Thursday, February 27, 2003

It was one of those great night-night conversations that a father can have when he's with his son or daughter at bedtime. Our son-in-law tried to prepare our 4-year old grandson for sleeping by saying, "You know you don't have to worry at night because Jesus is with you." Our grandson, ever the thinker, said, "How do I know that Jesus can see me?" Dad told him, "Well, Jesus is up in heaven, watching everything we do. And, He also lives inside each of us and He can see everything." Ooh, ponder time! Then - "So that means I am Jesus' house!" (He very clearly has asked Jesus into his heart.) Dad affirmed him - "Actually, that's exactly how the Bible describes it!" Then came our grandson's application questions - "Is Mommy Jesus' house?" "Yes." "And you're Jesus' house?" "Yes." "And my little brother is Jesus' house?" (His little brother is too young to give his heart to Jesus yet.) Daddy said, "Well, not yet." Good. Daddy passed the theology test.

Well,

I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Very Expensive House."

It's amazing how little kids figure out what we big kids tend to forget - or don't ever get. Our grandson's got it. If you've asked Jesus to come into your life and be your personal Savior, you are "Jesus' house." Which is going to guide - or should guide - a whole lot of the choices you make.

One of the Bible's most radical truths is spelled out in our word for today from the Word of God in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 . In a world filled then with massive temples to many different gods, Paul says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

Wow! If you know Jesus, that body of yours - whatever you or other people may think of it - is a temple where God Himself lives! I saw a teenager once with a shirt that simply said, "Property of God." That's the truth! Imagine how it might change things if every believer had that indelibly stamped on their forehead - "property of God." Some couples wouldn't be messing around with each other the way they are if they remembered they were messing around with God's property. We'd think twice about some of the garbage we put in our body; some of the junk we allow ourselves to watch or listen to if we realized that we were dragging trash into the "property of God."

The pagans of old knew that you dared not pollute or abuse or dishonor the place where they believed their god lived. But the one true God really does live in you and me if we belong to Jesus - in the form of the Holy Spirit. Notice, that's Holy Spirit, who must be saying to some of us, "What are you doing bringing that stuff into the temple of Almighty God!" In a sense, you drag God into everything you do with your body. It's not your body to do what you please with - to drink what you want, eat what you want, watch what you want, listen to what you want. You don't eat when you feel like it, do what feels good with it, put poison into it, use it for things God hates.

This house was bought at a very expensive price - the highest price ever paid - the life of the sinless Son of God. And now you've invited Him to move into this house He paid for with His life. Treat your body like what it really is - the property of God!