How Can a Corruptible Body Be the Temple of the Holy Spirit?
Question: How can our physical bodies be the temple of the Holy Spirit if Scripture says our flesh is corrupted, vile, and contains no good thing? When reading Romans 7:18 ("in my flesh dwelleth no good thing") and Isaiah 64:6 (our righteousness is as "filthy rags"), it is clear that our unredeemed human nature is corrupted and filled with sin. Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 declares that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. If our physical frame is corrupted and awaiting future redemption, how can the Holy Spirit inhabit it today? Is salvation limited only to the "inner man"? How do we reconcile the daily battle between the unredeemed flesh and the saved spirit, and how can we possibly glorify God in a body destined for corruption? Answer: The key to resolving this apparent conflict is understanding how Scripture distinguishes between our physical body , our fallen sin nature , and our saved spirit . 1. The Distinction Between "Flesh" ...