With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ. Now that which I am now living in the flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.
Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament
I am convinced that being in the Lord means accepting all which He is. This means not only the world around us, but ourselves as well. Yet, far too many people, believers and non believers alike, express their dissatisfaction daily with the Lords creation in themselves. I admit, I have been a partaker of this thinking as well. What am I talking about? I'm speaking of that part of us which the Lord God created from the dust of the ground {Genesis 2:7}. It is God who breathed into our flesh creation the breath of life and "The human became a living soul." Yes, we were created in the Fathers very spirit image {Genesis 1:27}, but it is the flesh which often gives us the most difficulty. We often blame the flesh for the existence of sin. We struggle to keep the "Desires of the flesh" at bay. But what are we struggling with? God did not create us with something which goes against His desire for us. God did not create our flesh bodies that they would be a hinderance to Him. The apostle Paul speaks to this in his letter to the church in Corinth. Paul proclaims that far from being a bastion for evil and wicked thoughts, our flesh bodies are "A temple of the holy spirit in you" {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 6:19-20}. Knowing this, would we not do our best to take care of our own flesh body? I know that this has become a focal point in my life the past few years. According to a recent survey, 58% of those surveyed claimed to engage in exercise daily. I myself usually shoot for six days/week on average. Now, we should have little difficulty with someone desiring to improve their flesh body realizing that it is the temple of the spirit in them as Paul points out. But this isn't always the case. For there are those out there, believers as well as non believers who use exercise as a means to improve the appearance of the flesh body. I see far too many of these posers in the gym that I frequent. Standing in front of that mirror and flexing those muscles. Granted, I have no idea whether they are aware of the significance of their flesh body, I simply know that they take a lot of pride in what they have accomplished through fitness. This might be where the line between caring for the temple of the spirt in us and our own pride needs to be drawn.
Or are you not aware that your body is a temple of the holy spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price. By all means glorify God in your body.
Paul to the Corinthians (1) 6: 19-20, Concordant New Testament
John is a believer who as far as I can tell, loves the Lord. John is also a fitness nut who spends a great deal of time devoted to his exercise. In my conversations with him, he believes that what he is doing is caring for his flesh body the best way he can. He understands that it is God Who created his flesh. John is also a fellow gym rat, one of the few people I've come to know at the gym I frequent. To understand the line between caring for the temple and stoking our own pride is to see the difference between a man such as John and the other posers at the gym. Do we understand the significance of caring for the flesh, or do we exercise simply to be more physically appealing to others? I would suggest that even believers might be confused on this topic. When I first began weight training, my goal was to be more attractive. However, in recent years I've come to realize that it's far more than that. For not only do I know the Lords place in me, but I know my place in Him {Johns Account 14:20}. I know that I do not exercise alone, but as Christ who I live in union with. What in the world would Jesus need with exercise? Well, it is through Christ that I have come to know the small group of people known as the gym rats. As I work in Christ to preserve His temple in me, He works through me in the lives of those around me. Pride is no longer part of that equation.
~Scott~
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