What You Do With Your Body Does Matter!

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.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

In chapter 6, Paul addresses the issue of sexual immorality.  As I mentioned yesterday, sexual immorality was rampant in the Corinthian culture and had infiltrated the church.  Importantly Paul descrives why sexual immorality is so destructive to the church and to the individual.  Paul is careful to say that this is not about "legalism".  As he does in every letter he writes to the church, he teaches that Christians are free to make choices.  The question is are the choices we make good for us, or as he says, "beneficial"?  Do they benefit us in any way?  

In some of the prevailing philosphies of his day, since the body was given to pleasure why deny it of anything?  Guzik cites the problem with this kind of thinking,

"Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods" The Corinthian Christians probably used this motto to justify giving their bodies whatever their bodies wanted. “My body wants food, so I eat. My body wants sex, so I hire a prostitute. What’s the problem?”

Finally, he uplifts the sanctity of the body.  Again the prevailing philosophy was "dualism". It taught that the body/flesh was bad, and the soul/spirit was good.  Paul reasons that body is good because it was created by God.  And as our soul was redeemed by Christ, so he has redeemed our bodies.  

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. 

Next Paul says our "body is a temple of the Holy Spirit".  The temple in the Old Testament was where God dwelt by His Spirit.  It was a holy place where the Passover Lamb was sacrified.  This is the reason why sexual immorality is not just a physical issue. When we join our Spirit filled bodies with someone else's spirit is a spiritual transaction.  He uses the case of a prostitute to make his point. Though we would like to think we can do whatever we want with our bodies as Paul says in Romans 12:1, 

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." This why the scripture tells us to worship God with all our "body, mind and soul".  

Why do you think Paul focuses so much on avoiding sexual immorality  and to "flee" from it?  Where are you tempted to give into sexual immorality?  How is how we handle our bodies a reflection of the worship we give to God? 


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