1 Corinthians 6:15-17 says,...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 6:15-17, which read,
v.15 - Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
Paul's words to the Christians in the church in Corinth are full of instruction. He continues on with how our bodies are connected to Him and to each other in the church. "Do you not know" is almost like a verbal slap across the face to wake them up to the fact of what they are doing.
If I start my list it would be they are experiencing divisions because of pride; they are boasting and bragging about sexual immorality that is happening within the membership of the church instead of correcting it; they are bringing lawsuits upon one another in the world's court system instead of going to God's word and wisdom through the church to settle such issues; and they are being deceived that the sins laid out in the Bible are not wrong but actually right.
Now Paul goes general and states that God didn't only create the food and the stomach but also the whole body and sin doesn't just affect one part of the body but its whole and it is connected to Christ. If you are a believer in Christ then you are part of His church and your sin affects the whole church. "Really?" you might ask. "I'm new here" or "I'm not in leadership" or "I'm not an official member" but the Bible says that it does and so it is paramount that we all deal with sin as the Bible instructs instead of rationalizing it away or playing around with it.
v.16 - Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "The two shall become one flesh."
Paul gives another verbal slap in the face. When we don't deal with sin by avoiding it or confessing and repenting of it then we are joining up with it. The visual he uses here is of a sexual nature that is hard to think about but Paul wants his readers to see how serious the matter is when we team up with sin rather than take it to the cross of Christ. I think the knock out punch is when Paul says, "For He says." Who says? The answer is that God says. Just as the married couple become one flesh, so the sin and the one committing the sin become one flesh. It is not something that is separate over there and I am over here. I can't compartmentalize it to a day of the week or just this one time which is an excuse for the next time. We allow sin to team up with us and partner with us like a husband and wife in a marriage. God says it is so.
v.17 - But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Thank you Holy Spirit for having Paul give these words. One of the most beautiful words in the Bible is the word "but" because afterwards comes the positive or the corrective way to live. Just like sin becomes a part of us and affects us in every way and also the church that we are members of just because we are believers in Christ, in the same way when we join up with Christ and follow Him instead of sin we are as a married couple, one flesh, His spirit within us. That action will affect not only us but also the rest of the body. Again, who says so? God says so.
What will it be today? Follow the way of sin or follow the way of the Savior and the Spirit? Following the way of sin will harm you and the body of Christ and following the way of the Savior will produce the fruit of the Spirit within you that will bless the body of Christ. We usually make sin out to be not as bad as it is, but Paul keeps slapping us in the face that it is really bad.
"Lord, we need the verbal slap in the face at times when we are playing around with sin instead of avoiding it and repenting and confessing of it. We need to be reminded that You are the one saying this and not just some preacher from the pulpit. You, the creator of our lives and also the Head of the church that we are a part of, are telling us lovingly so that we can be supportive of Your work through the church instead of supporting Satan's attempts to slow it down. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.15 - Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
Paul's words to the Christians in the church in Corinth are full of instruction. He continues on with how our bodies are connected to Him and to each other in the church. "Do you not know" is almost like a verbal slap across the face to wake them up to the fact of what they are doing.
If I start my list it would be they are experiencing divisions because of pride; they are boasting and bragging about sexual immorality that is happening within the membership of the church instead of correcting it; they are bringing lawsuits upon one another in the world's court system instead of going to God's word and wisdom through the church to settle such issues; and they are being deceived that the sins laid out in the Bible are not wrong but actually right.
Now Paul goes general and states that God didn't only create the food and the stomach but also the whole body and sin doesn't just affect one part of the body but its whole and it is connected to Christ. If you are a believer in Christ then you are part of His church and your sin affects the whole church. "Really?" you might ask. "I'm new here" or "I'm not in leadership" or "I'm not an official member" but the Bible says that it does and so it is paramount that we all deal with sin as the Bible instructs instead of rationalizing it away or playing around with it.
v.16 - Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "The two shall become one flesh."
Paul gives another verbal slap in the face. When we don't deal with sin by avoiding it or confessing and repenting of it then we are joining up with it. The visual he uses here is of a sexual nature that is hard to think about but Paul wants his readers to see how serious the matter is when we team up with sin rather than take it to the cross of Christ. I think the knock out punch is when Paul says, "For He says." Who says? The answer is that God says. Just as the married couple become one flesh, so the sin and the one committing the sin become one flesh. It is not something that is separate over there and I am over here. I can't compartmentalize it to a day of the week or just this one time which is an excuse for the next time. We allow sin to team up with us and partner with us like a husband and wife in a marriage. God says it is so.
v.17 - But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Thank you Holy Spirit for having Paul give these words. One of the most beautiful words in the Bible is the word "but" because afterwards comes the positive or the corrective way to live. Just like sin becomes a part of us and affects us in every way and also the church that we are members of just because we are believers in Christ, in the same way when we join up with Christ and follow Him instead of sin we are as a married couple, one flesh, His spirit within us. That action will affect not only us but also the rest of the body. Again, who says so? God says so.
What will it be today? Follow the way of sin or follow the way of the Savior and the Spirit? Following the way of sin will harm you and the body of Christ and following the way of the Savior will produce the fruit of the Spirit within you that will bless the body of Christ. We usually make sin out to be not as bad as it is, but Paul keeps slapping us in the face that it is really bad.
"Lord, we need the verbal slap in the face at times when we are playing around with sin instead of avoiding it and repenting and confessing of it. We need to be reminded that You are the one saying this and not just some preacher from the pulpit. You, the creator of our lives and also the Head of the church that we are a part of, are telling us lovingly so that we can be supportive of Your work through the church instead of supporting Satan's attempts to slow it down. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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