1co 06v19 20 We Belong To God
WE BELONG TO GOD
I Corinthians 6:19-20
It is true that all people
belong to God, as creatures to their Creator, as property to its Owner, as
subjects to their Ruler. All things and all people were made by God and for
God, and all are ruled by God's sovereign will. This is God's right as the
absolute Sovereign of all his creatures (Rom. 9:15-26).
But we who believe belong to God as a child belongs to its Father, as a wife to
her Husband, as a willing bondslave to his Master. Ours is an intimate, loving,
family relationship with the eternal God.
We belong to God by THE SOVEREIGN PURPOSE OF HIS
GRACE. In old eternity God said, "I will be their God; and they shall
be my people." Were it not for God's electing grace, no one would ever be
saved. Indeed, were it not for God's election and determination to save some,
the world would never have been created. We belong to God because he chose us
as his own (II Thess. 2:13-14). We
are the Lord's by THE SPECIAL PURCHASE OF HIS SON. "Ye are bought
with a price," Paul said. It is not expected that the ungodly and
unbelieving should seek the honor of Christ. They were not redeemed by him. But
it is most reasonable that we should willingly give ourselves to the service of
our Savior's glory. He bought us out from under the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). Again, we belong to our God by THE
SAVING POWER OF HIS SPIRIT (Eph. 2:1-4; Ps. 110:3). We were lost, helpless,
depraved, and spiritually dead. But the Spirit of God came to us, and called us
to life. He created faith in our hearts, and brought us to Christ by His
sovereign, irresistible power and grace. He made us willing, voluntary
bondslaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we belong to God by THE SOLEMN
PROFESSION OF OUR FAITH. Believers, following their Lord in baptism,
publicly declare to all the world their faith in and
heart allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom.
6:4-6). Baptism is the believer's obedient, public confession of faith. It
identifies him as one who belongs to God. Since we belong to God, it is only
reasonable that we should glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits, which
are God's.