Daily Devotions in I Corinthians 6

Daily Nugget: 
The church in Corinth was very worldly, and because of it, battled sin. Paul spent some of his writings rebuking them for the iniquity in which they were involved. In this chapter, the preacher dealt again with sexual immorality. Apparently, a Christian man was engaged in fornication with a prostitute.

Paul’s wisdom on this matter is one of the most important principles taught in the Bible. When practiced, this teaching protects Christians from being tainted by sin and separates them to be a cleaner vessel for the Master’s use. The preacher reminded them they were a temple where the Holy Spirit lived.
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” I Corinthians 6:19

Many still respect the church house and show it by how they treat it. Most would not think of cursing in it, spitting on its floor, or defaming it in any way. A church building is a good place to hear God’s Word preached and to serve Him, but it is not the place the Holy Spirit indwells.

Today He lives in the hearts of believers. We need to have as much respect for His dwelling place within our hearts as we should for the church building. Our “temples” of the Living God need to be as “clean” and representable as we can make them.

We can keep our temple clean by refraining from sin. One of the first things a born-again child of God is convicted of is his sins. The conviction is the Holy Spirit’s way of cleaning “house” in our hearts. One by one, His patient Spirit works with us as we remove the lying, adultery, lack of praying and worship, and other dirty sins that taint the Holy Spirit’s living quarters.

Our "temple" is our bodies. It is also our responsibility to remove or stop any activity that will damage our bodies. Many justify a bad habit as, “Well, it doesn’t say in the Bible, I can’t have this habit.” It does; we are to keep our “temples” clean! If Christians got hold of this principle, many would instantly work to remove drugs, drinking, smoking, fornication (I Corinthians 6:18), harmful eating habits, and any other activity that hurts their body.

When we no longer heed the work of the Holy Spirit on our hearts, He does not leave us. He is grieved (Ephesians 4:30) and will not work in our lives until we continue to clean our “temple” by removing sin from our lives and obeying what the Holy Spirit has convicted us to do.

Many do not have the power of God in their lives and no longer experience a closeness with God or see Him working in their lives because they refused to clean up their temple. Believers should do all they can to keep their temples clean so that the Holy Spirit can use them.

Today’s Thought:
“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” I Peter 1:16

Words to Understand:
Effeminate: woman-like; a male having feminine qualities
Expedient: appropriate; quickly available
Revilers: abusive with profane, demeaning speech
Sanctified: set apart for God’s usage

Today’s Reading:
I Corinthian 6
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
9 ¶ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
12 ¶ All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.