Our True Identity as Believers!
Our Blueprint for a New Testament Church • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
It seems like forever since I preaching my last message in this series. It has been a long two weeks not having the opportunity to share God’s Word from this pulpit. I have missed it. However, I am truly grateful for our great service on Anniversary Sunday. My dad’s message was on point. Many of you have expressed how much enjoyed his preaching. The entire day was wonderful with the car show, the outdoor service, and the amazing food in the afternoon.
Then, last week, both Pastor Jerry and Daniel did an amazing job filling in for me as I was away. I am thankful for the two of them. Having men like them makes it easier for me when I must be out of the pulpit. Both preached great messages.
Now, today, I want to jump right back into our series from the book of 1st Corinthians. I have had two weeks to prepare my heart and my mind for this message. So, you know what that means right? We might get out of here by 2 pm. No, I am just kidding. I promise to let out on time.
The message for today is a very important message. In fact, every message from the Word of God is an important message. But before we get into the message, let’s go back and review where we are in this series.
Let me remind you that entire book of 1st Corinthians is God’s Blueprint for the Local Church. Everything God wants us to know about a local church can found in this letter. We have already learned that a local church consists of a saved membership. In other words, each person who is a member of a local church must have accepted Christ as their personal Savior and is baptized by immersion identifying publically that have indeed put their faith and trust in Him. We have also learned that a local church’s message and purpose is to proclaim the cross of Calvary and the gospel of Christ. Additionally, we have learned that a local church is to unified and not divided. A local church also must be on guard against sin in its midst especially sin such as fornication, coveting, extorting, idolatry, railers, and drunkenness. Recently, we learned that a local church is to handle matters of a material nature within the local church.
In my last message, we ended with the words of 1 Corinthians 6:12-18 (PEW BIBLE Page 680). However, this morning I want to draw your attention back to verses 9-11 which says...
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
I love verse 11.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
One of the great things about our relationship as believers is that we have been changed. Yes, we were part of the “unrighteous” aka the unbelieving. We were sinners just like the rest of the world. We lived like the world. We talked like the world. We were headed down the same road of eternal damnation like the world. But, then, we heard the gospel of the Christ. We opened our hearts to its message. God then gave us faith to believe. We believed. We accepted all that Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary. And, at the moment, God did something truly special! He changed us. He washed us. He sanctified us. He justified us in the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is the point of this chapter. A true local church consists of people who have been changed by God’s power. Thus, we, as a local church and individual believes, need to understand our TRUE IDENTITY!
Verses 12-18 of our text builds upon that thought. Essentially, as we already have learned, is that our new life in Christ is all about living for Him and not living for ourselves.
As I was thinking about this chapter and our text, I began to think about who I am as a person. Let me share some things from God’s Word is an introduction to today’s text.
If you turn back to Genesis 1 and the story of creation, you will find that God created us on day six. Turn to Genesis 1 and look at these verses with me.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Note that God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” and then God did just that. He create man “in his own image.” Now, please understand that God is a triune God. He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, yet all three are one. In fact, in verse 26, we understand the pronoun “our” to mean more than one. Thus, God made man in their image. How is this so?
Scripture teaches us that man is also a tripartite being. We are living souls in a created body with a spirit.
Scripture teaches us that man is also a tripartite being. We are living souls in a created body with a spirit.
Let me break this down and illustrate it for you.
In Genesis 2:7, we read...
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Note that He formed the first man’s body from the dust of the ground. Over in Ecclesiastes we read...
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Each person is clothed with a body. We were all born with a body that was created by God. And, one day, this body will return to the earth unless the Lord returns. Until that time, each us must contend with the body and its lusts. On the screen, you will see that I have that first box related to the body and in it is 1 John 2:16 which says...
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The second part of who we are as created in God’s image is our soul.
The second part of who we are as created in God’s image is our soul.
Go back to Genesis 2:7 and note what else God did in creating us.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
You will note that God breathed life into us and, at that moment, we became living souls. Each person sitting here this morning not only has a physical body made of clay, but you are also a living soul. The soul is that part of us which makes up who we are. Each of us is uniquely different. We all have different personalities. We all see things differently according to how God created us in our mother’s womb. The soul is an extremely important component of who we are. It is so important that Christ himself said...
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
He also warned us...
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
The third part of man is something that most people do not completely understand.
The third part is a person’s spirit.
The third part is a person’s spirit.
The reason that many people do not understand the spiritual aspect of their being is this. Every person born into this world is born already spiritually dead. God warned Adam and Eve that if they disobeyed His directive concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they would surely die. However, if you remember the story, God judged Adam and Eve not by physically killing them. Instead, He had them cast out of the garden of Eden never to return again. Essentially, Adam and Eve died spiritually that day. Christ told the woman at the well something very profound in regards to our spirit. He said to her...
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Clearly it is through a person’s spirit that one is able to communicate with God. On the day that Adam and Eve sinned, they died spiritually.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
No longer were they able to have that close communion with God as they had done before. They were cast out of the garden. Since that day, every single man, woman, and child is born spiritually dead already. Look again at Romans 5:12. Note that “death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” In Adam, all have sinned and all are born spiritually dead. That is why each person is need of Christ. He is the only One who can make their spirit alive again. It is the reason that Christ told Nicodemus who was a religious leader that he needed to born again. In fact, in that same conversation, Christ said...
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Here is the great news.
Every person born into this world can have a new spirit placed within. They can have a spirit once again that allows them to commune with God. Christ is the answer. He is the One Who came and with His own blood paid the ransom for our sin. His action upon the cross along with His burial and subsequent resurrection paved the way for us to born of the Spirit. Everyone is born of water. We all know how each baby is protected in its mother’s womb by water. When a mother’s water breaks, it is time to get to the hospital for delivery. However, not every is born of the Spirit. Thus, each person must not only be born physically into this world, but they must also be born of the Spirit before they can enter God’s kingdom.
