Integrated Holiness

Today I was thinking about Paul's words to the Corinthian church concerning their good deeds. I find it very interesting that a church could exist that was as young as the Corinthian church yet as completely carnal as they were! They were seeking to somehow integrate their religion with their pagan lifestyles and still be acceptable to God. In fact, an early heresy was arising which basically taught that it was perfectly acceptable to commit sinful acts because our bodies are evil and only our spirits can be righteous. The Corinthians were practicing this heresy with gusto!
Paul speaks directly to this issue in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. The men in the church were apparently participating in the use of the temple prostitutes in Corinth. Their reasoning from a spiritual perspective was that they were free in Christ, "All things are lawful for me!" (1 Corinthians 6:12) From a physical perspective, they reasoned that their bodies were made for sexual intercourse, "Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food!" (6:13)
In many ways, I can see this same thinking permeating Christianity in our time and culture. Christians use biblical sounding arguments to integrate their religion with their pagan lifestyles. They claim that they are free in Christ, they are not bound to the Law of Moses, so they can act in sinful ways contrary to the holy requirements of their God. They also point to their createdness as an excuse for sinful behavior. Because God created them to enjoy this, then it must be good. Unfortunately, they also point to God's love and forgiveness as an escape, "God will forgive me for doing this."
Paul's response to this nonsense was to inform the Christian that you do not belong to yourself. This life is not about you. Salvation is not fire insurance. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (6:19-20)
I am reminded of the temple in Jerusalem, created to be the center of the worship of the LORD God on earth. As the kings of Judah became more wicked, that purpose was changed. The temple became the center of worship of many gods, all the hosts of heaven (2 Chronicles 33:4-5, 7-8). In Ezekiel 8, the prophet describes a vision of the temple of God in Jerusalem in which the temple is filled with profanity, filth, and false worship. The evil is so great that the LORD finally declares his judgment on Jerusalem (8:17-18).
I wonder if the temple of our body looks like that to the Lord. As we justify our sinful behaviors, does God see profanity in His temple? As we choose to watch TV instead of meditate on God's Word, does God see an idol of jealousy? As we sing songs and offer prayers on Sunday morning but ignore God the rest of the week, does God see the false priests offering incense in false worship?
Paul's conclusion was that we are to glorify God in our bodies! That means in the way we live our lives, God is to be glorified or made known through our physical behavior! We cannot make a claim of godliness if we live a sinful life. We cannot be good representatives of the Holy God if we live contrary to that holiness. The Faith to which we are called must be expressed through holiness in our lifestyles!
And lest we are sidetracked by living only outward holiness, Jesus condemned the Pharisees for just that! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." (Matthew 23:25-28)
The point is integrated holiness. It begins with a new nature brought about by our new life in Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:1-11). It reveals itself to the glory of God through the holy lifestyle to which we have been called (1 Peter 1:13-16).
May we reject the passivity of living down to our pagan culture and choose instead to live up to the calling with which we have been called!