Day 25: Glorify God in Your Body

Scripture Focus: Revelation 2-3

"You have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." -1 Corinthians 6:20, NASB

"The female raunch culture of Girls Gone Wild, Sex & the City, Victoria's Secret, and young women who dress for the office like they would for their honeymoon is a direct result of the ideology of third-wave feminism." -Carolyn McCulley*

The dictionary defines raunchy as "smutty, indecent, lecherous." Somehow this description doesn't seem consistent with God's beautiful and noble design for women. Pretending that the church has kept herself unspotted and pure in the midst of our soft-porn modern culture is to be naïve.

First Corinthians 6:20 presents a logical statement. It begins with the factual premise that "you have been bought with a price," referring to the sacrificial atonement of Christ's blood. Then it proceeds to the conclusion that because of what has occurred (our purchase), we should glorify our Purchaser (Christ) in our bodies. Simply put, God paid for you with His own blood-now live like it! Does the church look like a pure, blood-bought bride? Or is she in bed with the raunch culture?

Consider this scene: Your teenage daughter is a picture of virginal beauty and wholesome purity. Then one day she decides that your rules are too oppressive. So she opts to venture out into the wild world of experience, running away from home and breaking your heart. News reaches you that she's been abducted, taken to a foreign country, and sold into slavery. You cannot rest until you rescue her.

Reaching her destination, you discover that the local authorities fear the slave traders and are unwilling to help you. At great expense you hire a local gunman to plan your daughter's escape. In spite of the extreme danger, you insist on accompanying him. As you both approach the building where you believe your daughter is being held against her will, there is an exchange of gunfire and you are struck down. Rapidly losing blood, you crawl to the doorway, where you can see your daughter's profile. One captor lies dying, while the other escapes. As you fall across the threshold, with your last ounce of energy, you whisper your dying words to your daughter: "You're free, honey. Quick-run away! I've paid for your way back home."

Imagine how bizarre it would be for your daughter to respond with a yawn, "Home? Why would I want to do that? I love it here. I'm not going anywhere."

God is on a "search and rescue" mission in this world. How have you responded to His initiative? He wants to use you to join Him in rescuing others' lives!

Take Time to Reflect
Does this story offend your sensibilities? It should. Although such a scene can hardly be imagined, it is no more unthinkable than the thought of Christ's Bride, the Church, being ambivalent toward His redeeming love. Although her deliverance has been made possible at great cost, she prefers to wallow in filth and remain in bondage to her lusts. Read Jesus' addresses to the churches of Revelation 2-3. What stands out to you about Christ's assessment of the condition of the church and about His prescription?

True Woman Wyoming Prayer Focus
Like every other segment of society, the church has been affected by the lies and other strategies of Satan. Ask God to awaken the church to her condition and great need. Pray for revival in your own church and throughout Casper and Wyoming.