bishops and deacons in the church of the way they should live and think in Christ. He tells them of the obstacles they will come against and how to overcome them.

 

A sure way to live a victorious life in Christ is to control your mind. Keep it focused on the work that Christ did for your salvation and where He now resides. (1) “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. (2) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God, (4) when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4Colossians 3:1-4
English: World English Bible - WEB
3 ¹ If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.

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“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23Romans 6:23
English: World English Bible - WEB
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

WP-Bible plugin NKJV). Clearly stated, the final results for a life of sin are death and separation from God for eternity. The final result of serving Christ is gloriously different. It is eternal life (forever) with the Savior.

 

Keep the doors of your temple closed to sin and grow in His grace. Choose life with eternity in view with God.

 

As God said to His people, Israel, He says to you: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and length of days;” (Deuteronomy 31:19-20Deuteronomy 31:19-20
English: World English Bible - WEB
19 Now therefore write you this song for you, and teach you it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. ²⁰ For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat; then will they turn to other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.

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