By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher
Text: 1
Corinthians 6:12-20
1
Corinthians 6:18
Flee
from sexual immorality. Every other sin[b] a person commits is outside the body,
but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
(ESV)
The social issues of our
time, abortion, homosexuality, and transgenderism all have a link to sexual
immorality. Abortion is legalized murder, often done because someone committed
sexual immorality that resulted in an unwanted pregnancy, covering it up with
an abortion. Homosexuality is sexual perversion spoken against in Romans
1:24-27. God made people as males and females (Genesis
1:27) with transgenderism making the claim God can make mistakes in His
choice of gender at creation. The truth, however, could be that some want to
change genders so they can be in the locker room or public restroom with those
of the opposite gender. However, the worst sin of sexual immorality is
pornography for it is a sin against one’s body, preventing intimacy with God
and the polluting of the temple of the Holy Spirit.
After the previous section
regarding lawsuits against believers (1
Corinthians 6:1-11), Paul begins this section with a statement that all
things are legal for him but not all things are helpful. He continues by saying
that even though all things are legal, he is not dominated by anything (1
Corinthians 6:12). Paul then provides clarification of this statement by using
the example of food, which is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food with
both destroyed by God at some time. However, sexual immorality, unlike food, is
not meant for the body because the body is meant for the Lord (1
Corinthians 6:13-14; Romans 12:1). This is an example of something legal
and good for us, food, as opposed to sexual immorality that defiles the body. Since
our bodies are members of Christ when one professes Jesus as their Lord and then
commits the sin of sexual immorality with their bodies they are acting like one
joining their body to a prostitute (1
Corinthians 6:15).
When one marries, he and
his wife are united with the two becoming one flesh. However, when one is with
a prostitute he also becomes one flesh with the prostitute, defiling his body (1
Corinthians 6:16). When we accept Christ, our bodies join with Christ as
living sacrifices so to commit sexual immorality with our bodies is like to sinning
against our spouse with a prostitute (1
Corinthians 6:17). Therefore, believers are to flee sexual immorality, even
though they have the liberty to commit this sin, because it is a sin against
one’s body that belongs to the Lord (1
Corinthians 6:18). A believer’s body is also the temple of the Holy Spirit
so sexual immorality also defiles the temple where God lives in the person of
the Holy Spirit (1
Corinthians 6:19). The conclusion is that we were bought with a price, the
death of Jesus the Son of God so we should glorify God in our bodies (1
Corinthians 6:20).
The city of Corinth as
part of Greece found itself immersed in Greek culture. The gods of Greek
mythology freely practiced sexual immorality making its practice common in
Greek culture. The Gentile converts in Corinth came out of this culture that
freely practiced sexual immorality, with many possibly still living in sexual
immorality. In 1
Corinthians 5, Paul already pointed to the need to excommunicate one from
the Church in Corinth who had sexual relations with his father's wife (1
Corinthians 5:1). In 1
Corinthians 6:12-20, Paul provides details about the despicable nature of
the sin of sexual immorality and its damage to ones intimacy with Christ and
lack of power from the Holy Spirit by polluting the temple of the Holy Spirit,
our bodies. The purpose of this teaching is to stop the damaging spread of the
sin of sexual immorality within the Church in Corinth.
Sexual immorality is
still prevalent in our culture today, but with technology, pornography is now available
to anyone through their PC or phone. While one may justify viewing pornography
on their phone as okay because they are not physically joining with a
prostitute, we must remember the words of Christ who said looking at a woman
with lust is the same as adultery (Matthew
5:27-28). Therefore, one looking at pornography is looking at another woman
with lust and committing adultery with her, a sexually immoral sin. Paul
instructed the Roman believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices to
God and to lose conformity to the world through the renewing of their minds (Romans
12:1-2). One engaging in sexual immorality, including looking at
pornography, is not presenting his body as a living sacrifice to God. Looking
at pornography increases one’s conformity to the world, so I encourage anyone
addicted to pornography to seek help and renew their minds by looking at God’s
Word instead of pornography.
Jesus said he was the way, the truth, and the life and that
no one could have a relationship with God unless they went through Him (John
14:6). Jesus opened the pathway to a relationship with God the
Father through His death for sinners, something we all are (Romans
3:23; 5:8). However, this pathway is narrow with only those choosing
to confess Jesus as their Lord passing through it (Matthew
7:13-14; Romans 10:9-10). If you are reading this and have not
passed through the passage created by Jesus' death for your sins, I encourage
you to do so now by praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23)
and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse
me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe
you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now
declare you Lord of my life.
I encourage anyone that
just prayed to find a Church teaching the Word of God and to begin renewing their
mind through reading and studying the Word of God. This is especially true for
anyone reading this addicted to pornography with my encouragement to put down
the pornography and pick up the Word of God. May God challenge and bless
everyone reading this post.
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