It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. – Philippians 1:20.
The Temple of Solomon
Someone I’m sure, is going to object and state that God did dwell in the Jewish temple, first in the wilderness and later in Jerusalem, and that this was dramatized by the presence of the cloud or Shekinah. But there are two things wrong with this objection. In the first place, the presence of God in the temple (symbolized by the cloud) was only a figurative way of teaching certain lessons. Hence, even Solomon in his great prayer of dedication of the magnificent first temple acknowledged that heaven and earth could not contain God, much less a building that he had constructed. The second error is this: Even granting that in a certain sense Jehovah was present in the temple, that is now past from the perspective of God’s ongoing revelation in history. When Jesus came to earth He claimed that His body was God’s temple (John 2:18–21). And when He departed into heaven He promised that God would come to dwell within those who believe in Him (John 14:16–17). It is on this basis that Paul later claims, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19. Paul adds, “So glorify God in your body.” – verse 20.
The Eyes
The second truth arising out of Philippians 1:20 is that if Christ is to be magnified in our bodies, He must be magnified in each of its constituent parts.
This means, first of all, Jesus must be magnified in our eyes. I have been impressed in a study of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) by the fact that the eyes are mentioned twice in this chapter, once in a passage warning against sexual sins and once in a passage warning against materialism. How closely each of these errors is connected with the eyes! In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of the eyes, saying, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.” – Matthew 5:29. It is quite evident that this is a warning against the snares of improper sexual desires; for the verses that come just before refer to adultery, and the verses that immediately follow deal with the problems of divorce. Similarly, in Matthew chapter 6 He deals with the role of the eyes in materialism. Jesus begins with a reference to human greed; He finishes with the truth that a person cannot serve both God and money. In the middle He says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” – Matthew 6:22-23. Jesus recognized that the eyes are the primary means by which one is tempted to sexual sins and greed.
This is particularly true in American culture. Radio, television, billboards, and newspapers bombard us with stimulants to covet the abundant life. Movies and magazines encourage adultery and invite our participation in sexual sins. America is preoccupied with sex and committed to materialism, but this is not to be the rule for Christians. Christians are to serve the Lord, and they must use their eyes for that purpose. They must look at all that is wholesome and must direct their desires accordingly. One young woman told me that one of her first great steps forward in the Christian life took place when she realized that the majority (if not all) advertising generally appeals to non-Christian elements in our character, and she determined to shift her life accordingly.
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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