1 Corinthians 6:18-20 says...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, which read,
v.18 - Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
This has been the chapter of 1 Corinthians to name out sin and Paul continues on. The immorality that Paul is talking about here in context to the passage is sexual immorality. Sin is sin but different sins have different physical and emotional consequences. Sin is sin and all sin is opposition to God who is holy but on our human level sin is different on its effects to you and to those around you. None of this is an excuse to sin in anyway but reality that sin has different effects on us. The sin of sexual immorality effects our bodies mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Paul doesn't say flirt with immorality but flee from immorality. Paul doesn't say have fun with immorality but flee from immorality. Paul doesn't say fund immorality but flee from immorality. There is one option that Paul gives the Christians at Corinth when it deals with sexual immorality and that is to flee. In fleeing you are protecting your very body in every way.
v.19 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Paul is echoing what he said in chapter 3. "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" He is reminding them again that we have something precious that has been given to us from God, not only our bodies but the Holy Spirit that is in residence there. When we do not flee from sexual immorality or any other sin then we are introducing it into the temple of God.
We usually have our man-made rules about what can be done in a physical church and those vary from person to person and probably where or when you were raised. One that I was taught was the reverence of the Bible and it was probably even above the reverence for the flag. You did not drop or throw and mishandle the Bible physically and especially in the church. You certainly would not throw it down, purposely rip it, or try to destroy it. I know that some would not even write in the Bible because of reverence for what it stands for. If I wouldn't do those things to a physical Bible then why would I introduce sin to my body that has been given to me by God to be a temple of the Holy Spirit to reside because I am a child of His? It would be like coming into church and tearing out pages of the Bible and using them for toilet paper when you have a whole case of toilet paper at your disposal.
v.20 - For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
Paul brings them back to the gospel. Someone paid the price for your body to be a temple of the Holy Spirit. Someone gave His all so that you could experience eternal life. Someone hung on a cross so that you could live your life in glory to Him filled with purpose and peace. Of course that Someone is Jesus.
Paul has been talking about sin and especially some sexual sins that have been plaguing the church in Corinth. In the next chapter Paul will address marriage. Doesn't that sound appropriate for the recent developments in our country?
v.18 - Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
This has been the chapter of 1 Corinthians to name out sin and Paul continues on. The immorality that Paul is talking about here in context to the passage is sexual immorality. Sin is sin but different sins have different physical and emotional consequences. Sin is sin and all sin is opposition to God who is holy but on our human level sin is different on its effects to you and to those around you. None of this is an excuse to sin in anyway but reality that sin has different effects on us. The sin of sexual immorality effects our bodies mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Paul doesn't say flirt with immorality but flee from immorality. Paul doesn't say have fun with immorality but flee from immorality. Paul doesn't say fund immorality but flee from immorality. There is one option that Paul gives the Christians at Corinth when it deals with sexual immorality and that is to flee. In fleeing you are protecting your very body in every way.
v.19 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Paul is echoing what he said in chapter 3. "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" He is reminding them again that we have something precious that has been given to us from God, not only our bodies but the Holy Spirit that is in residence there. When we do not flee from sexual immorality or any other sin then we are introducing it into the temple of God.
We usually have our man-made rules about what can be done in a physical church and those vary from person to person and probably where or when you were raised. One that I was taught was the reverence of the Bible and it was probably even above the reverence for the flag. You did not drop or throw and mishandle the Bible physically and especially in the church. You certainly would not throw it down, purposely rip it, or try to destroy it. I know that some would not even write in the Bible because of reverence for what it stands for. If I wouldn't do those things to a physical Bible then why would I introduce sin to my body that has been given to me by God to be a temple of the Holy Spirit to reside because I am a child of His? It would be like coming into church and tearing out pages of the Bible and using them for toilet paper when you have a whole case of toilet paper at your disposal.
v.20 - For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
Paul brings them back to the gospel. Someone paid the price for your body to be a temple of the Holy Spirit. Someone gave His all so that you could experience eternal life. Someone hung on a cross so that you could live your life in glory to Him filled with purpose and peace. Of course that Someone is Jesus.
Paul has been talking about sin and especially some sexual sins that have been plaguing the church in Corinth. In the next chapter Paul will address marriage. Doesn't that sound appropriate for the recent developments in our country?
"Lord,
You instruct us to avoid sin and if need be repent and turn from it and
to confess it to be forgiven. You never instruct us to flirt or have
fun with or finance or be familiar with it. In the area of sexual
immorality we are to flee and in fleeing we say no to the world and yes
to You. Open our eyes to Your instruction on this area of the life of
the believer. In our world today, Christians should have some pretty
fit legs because there is plenty to flee from and into Your arms.
Amen."
Pastor Adam
Pastor Adam
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