1 Corinthians 6 - What Makes Sexual Sin Different?

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Lawsuits Among Believers

Paul rebukes the Corinthians believers for taking each other to court for their disputes. Then, he makes a comment that is interesting, 

Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? 

What does he mean by this? 

Christians should be fully able to judge their own matters because of our destiny. As we reign with Jesus Christ, we will (in some sense or another) judge the world, and even judge angels. (Guzik)

Because there is not a lot of biblical teaching on this, we need to be careful not to overstep what the clear teaching of scripture. The main point is Christians have the gift of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus said would guide them into all truth, so why should the rely on the world for it. 

It was also a terrible witness to the world that they could not solve their disputes internally. It was certainly not a way to draw people into their community. It is the same today. When people come to churches where there is division, arguing, and squabbling they might say, "I don't need this, I get enough of this out in the world." 

Paul says a better approach would be to allow yourself to be cheated in order to not bring a stain on the church. After all being a Christian means giving up our right to be right all the time. I don't think this means Christians not having any boundaries and letting people walk all over them. But there is a time to show mercy instead of judgment. A time for grace rather than the law. 

Then Paul makes another very provocative statement, 

"Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."  

Someone might ask, Aren't we all sinners? Are their different levels of sinfulness that keep one out of heaven? Didn't Jesus die for all sinners? 

Furthermore if Jesus says that if we lust after another person with our eyes that we are committing adultery in our hearts, then we are all in trouble. What gives?

Paul was not, categorically, denying the man’s salvation (Paul says he is among the brethren); however, Paul will not allow a “religious faith” that is separate from our actions. If a Christian can cheat and defraud his brothers without conscience, it may be fairly asked if he is a Christian at all. (Guzik)

The man who cheated his brother had to see that if his life was dominated and characterized by this sin, just as much as any of the other people Paul described, he should also be just as concerned for his salvation as any of those other people. (Guzik)

The bottom line is the way this brother took a man to court was sinful. Sin is sin. 

Sexual Immorality

The Corinthians were using the grace they had been given as a license to sin, in this case by committing sexual immorality. Paul says just because you have the right to do something doesn't mean it is good for you. And by exercising your freedom with something that isn't good for you, you may end up in bondage to that thing. We call this addiction. 

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. (Guzik)

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.

Paul distinguishes sexual sin from all other sin. Why? Because sexual sin is taking something pure and holy that is meant to be enjoyed in the marriage and giving it to someone else. Sex is more than just physical, it is spiritual as well. This is why Paul says, 

 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.”

Just as a husband and wife become "one" in marriage, so a person having sex with someone outside of marriage becomes "one" with them. Since the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, a Christian offering their body to a non-Christian is becoming one with their "spirit", which is not of God. 

When a Christian cheats on their spouse with another person by having sex with them, they are taking the sacred union they have with their marriage partner and sharing it with someone else. It is in this way that sexual sin is different than all other sin. Because of the nature of sexual sin Paul says, 

Flee from sexual immorality!

As a man I can say that the temptations of sexual immorality are around us 24/7, especially with the advent of the internet and pornography. Many Christian men (and women) get addicted to pornography and it damages their hearts and minds. It trains their minds to look at women as objects of self-gratification, rather than human beings made in God's image. 

You can see the trainwreck in our society regarding matters of sexuality. 

Paul isn’t saying sexual immorality is worse than any other sin, but he does teach that sexual sin has a unique effect on the body. The effect is physical, but it is also moral and spiritual. (Guzik)

Paul doesn’t tell us to be brave and resist the lustful passion of sexual immorality, but to flee from its very presence. Many fall because they underestimate the power of lustful passion, or think they will “test” themselves and see how much they can “take.”

We should follow the example of Joseph, who fled from sexual immorality – even when it cost him something (Genesis 39:7-21).

Sexual temptation promises immediate gratification but it doesn't tell you the life changing consequences of falling into its trap. Where do you need to flee from sexual temptation in your life?