On Loan
God is speaking to us in so many different ways, especially through our Daily Scripture Reading Feast, but also in Sermons and Songs and in so many other ways as well, and He is always calling us to step up higher, to get closer and into a much deeper relationship with him. We so often hear said, and say things like this ourselves, “I am in Control,” but let us consider this verse. 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” In reality, you have been Bought, somebody has Purchased you, so you are not your own, you have been bought with a price, somebody else owns you, God made you, God died to save you from death and thereby purchased your salvation, God in essence wants a marriage relationship with you, a very close and intimate caring relationship with you. The latter chapters of Revelation are full of the New Jerusalem, the wedding home of the redeemed, The Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the bride of Christ, the redeemed, the Purchased ones.
It is sort of like “Selling your car,” you get paid, the New Owner lets you keep the car for a while, as he has to sort out a few things, before he sends one of his Staff over to pick it up from you. How do you treat this car, that is not any more your own, as it has been bought with a price? Do you enter it into a “Demolition Derby” and crash it to a pile of scrap metal? Do you take it to the Race Track and thrash to within a centimeter of its life, by driving it excessively hard? No, you keep it in perfect pristine condition, so that the Owner can receive it in as purchased, or in a better condition, as it is well cared for, washed, cleaned and all servicing being kept up-to-date.
When you go visit a friend, do you immediately start to move the furniture about, change the pictures on the wall, repaint the walls, change the carpets to suit your impulses? No, you respect their property, you do not tramp muddy shoes through their house, spill food and drinks over the furniture and flooring, punch holes in the walls in rage when you cannot get your own willful way, so how do we treat our “Body?” Do we feed it nourishing food, or Junk food? Do we keep it clean and fit through proper living and exercise? How about our mind and Soul? Are they fed nourishment, or are they corrupted with evil thoughts fed from un-wholesome reading, corrupting TV Programs and Internet? This should not ought to be, we are not our own as we have been bought with a price.
People so often claim to “Be Saved” or “Redeemed” or some other catchy current phrase, but when you look at their lives, they eat wrong, relationships are sub-standard, their speech is vile and corrupt, and their business dealings clearly misrepresent Jesus and Heavenly living. Who are we trying vainly to fool, certainly not God, 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as [were] some of them; as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
Paul is reminding the corrupted church in his day about the corruption in the camp of Israel in the Exodus, what would Paul say if he ever came to your Church or Home Group, would he not say the same to you and me? 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” In reality, you have been Bought, somebody Purchased you, you are not your own, you have been bought with a price, somebody else owns you.” Matthew 10:28 “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.”
Jesus spoke many Parables; such as the “10 Talents” and the unfaithful servant, “The Tennant Farmers” where the unfaithful tenants, who ended up killing the Kings Son outside the vineyard, the Unforgiving Servant, Go work in my Vineyard, the Prodigal Son, “The Marriage Feast,” The Ten Virgins, all pointing to various people who did not respect their role in life, who were corrupt and corrupted others, and perished. Yet the same Parables point to servants who were very faithful, who carried out their tasks and often went “above and beyond their calling” in dedicated service to their employer, and that is God. God made us, God died to save us from death, God owns us all, we are “On Loan” from God, so what kind of life should we all live, how should we treat those about us, and when we are called to give account of our life, how will we reply, or are there a few things that need quickly changing, for ye are not your own, ye have been bought with a price, we are all “On Loan from God.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or know ye not that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom ye have from God? And ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body. “On Loan.”
