Free to Eat; Wise to Choose

     Romans 12:1:

     I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a

     living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

In this verse the word “bodies” is used figuratively to refer to the whole person or “self.” It is

with our whole self that we act out the will of God. God makes us a new creation. We have the

responsibility to present our bodies so as to walk in it. It is our reasonable or logical service

because we have the great privilege of being a habitation of the Holy Spirit given by God.

     1 Corinthians 6:19:

     What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which 

     ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore

     glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Once we are born again, we are not our own, but belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and are

members of his holy body.  It should be our endeavor to keep ourselves strong and vibrant to

the best of our ability so we are able to give God our utmost.

     1 Corinthians 10:31:

     Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

We are to glorify God in our body in whatever we do including eating and drinking.

Specifically, the manner in which we glorify God in eating and drinking can include the attitude

with which we partake of a meal with others as well as when the choice is ours, making wise

food choices and practicing temperance to maintain our health and soundness of mind. Some

choices can be unprofitable to the believer as stated earlier in the Epistle to the Corinthians.

     1 Corinthians 6:12-13:

     All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for

     me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats [foods] for the belly, and the

     belly for meats [foods]: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for

     fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

All things are lawful for believers because our salvation is not based on our own works, but

rather faith in Jesus Christ’s accomplishments on our behalf.  However, all things are not

expedient (or profitable) to us.