When a person becomes a Christian he surrenders his entire life to Christ and God. That means Christ should own and control that person (I Corinthians 6:20). If you are a Christian, your soul, your mind, and your body belong to Jesus Christ. Every Christian wants Jesus to own his soul and save it eternally. Too many Christians are not willing for Christ to own their minds. These Christians are not willing to study the Bible seriously. Sadly, many, many Christians refuse to let Christ own their bodies. These Christians frequently let themselves enjoy the "pleasures" of sin and lusts. Paul plainly commanded Christians, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof" (Romans 6:12).
Please read I Corinthians 6:15-20. First, Paul declares that the Christian's body is a member of Christ, a part of Christ's own body. The example of fornication is used. When a Christian commits fornication he is actually taking part of Christ's body and joining it to the body of a prostitute. How can part of Christ's body be joined to a body that belongs to Satan? Can Christ ever approve of such conduct? No! The Christian's body is part of Christ and must be used in a way that honors Christ. When a Christian commits fornication he sins against his own body and brings shame upon the rest of the body of Christ.
Second, Paul declares the Christian's body is God's temple which houses God's Holy Spirit. The church meeting house is not God's temple. God does not live in man-made houses (Acts 17:24). God's temple today is the Christian's body. When a Christian uses his body for wicked purposes, or for evil pleasures, he has corrupted God's temple.
There are many sins involving the Christian's body. The most common sins of the body are sins of lust. In Africa, Christians must take great care to avoid three common sins of the body. Those are fornication, drunkenness, and the use of Indian hemp.
Paul said he worked hard to keep his body under subjection. He did so because he did not wish to teach others and then have God reject him (I Corinthians 9:27). Every Christian should follow Paul's example.
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