The Plumbline

You know the old saying, “First you eat to live, and then you live to eat”? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that’s no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body! (I Corinthians 6:13 MSG) Honor him with your body. Uhm...how's that going? Your body, my body, all our bodies - created in his image, with the special purpose of actually connecting with him in a meaningful relationship. The sooner we understand that we weren't created to fulfill all our whims and fancies, the more we will begin to allow the change of our 'desires' and 'wants' to match up to what he has designed for us. While our earthly bodies are a 'temporary temple' for his presence, it doesn't mean we can ignore them or treat them in a 'disrespectful' manner. True as that may be, it is sometimes quite hard for us to resist that chocolate cake or bowl of mun...

Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims. (I Corinthians 6:12 MSG) Technically legal? Isn't that the excuse we use to indulge in those things that are 'marginally outside of God's will'? We argue, "Technically, the Bible doesn't say anything about this." The Word of God isn't going to address each and every little thing we could encounter in life, but there are general principles taught about how we should act, what God allows, and when it is appropriate for a believer to act. We sometimes have to apply the principle to the situation or question and allow God's Spirit to help us determine if the action is just 'technically legal' or the 'absolute best for our lives'.  The absolute best is ultimately God's desire. It may be technically legal for me to eat rich foods every night, but it isn...