Week 39: September 25, 2016

Topic: Do not defile or Abuse Your Body – Part 2

Bible Reading: Isaiah 3: 8-12

We shall continue with the statutes of the Lord concerning keeping our bodies holy without any trace of defilement.

The Lord’s Commandments

Before we proceed, I want us to know that it is only those people who did not defile their bodies will live a fulfilled life, while those who defile or abuse their bodies may die prematurely and mysteriously. “You shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them” says the Lord Leviticus 18: 5. As a result, do not pollute your body or abuse it through the lustful things of this world, but keep the rule and laws of the Lord so that you will find life through them.

People must notice the difference: It is the desire of Almighty God that humans should be able to make distinction and recognize the difference between holy and unholy. It is important to let people distinguish that you did not defile your body through your action, reactions, and utterances Leviticus 10: 10. Wherever you are and in whatever you do, it is inevitable for people to know/notice the difference between you and the gentiles that have polluted their bodies. If people cannot differentiate between you and the gentiles, then it means you should check yourself and amend your ways.

Do not learn the way of the gentiles: Thus says the Lord “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the gentiles are dismay at them” Jeremiah 10: 2. Let your attitudes, dressing, and interactions be different from those of the gentiles, who have defiled and abused their bodies. Even if everyone in your community is involve in things that can defile their bodies, do not join them. Remember the warning “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice” Exodus 23: 2. The people may see you as an outcast who doesn’t get involved in what is in vogue/trend, while the heavens will see you as a special inheritance of God who refuses to defile himself/herself because of the vanity of this world. If you bow to their pressures and join them, then you are not special to the Lord anymore, but one of the crowds of disobedient people. The scripture says that “If you will indeed obey His voice and keep His covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Him above all people; for all the earth is Mine” says the Lord Exodus 19: 5.

Do not defile yourself with abominable tradition: Beware! Keep yourself holy and obey the instructions of the Lord. Do not defile yourself by committing the detestable practices demanded by your culture which were committed by your forefathers who lived in the land before you. Learn from their mistakes and do not defile yourself with any tradition that can pollute your body and make you unclean before your Creator Leviticus 18: 30. Abstain from any abominable custom that can defile you and cause you to miss the glorious home.

Do not harden your heart, but obey the commandments of the Lord that you have heard today. Do not think that no evil will befall you when you continue to sin and defile your body because you cannot continue in sin and pollution of your body, then expect the grace of God to multiply in your life Romans 6: 1. Therefore, obey the statutes of the Lord and do not defile yourself so that you will be justified in all your undertakings. Since it is not those who hear the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified Romans 2: 13. If you want prosperity and divine peace of God to reign in your life, then do not defile your body but hearken to the commandments that you have heard today and obey them.

Ways People Defile Their Bodies

There are several ways in which you can defile your body, if you are not vigilant and we will discuss them in details during our study.

Discipline Your Tongue And Mouth

The best thing that can happen to human beings is for them to control their mouth so that they will be able to live a trouble-free life. It is written that whoever guards his mouth and tongue will keep his soul from trouble Proverbs 21: 23. The tongue is a small part of our body that makes grand speeches. It is like a tiny spark that can set a great forest on fire. Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, it has the ability to corrupt and defile your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire but hell will set it on fire James 3: 5-6. You need to control your tongue if you don’t want it to defile your body and set your life on fire.

Control your mouth and do not wander from house to house as talebearer or busybody. Do not tarnish other people’s image or assassinate other people’s character. All these behaviors are against the instructions of the Lord; they will defile your body and complicate your life Leviticus 19:16, Ecclesiastes 5: 6. For this reason, do not backbite others or blaspheme the name of the Lord. Do not let foul language or corrupt word come out of your mouth, but what is good for edification of faith, that it may impart grace to the hearers Ephesians 4: 29. Don’t use abusive language that can defile your entire body, but helpful words that will encourage others.

Do not take alcoholic drink: Flee from alcoholic drinks, stop smoking cigarette or cigar and cease taking narcotics. Apart from the health implications of taking all the aforementioned items, they are abominable to the Lord. They will defile your physical and spiritual body if care is not taken. God warned Aaron saying “do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations” Leviticus 10: 8-9. If alcoholic drink is good, don’t you think that God would have instructed Aaron and his children to always get drunk when coming to the tabernacle? Nevertheless because it is abomination, He directed them not to drink when coming into His presence lest they die. It is not limited to the priests, every Christian who doesn’t want to defile themselves must quit taking intoxicating drinks, smoking cigarette/cigar and narcotics which God consider as abomination.

Do not consume blood: You must not eat the blood in whatever form because the blood is the life; you must not eat the life with the meat. You must not eat the blood; but you must pour it on the earth like water Deuteronomy 12: 23-25. Do not defile your body and bring the wrath of the Lord upon yourself by eating blood. Since blood is the life, you cannot eat/take what doesn’t belong to you because all lives belong to God.

The people who eat blood or mix blood of any animal with what they are eating should desist from defiling their bodies so that the fury of the Lord will not come upon them Leviticus 19: 26.