Nigerian Baptist Convention Sunday School Lesson August 10, 2025 Title - Our Bodies Belong To God

Nigerian Baptist Convention Sunday School Lesson August 10, 2025 Title - Our Bodies Belong To God 

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON (NBC)

Sunday, August 10, 2025

OUR BODIES BELONG TO GOD

Devotional Reading: Psalm 139:13-24 

Background Scriptures: Romans 12:1-21; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Lesson Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:12-13a; 19-20

GOLDEN TEXT

Do you not know that your bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 1 Corinthians 6:19

Objectives: By the end of the lesson, class members should be able to:

I. Identify Paul's guidance on how believers glorify or dishonour God with their bodies;

II. Commit to preserve their bodies as worthy temple of the Spirit of God;

III. Sing a song that tells that their bodies belong to God.

INTRODUCTION

Frances R. Havergal's hymn, BH 357-"Take My Life, and Let It Be", has four stanzas, which are prayer request on the need for each part of the body to be dedicated to God. The first two stanzas are as follows: Stanza 1 Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my hands and let them move At the impulse of Thy love, At the impulse of Thy love.

Stanza 2

Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for Thee; Take my voice and let me sing Always, only, for my King, Always, only, for my King.

The blood of the Lamb purchased each and all parts of the body of Christians. We are God's property. Our body is the temple of God, and you will give an account of what you do with it. Today's topic is on how our bodies belong to God.

THE LESSON EXPLAINED

A. Pleasure and Christian Liberty. 1 Corinthians 6:12-13*

New life in Christ offers freedom. It gives pleasure, which is not possible under the old sinful lifestyles. Freedom in Christ is not freedom to indulge in sin. The Corinthians' argument that "All things are lawful unto me" was based on a false view of Christian freedom. There is nothing like irresponsible freedom.

Moreover, the argument, "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food", is also misleading. Food alongside the ability to eat it is a gift from God. Whereas there are many benefits of a balanced diet, the maximum benefits of any food can only be derived when it is eaten in proportion; similarly, sex and every other aspect of our lives which is a gift from God, could be abused. Sexual deviation and gluttony are sins against oneself and God. They both bring disastrous consequences. Sexual pleasure within marriage alone pleases God since it is a gift from Him. Unrestraint sex with the opposite sex or same sex is questionable, and they are contrary to the will of God. Sexual aberrations in an indissoluble union leads to destruction.

Be careful about what you eat, drink, and all that goes into your body. These include drinks of various kinds, overeating, which leads to obesity and smoking of any substance. They are harmful to one's health. You must ask yourselves, will this thing I eat or drink enslave me, or is it profitable to my spiritual life? Above all, does it glorify God? We are bought with a price; in return, we must live our lives to glorify God. We violate our freedom in Christ whenever we indulge in gluttony, smoking and sexual immorality.

DISCUSSION TIME

1. Suggest how you will counsel a close friend who is a smoker to desist from smoking.

2. List some reasons why you must treat your body with dignity.

*B. You are set Apart. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20*

Believers have been bought with a price. So, you are not your own; you are God's possessions; He owns your body, and as such, you must honour God with your body. Believers are not to live to please themselves. They are set apart as the priests were set apart in the Old Testament. For this and other reasons, Christians should separate themselves from sexual sin and other vices. They are temples of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of God dwelling in believers' bodies. Therefore, they must endeavour not to defile God's temple by using their bodies for immorality. The indwelling Spirit of God in Christians is intolerance of sharing believers' lives with indulgence and sin. Involvement in sin of immorality grieves God and His Spirit because God seeks to be honoured. You are redeemed, transformed and indwelled by the Holy Spirit. You are not ordinary. You are God's possession. We must yield ourselves to God daily in appreciation of God's investments in our lives. Do not compromise standards with the world anymore. What a glorious privilege, but with its commensurate responsibilities! Flee from all forms of evil. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, who is now in your life.

DISCUSSION TIME

1. Let class members discuss what they need to do differently, from how they have been doing it before, knowing they are set apart for God. 

2. What can the church do to restore those living outside the principles of the Word of God? 

Fellowship and Ministry Building Activity

Lead class members to share how your class can become an enabling community to assist those with questionable lifestyles.

Prayer:

Tell the Lord you are sorry for the way you have been living a careless life.

Tell the Holy Spirit to come into your life and destroy the works of sin.

Pray for grace to live for God.

Take Home: Write down three lessons you are taking home, based on today's lesson.

Commitment:

Based on today's lesson, make a personal commitment to dedicate more of yourselves to the services of God.