Purchase price paid... title deed held

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (The Voice)

Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who comes from God and dwells inside of you? You do not own yourself. You have been purchased at a great price, so use your body to bring glory to God!

Ava, my fifth daughter, is at the age where young kids have a tendency to question everything.  And one of her favorite questions, no matter what the request is "Why?"  

When you ask her to pick up the toys, she responds, "Why?"  If you tell her to sit down while eating, she retorts, "Why?"  If you ask her to pass you the remote, go call her sister for dinner, bring you a diaper for her sister Emma, spit out that nasty rubber band she is chewing on, it is almost automatic that she will ask you, "Why?"  Ava, look at the stars, I say.  She answers, "Why are the stars up there?"  When walking outside she wants to know why are there mosquitoes (I don't know why), why are there dragon flies, birds, and frogs.  And even if she hears a sound she will ask "Why?  Why did that bird make that sound?"  

For Ava why is a gateway to knowledge, reason, understanding and purpose.  Why should she clean her room leads her to understanding the purpose and goal of cleaning.  Not cleaning her room also helps her understand the concept of disobedience and consequences.  

As I read the verses from Paul, I thought about Ava and her new favorite question, "Why?"  As I thought about why I began to imagine that maybe Paul had his own "learning and inquiring mind" who was sure to ask him "why".  I imagine that in these verses Paul decides to answer the why question for those who would read and or be read his letter.  

He clearly sets out to answer why someone should honor their bodies, worship God through sanctity and purity, and protect their character and virtue.  "Why?" his audience asks, and he replies, that we are His.  God has redeemed us from our life of sin for His glory.  We do it because we have been bought with a great price.  The price paid is well above rubies, diamonds, and all the gold one can find.  The price that was paid was so great a price that it cost His only Son His life.  Why?  Glorify God in your bodies and live as a temple of the Holy Spirit because you have been bought with the precious blood of Christ.  And what does God intend for this purchase?  He intends to make it whole, holy, righteous and His dwelling place.