Chewing on Sin- Martin Wiles

Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? 1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT

Nasty. Repulsive. Although he doesn’t know what an adjective is, I could tell these two were circling in his mind.

I remember when my wife introduced one of our grandsons to table food. Baby food just wasn’t doing the trick anymore. He wanted the real thing whenever he sat down at the table with us to eat.

One night, my wife cooked a spread of vegetables—broccoli among them. Since his older brother loved broccoli, we assumed he might. Additionally, it was healthy. My wife mashed up a small piece and placed it in his mouth. His expression was priceless. Not a smile that said, “Give me more,” but a contorted scowl that sent us rolling with laughter. Though he continued to chew on and then swallow it, he didn’t enjoy it.

Paul reminds us our bodies are temples of God’s Spirit. He took up residence when we trusted Jesus as our Savior. God’s Old Testament temple was a holy place. Not just anyone or anything could enter, and certainly nothing sinful. Since our bodies are now temples, nothing should change.

Most of what we chew, we swallow. If it’s nasty or repulsive, we typically spit it out. But I have been known to swallow some things I shouldn’t have and some I didn’t enjoy. Regardless of what I swallow, it comes out through the digestive process. Jesus says what we swallow through our senses will also.

Chewing on sinful tendencies, explorations, and thoughts should produce the same contorted expression I witnessed on my grandson. But rather than swallow them as he did the broccoli, we should spit them out. Actually, we should never taste them in the first place. If we ingest them, they will pollute our temples and come out in ways that offend God.

The best way to keep from chewing on sin is never to taste it in the first place. God’s Word tells us what spiritual food is and isn’t beneficial. All we have to do is read the menu. Though pleasurable for the moment, sinful food will never produce anything of lasting value.

Chew on God’s Word and get the nutrition you need.

Father, guide me to the spiritual nourishment that will ensure godly living. 

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