Bodies

Everything we have has been given to us in order to love God wholly and love our neighbors. To worship God and love others with our bodies, we must receive our limitations, delight in what God has given us, and cultivate our bodies to serve others well.

Application

1. In what ways do you struggle to receive your body as God has made it? Have you ever coveted someone else’s body type or abilities? How so?

2. What does it look like to delight in what God has given you without indulging your appetite? Are there any areas of your life where creating some rhythms of discipline could help you stay within God’s boundaries?

3. God has given us bodies to worship him and serve others. What steps do you need to take to cultivate the body God has given you in order to serve others well?

Key Points

• God created us in his image for the purpose of representing him to the world. This lends our bodies dignity and status.

• Our gender as male or female reflects the plurality of the godhead. It is an expression of the unity and diversity built into who he is.

• Even if we are following Jesus, we participate in the groaning of the world.

• We can groan with hope that we will be resurrected—our bodies will be redeemed and brought out of the suffering of this world.

• Jesus willingly took on the limitations of a human body and embraced his humanity to conquer death for us.

Other Scripture References

Genesis 1:26–27

Genesis 2

Psalm 139:13, 16

Romans 8:22–23 (ESV)

1 Corinthians 15:42–43

1 Timothy 6:17

1 Corinthians 9:27