Honoring God with Your Body

Series on I Corinthians

III Moral Laxity

C Promoting the Fellowship, Text: 6:12-20

Title: Honoring God with Your Body

Introduction

In this section of his letter the apostle Paul is dealing with sins in the lives of Christians. The distinctive characteristic of these sins is how flagrant they are. In the first instance they were proudly tolerating an incestuous relationship. In the second instance they were publicly suing one another, and now in the third case they were continuing the lifestyle of the pagans around them which involved fornication, specifically prostitution. In the ancient world prostitution was not just a business; it was a religious phenomenon. Multitudes of pagan temples were not only surrounded by prostitutes, they were an approved part of the cult. The Corinthian Christians were constantly exposed to these temptations. In many respects it was not very different from today when our culture is so sexually oriented. Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Rights League, and the Sex Information Education Council of the U.S. are all promoting immoral comprehensive sex education to school children. The gay liberation front and other homosexual organizations support this as well primarily because if they can desensitize you to all sexual expression outside of monogamy then you will accept their lifestyle too. In point of fact they are not just concerned about homophobia; they deify sex. Their movies, magazines, poetry, art, and demonstrations are all erotic. How would you know that a film was about two homosexuals unless it contained eroticism. otherwise it would be like the Army, “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” We need to be aware that we are being drowned in a sea of propaganda and these people hate purity. In his powerful book “The Holiness of God,” R.C. Sproul observed that unbelievers often feel uneasy in the presence of an obedient Christian. The holiness of God reflected in a believer’s life makes the non-Christian uncomfortable. Sproul then told the following true incident. A well-known professional golfer was playing in a tournament with President Gerald Ford, fellow pro Jack Nicklaus, and Billy Graham. After the round one of the other pros on the tour asked, “Hey, what was it like playing with the President and Billy Graham?” The pro said with disgust, “I don’t need Billy Graham stuffing religion down my throat!” With that he headed for the practice tee. His friend followed, and after the golfer had pounded out his fury on a bucket of golf balls, he asked, “Was Billy a little rough on you out there?” The pro sighed and said with embarrassment, “No, he didn’t even mention religion.” Sproul commented, “Astonishingly, Billy Graham had said nothing about God, Jesus, or religion, yet the pro stomped away after the game accusing Billy of trying to ram religion down his throat.” What had happened? Simply this: The evangelist had so reflected Christlikeness that his presence made the pro feel uncomfortable. I wonder, do unbelievers sense our godly influence? If we are identified with Christ and walk in holiness, they will, before we even mention religion. Paul surely does not treat these phenomena as inconsequential bodily functions. He says your body is promised, preserved, and purchased.

I The Promise of the Body

The foundational truth of verses 12-14 is the resurrection, a doctrine Paul will more fully develop later. But he says here, “Everything is permissible for me”-but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”-but I will not be mastered by anything. “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”-but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Your body is an integral part of who you are. It is a component of your personality. It is part of the image of God in which you were made. Therefore Jesus died to save your body as well as your soul and in the last day He will raise that body from the dust. On this foundation Paul builds. He says be careful how you treat your bodies. Paul had taught that everything God made was good and to be enjoyed. This is true, but it does not mean that because they are lawful we may use them to hurt others or hurt ourselves. Others are hurt when we betray their weak consciences by our behavior. We are hurt when we become addicted. We blame it on our nature. Our whole society looks for ways to excuse such behavior. A scorpion, being a very poor swimmer, asked a turtle to carry him on its back across the river. “Are you mad?” exclaimed the turtle. “You’ll sting me while I’m swimming and I’ll drown.” “My dear turtle,” laughed the scorpion, “If I were to sting you, you would drown and I’d go down with you. Now where is the logic in that?” “You’re right,” cried the turtle. “Hop on.” The scorpion climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle, resigned, said, “Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there is no logic in your stinging me. Why did you do it?” “It has nothing to do with logic,” the drowning scorpion replied. “It’s just my nature.” What Paul is saying is precisely and exactly the opposite of what we are being told today. Bodily functions are not neutral, nor are they natural in every circumstance. How we use our bodies is important. Obedient Christians glorify God with their bodies because of the resurrection.

II The Preservation of the Body

Paul speaks next of the preservation of the body in verses 15-18, 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! 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.” But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. The image here is of a man protecting his body. We are members of Christ’s body, and we should no more entertain the idea of hurting ourselves or others in the body, than we would cut off our hand or arm. People do donate their organs to others, but that’s after they die and they don’t need them anymore., or because they are unnecessary. Thank God many people have new essential organs, but they were taken from dead men or from those who did not need them. A living man protects his body. Moreover says Paul, the sin of fornication or sex outside the marriage bed is unique because the Bible says that in that act the two become one flesh. He is telling us that you’re not just giving away part of your body but the whole of it. That’s wonderful and beautiful when it occurs in marriage, but it is a detestable betrayal of our union with Christ outside of marriage. Paul says avoid it, flee, run away, run for your life, take to your heels, be off like a shot, make yourself scarce. Long ago the author of Proverbs spoke of prostitution, adultery, and fornication. His advice to his son was this, Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. her house is a highway to the grave. and to his daughters he gave this advice. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Over a thousand teenagers were interviewed by Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and 82 % said what they most wanted was help in saying, “no.” Unfortunately the secular city says “yes” to these teenagers, but the word of God says a thousand times no. Protect your virginity as you would draw your hand back from the flame. Jerry bridges writes, “It is time for us Christians, to face up to our responsibility for holiness. Too often we say we are “defeated” by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient. It might be well if we stopped using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms obedience and disobedience.”

III The Purchase of the Body

The climax of Paul’s argument is that our bodies are God’s temple and he says we are not our own in verses 19 and 20, Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 body. Our bodies do not belong to us. In order to make it possible for God to dwell in us Christ had to die and shed his blood to cleanse us. Make no mistake his blood didn’t just cleanse your soul or heart, your inner man, it cleansed all of you including your body so that God could dwell there. You, body and soul, we were bought with a price. When Noah was baptized in the flood was it his spirit only or his body also that was saved. When the Children of Israel were baptized in the Red Sea, was it their spirits only or their bodies as well that were saved. When you were baptized with water did the pastor place it upon your spirit or your body? Your body as well as your spirit is you and was bought by Christ at the cross. The wedding ring is that small piece of jewelry placed on the finger that cuts off your circulation, and brings integrity. Let me emphasize that if you have made a mistake or you have been involved in sexual immorality, don’t give up. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from every sin. Turn to him now and confess your need to be cleansed and have a fresh start.

Conclusion

“Therefore honor God with your body,” is Paul’s conclusion. if you haven’t been running start now, and if you have been running don’t listen to the world. Flee fornication. Sexual activity apart from marriage is not beautiful, it’s ugly. Your body is the precious possession of Christ, a precious part of Christ, and it carries the promise of eternal life in the resurrection. General Eisenhower once rebuked one of his Generals for referring to a soldier as “Just a Private.” He reminded him that the Army could function better without its Generals than it could without its foot soldiers. “If this war is won,” he said, “it will be won by Privates.” In the same way, the common, ordinary, one-talent Christians are the very backbone of the church. We have our great evangelists, our super congregations led by dynamic elders, and our wealthy brethren who are able to finance great works. But, if the work of the Lord is to be done, if the gospel is to be taken to the lost, it will be the so-called “ordinary” Christians who will do it. Therefore the way each of us exercises stewardship of our bodies is vital.