Is Sexual Immorality Different Than Other Sin?

Sexual Immorality

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”[b]17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.19 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;20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

A couple of things before I start this post. First, I realize the title of the blog is a loaded question. Second, whenever we interpret scripture it should be in the light of the whole teaching of scripture. One can't take one passage and disregard the rest of the scriptures. Finally, we need to be very careful to interpret the passage in light of the context it is written.  

We know sexual immorality was rampant in the Corinthian church.  The issue was the Corinthian believers were comparing their right to have sex with with the right to have food. They mistook what Paul was calling the "freedom in Christ", as freedom to sin sexually.  Though Paul taught they were free from dietary restrictions, it didn't mean that certain things were beneficial to eat. So it was a matter of discernment for each believer.  We are set free from the law, but we are called use our freedom wisely and also in service of each other.

But what Paul is saying here is sexual sin is always wrong. One of the prevailing problems in Corinth was prostitution one of the forms of sexual immorality being practiced.  One commentator says, 

"The Corinthian Christians took the idea all things are lawful and applied it to areas Paul, or the Lord, never intended. They used their “liberty” as a license to sin. Specifically, from the reference to the harlot in 1 Corinthians 6:15, the point seems to be that the Corinthian Christians thought they had the liberty to use the services of prostitutes. This was culturally accepted in the city of Corinth, and it was accepted in the religious community among the religious pagans, who saw nothing wrong in a “religious” person using prostitutes."

So the Corinthians were saying, "Since I am set free from the law, why can't I use my freedom to satisfy my sexual needs by hiring a prostitute." 

Paul explains the difference between sexual and other sin.  When one is engaging in sex with another, their two bodies are becoming one.  These believers were having sex with prostitutes and offering their body, which is a temple of the Holy Spirit, to them. Let's remember God is not against sex, but defines the context in which in can be expressed within holy marriage. This is for our own good. We have all seen the destruction that of sex outside of marriage brings for all parties involved.  

So what is the answer to my question?  Is sexual immorality different than other sin?  The answer is yes and no.  

Yes, because when we commit sexual immorality, we are joining our body with another person.  Since the Holy Spirit lives within us we are not honoring God by offering our bodies to anyone other than our spouse.  This is ALWAYS wrong.  It is not a matter of freedom.

No, because sin is sin. Though Paul differentiates the nature of sexual sin to other sins, he never suggests one as better or worse than any other.  Jesus died for all of our sins.  Our sinful actions are a result of being born of Adam, and inheriting a sinful nature. The wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23) Engaging in sexual immorality is just one of the ways we are controlled by the flesh (the word "flesh" and "sinful nature" mean the same thing).  Rage, selfishness, gossip, stealing are all other ways of being controlled by our sinful nature.    

So given this Paul tells us to "flee from sexual immorality".  We are all exposed to it in one way or another.  It is a powerful urge and to think we can "handle it" is dangerous.  Let's celebrate sex for what it was intended to be, a gift from God to be enjoyed in the context of marriage.