The BIG Picture (Q&A)

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" ...

Question from Social Media: When Jesus declared, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18). Did he, "exalt himself over everything that is called God so that he sets himself up in God’s temple proclaiming himself to be God" (2Thessalonians2:4)? Answer: When Jesus declared, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt.28:18), He was not exalting Himself in rebellion. His authority was given by the Father. Scripture confirms this: “As thou hast given him power over all flesh” (John 17:2), and “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him” (Phil.2:9). Christ’s exaltation is the Father’s act, rooted in His obedience unto death (Phil.2:8). He is the rightful Lord, seated at the right hand of God (Heb.1:3), and in Him “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col.2:9). By contrast, 2Thess.2:4 describes “that man of sin…who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God.” His authority is self-claimed,...