1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or 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.”
Paul reminds the Christians at the church in Corinth of their identity as temples of the Holy Spirit. His call to “Don’t you know?” reveals a gentle nudge to awaken them from the distractions of the world. It’s all too easy to forget that we are sacred vessels, belonging to God and redeemed at a significant cost.
How could this shift happen? Like many of us, their hearts began to lean toward fulfilling the desires of the flesh instead of walking in Spirit. We can find ourselves as slaves to whatever captures our attention and affections (Romans 6:16).
A slave is wholly devoted to what owns them. When we live for self, pleasure, possessions, position, or prestige, we become completely immersed in those pursuits, leaving little room for anything else.
Reflecting on the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4, we see God urging Cain to take charge of his sin. He warns that sin lies in wait, and he must conquer it. Being enslaved to sin leads to death, as stated in Romans 6:16. Galatians 5 echoes this, reminding us that those who live by the flesh will miss out on the kingdom of God.
We can uncover our true devotions by evaluating our deepest passions—what we think about, daydream about, structure our lives around, and discuss.
“Where your greatest passion lies, there lies your god.” – Nasser
We must learn to recognize that while certain interests may capture our attention, they are not inherently sinful. Sin emerges when these passions become distorted or start to overshadow our devotion to Christ. Money, sports, careers, sex, food, leadership, and service can be fulfilling when rooted in our relationship with Him.
Our foremost question should always be: “Lord, I am Yours. What would You have me do today?” We were bought at a great price; we belong to Him. Consider if we live this way and bring His life-giving presence into all we do. That’s redemption.
It’s easy to feel like we don’t need God when all is going good. I think Satan slips in when we are distracted by being on cruise control. We need to let Jesus guide us in the good and bad times.
You are right. What you just wrote was precisely the reason for Israel’s fall. They had everything, and they slipped into cruise control. They began to honor God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him Isaiah 29:13.