You Were Bought with a Price

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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Paul didn't present this as just a suggestion; he indicated that every believer should already understand this. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. You are not your own. You were bought with a price.

That price was the blood of Jesus—not silver, not gold—the actual blood of the Son of God. That is what it cost to deliver you from sin and bring you into the Kingdom. When something costs that much, the One who paid for it has every right to direct how it is used.

God has every right to tell you what to do. He can tell you what to do, where to go, what to say, how to live, what to hold onto, and what to let go. It is not because He is a tyrant, but because He purchased you. He redeemed you from a place you couldn't pay your way out of, at the highest cost to Himself.

You are a son or daughter of God, filled with His Spirit, and seated in heavenly places with Jesus. But there is a responsibility side that the church does not always want to talk about. You owe the Father obedience to His words. It is not out of fear, but rather out of gratitude, love, and understanding that the One who owns you is also the One who saved you.

You are not your own. Walk with this in mind. Let your faith guide you as you serve the One who bought you.

Practical Application

Which area of your life have you been acting as if you belong to yourself? Is it your finances, your body, your relationships, your time? Surrender that particular area back to God today, not out of guilt, but because of an understanding of what it cost Him to have you. Ask the Holy Spirit to activate your faith and help you walk in obedience in that specific area.

1 Corinthians 7:23; Acts 20:28