Your body, a perfect gift from God!
Your body is a gift from God, the creator of heaven and earth. King David describes the early process of human development in his famous Psalm, Chapter 139.
“For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.”
Every life, conceived in a mother’s womb, is to be valued and protected as a full-fledged citizen of the human race. It’s fascinating to me how the Bible describes and defines the body.
On one hand it’s a TOMB. The book of Romans refers to our flesh as “this body of death” in which we groan inwardly as we wait eagerly the redemption of our bodies. That great resurrection of the body is described by Jesus in John Chapter 5: “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
On the other hand, your body is a TEMPLE. Paul asked the Corinthians to remember a vital fact about the body that has been gifted to us by posing a question to those ancient Christians. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.”
The body is also a TENT, as described by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians, Chapter 5. “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” For all its intricate detail, the body is the “tent” where your soul resides. When you separate the body from the soul, death is the result. You are meant to flourish as a soul that has a body. God cares about both. Not one or the other, but both. So, take care of your body as best as you can. And be sure to nurture your soul. “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” The body (‘jars of clay’) contains a great TREASURE. Your body is a “clay pot” containing a brilliant treasure in order “to show” that God is the one who created us, redeems us from our sin and shines His glory in us, body and soul.
Let me wrap up by reminding you what Jesus said in John chapter 5. In the great resurrection that is planned for all humanity, there will be one of two sides on which you will stand. Those who have “done good” will be resurrected to “eternal life” while those who have “done evil” to the resurrection of judgment. The greatest good that a person can ever do, is to receive God’s indescribable gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. The greatest evil that anyone can ever commit is to reject God’s great gift of love. Please receive the gift because “all who receive him, who believe in his name, are given the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
Pastor Deric
Those Who are Sick
“The sick need a physician” (Jesus Christ)
The smug criticism of the religious leaders in the first century toward Jesus and his disciples was that they defiled themselves by “eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners”. (See Mark 3 & Luke 5). Apparently, Jesus came to target the segment of society that viewed themselves as spiritual lepers, sinners and outcasts. Remember that Jesus began His famous sermon with the words “blessed are the poor in spirit.” It is commonly agreed that Jesus was referring to those who own their spiritual poverty. Spiritual poverty and spiritual illness are synonyms in the teaching of Jesus. Tax collectors and sinners were marginalized in Jesus day, yet they were the ones who opened their “sick” hearts to the healing words of Jesus. They had sense enough to recognize that they were in the presence of the “Great Physician” Himself. They crowded His waiting room to experience His healing touch.
In essence, Jesus was framing the Gospel that He preached as a medical metaphor. I find the Bible immensely helpful in how practical it is in diagnosing and prescribing healing for the sin sickness of the soul.
- Admit you are unwell
The phenomenon of denial is as old as time itself. We refuse to see the evidence that we are leprous. The spiritual malady of sin has infected and affected every part of our lives. We need urgent care for our souls. “God be merciful to me a sinner” is a great place to start your spiritual check-up.
- Accept the diagnosis
Did you know that “thousands die from medical errors yearly” according to CBC journalist Lynn Desjardins. Lynn’s article reveals that “in Canada, medical errors account for 28,000 deaths yearly. Errors are said to be the third leading cause of death in Canada after cancer and heart disease, and every minute and 18 seconds someone is injured from unintended harm.”
But God gets it right in every case. The Bible accurately diagnoses our dreaded condition in the book of Romans, chapter three: “As it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Our condition is bleak, hopeless in fact, without the healing remedy of Jesus Christ.
- Receive His cure
The alarming article that I cited earlier goes on to say that “the most frequent medical errors involve medications. They may include giving a patient either the wrong one or the wrong dose, or an allergy to the drug was on the record but went unnoticed.” Lots of people are taking the wrong medication for their soul diseases too. The admonition to “try harder” stands out among them. The notion that you in fact share in the work of saving your own soul, is one of the most frightening prescriptions offered to the aching heart of mankind.
God’s cure is just that. It’s HIS CURE. Only He can heal the disease of sin that has ravaged your whole being. And His cure is Jesus Christ. He alone can heal you and make you whole again. Here’s how Paul framed it in Romans chapter three:
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and are justified by his grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood,
to be received by faith.”
Healing for the soul comes through the “redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Faith in the “wounded healer” brings recovery from your chronic spiritual pain. It’s all accomplished by grace. There is no charge or user fee. It’s a free gift.
My youngest brother inherited the gift of life in a new set of lungs over 15 years ago. The process leading up to the double lung transplant was as thorough as the operation itself. The donor recipient needed to understand the value of the organs gifted to them. Similarly, it’s inconceivable that we would receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ and then give it so little attention or care.
The gift of new life in Christ needs to be cared for and developed through spiritual health. Church family, take care of yourself! i.e. the “new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24)
Here’s to your spiritual healing and health,
Pastor Deric
