We Are Not Our Own
Sunday’s Verses:
From 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV
“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.”
This verse pierces me deep. It’s one of those passages that run counter to everything the world has told us. We are constantly reminded to “be ourselves.” To “live our truth.” To “do what feels right.” Scripture says otherwise: you are not your own.
God did not just create you; He redeemed you. Jesus Christ bought you with the price of His blood. This is why your body is holy. Not because it is flawless, strong, or Instagram-perfect. But because the Holy Spirit has made His home within you. You are now a temple, alive with His presence. This is not a metaphor. This is reality.
Luther says in the Catechism, “Jesus Christ, our Lord, has purchased and won me from all sins… not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood.” You no longer belong to your sins. You no longer belong to this world. You do not even belong to yourself. You belong to Christ.
What does this mean for our daily lives? It means that we use our bodies—not as an idol to be obsessed over, but as a temple to be used for worship. We do not use our bodies to serve sin. We use them to serve God. That means in word and deed, in how we care for ourselves and others.
You are not your own. It may sound like a loss to say those words, but in Christ, it is the greatest freedom.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord of life, thank You for my body and soul. Strengthen me in health and weakness, and help me honor You in all I do. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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