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
The word “quickened” means to make alive. Note what happens when a person hears the gospel and, by faith, accepts all that Christ has done for him/her.
Note the slide that is on the screen behind me.
Note the slide that is on the screen behind me.
Remember we are body, soul, and now, because of God’s saving grace, we are spirit. We now restored to a position before God by which we can once again commune with Him. At salvation, a person’s...
Body is not changed. It remains under the curse. However, the promise for us now is that we are going to recieved a glorified body at Christ return.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Soul now has Heaven as its destination. Nothing can change that. It is a hope that is steadfast and sure.
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Spirit now made alive. God places a new spirit within us that enables us to commune with His Spirit.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Now, I shared all that with you as preparation for today’s message from our text - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. I wanted you to understand how God truly sees both unsaved and saved. The unsaved are spiritually dead to Him.
Let me stop right here for a second. If you are here this morning and you have not accepted Christ as your personal Savior, spiritually you are dead to God. You cannot in any form or fashion commune with Him. Any prayer offered to God outside of a prayer of confessing their sinful condition is a prayer that is not heard by God. The only way you can commune with God is by accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. The Bible is very clear that all are born hopeless and helpless before God. This means that there is nothing you can do to work or earn your way into Heaven. The only way into Heaven and the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. Therefore, you must willingly open your heart and your ears to the good news of Christ. What is the good news of Christ? He loves you so much that He has already done all that is needed for you to live again spiritually. He willingly died for you on the cross of Calvary. He was buried, but on the third day He arose victorious over sin and death. His actions are complete. All that is left is for your to confess your current condition before Him. Confess that you are truly a sinner with no hope of Heaven. And, then, open your heart’s door to believe all that Christ has done.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
To really live is to know Christ. If you want to be a complete person this morning (body, soul, and spirit), then open your hear to God. Call out to Him in sincerity and truth. Without any doubt, He will make alive your spirit and He will completely change you enabling you to have a very deep and personal relationship with Him.
Now, real quick, back to our text and the heart of the message.
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.
Now remember, up to this point, the Holy Spirit has been hammering away about the consequences of sin especially fornication. His entire point is that there is no place for such things in a believer’s life. Why? We are changed. Remember His words “and such WERE some of you.” Now that we are saved, God gives us each believer a very special gift. He places within each of us His Spirit. Now, because our spirit is made alive and He has placed His Spirit within us, we are completely able to commune once again with God. It is a gift that no unsaved person has or even understands. However, along with that gift comes great responsibility. And, here, in our text, the Holy Spirit Himself reminds us of that responsibility.
There are three things we must know and understand in our text.
Your Body is God the Spirit’s Temple
Your Body is God the Spirit’s Temple
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?
I am not going to belabor this point since I have spent a lot of time covering it already. However, the thing we must remember constantly is that our bodies are the Spirit’s temple. Literally, everywhere we go and everything we do God’s Spirit sees and knows. He is there with us. This should be a very sobering thought for every believer. One of the things we contend with almost every minute of each day is the temptation of this world. We all struggle with desires of this body. Remember 1 John describes it this way...
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Just before that, in verse 15, we are encouraged to...
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For this reason, we must constantly be reminded and work to remember ourselves that our bodies are indeed the Spirit’s temple. There is no doubt that if we more mindful of this very fact it would help us in our battle with temptation.
Here is the second thing found in our text.
Your Body is God’s Property
Your Body is God’s Property
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.
Believer, you have been bought with an extremely high price. What was the cost? The cost was God’s very own Son.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
These are just a few of the many, many verses which speak to the great sacrifice that Christ made for us. None of us will ever fully realize the price that He paid. Yet, the fact remains that He paid that price and, for that reason, we belong to Him. We are not our own. Thus, to live for ourselves is a gross misuse of our bodies. Instead, we must have a mind of living for Christ.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
And here is the last point.
You are to Glorify God w/Your Body & Your Spirit
You are to Glorify God w/Your Body & Your Spirit
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.
The word “glorify” means magnify, extol, and praise one’s character, nature, and attributes. In other words, everyday all day with all our thoughts, words, and actions we are to magnify, extol, and praise all that is God. As believers, we are never to magnify, extol, and praise who we are. John the Baptist said it perfectly.
He must increase, but I must decrease.
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let me conclude with this thought and we are done. There is very important reason believers should be totally focused on God and glorifying Him with all that we say and do. That reason can be found in Matthew 5 which Christ’s great Sermon on the Mount. Christ said...
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
When we as believers live each day knowing that our bodies are the Spirit’s temple, we are bought with a very precious price, and that we belong to Him, we are motivate to give God the glory that He alone deserves. As we do, not only do we live in obedience to His word, but we also become the right kind of light before others. We become a light that reflects God’s glory to others. Just as the light of the sun bounces off the moon giving light at night. So, we as believers living a dark and wicked world are able to shed abroad the Light that is Christ. This only happens though when we are living obediently before God. When believers give into their own lust and temptations, their light is dimmed by their testimony of sin. The result is that God is not glorified and others are not exposed the saving Light who is Christ.
Believer, are you living each day with the knowledge that you are not your own? Are living each day remembering that your body is the Spirit’s temple? Or, are you living each ignoring this incredible fact simply to live for yourself? May I say to live ignoring your true identity in Christ is a dangerous game. Let me encourage you this morning to live as you truly are meant to live. Live as a person whose body, soul, and spirit seeks to glorify God each day!