Growing up, I think I envisioned eternity as a time when I would be separated from my body, floating on the clouds, and in the words of Russell Moore, having eternal choir practice. And, yes, no matter how much those around me would say things like, “Don’t you wish you were there,” I thought to myself, “Well, not necessarily. I mean, that just seems weird.” In fact, it made me question whether I knew the Lord or not. “Why wasn’t I so eager to float around on the clouds, bodiless, singing all the time?”, I wondered to myself. But over time, as I continued to study the Bible, I realized that all of us were thinking wrong. We were thinking wrong about eternity. We were thinking wrong about singing being the only means of worshiping God. And, perhaps most importantly, we were thinking wrong about our bodies.
The Christian hope, simply put, is not to have a bodiless existence. Yes, at our deaths, we will be separated from our bodies and present with the Lord, but that is not our final hope. Our final hope is to have our bodies raised, glorified, and made to spend eternity in a perfect body. As Paul says, referring to his body as if it was clothing or a tent, “For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Cor. 5:4). We long to be free of the decay we know happening in our bodies as our outer man wastes away, but not so that we might be without bodies but so that we might have glorified, imperishable, immortal bodies (1 Cor. 15:53).
But apparently the church I grew up in wasn’t unique in the history of the church in perhaps undervaluing the body. It seems that this is what was going on with the Corinthians as well. Now, we know that some in the church simply did not believe there would be a coming resurrection, by looking ahead at chapter 15. But apparently some were pressing this to the point that what we did with our bodies in this life was therefore unimportant. It simply didn’t matter. After all, the body is something that would be destroyed, something that we would get to shed at death, so went their thinking it appears. And therefore, it looks like some were engaging in sexual immorality, some or all even with prostitutes, and were thinking all was still okay because it was simply their body. Therefore, Paul writes 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 to correct their view.
He starts, it seems on a more general note before diving in to address sexual immorality specifically. It seems in verse 12 that the Corinthians had understood a freedom they had perhaps from the Mosaic law under the Old Covenant. This isn’t entirely clear. And Paul was saying that though there is freedom for believers (again perhaps) in regards to what we eat, whether or not we celebrate the Sabbath, and the like, we must keep in mind important matters in regard to Christian liberty. So, he reminds them in verse 12 that not all things are helpful and that we must not be mastered by anything. This will become especially clear when 8 when Paul tells them that they are free to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols, but they need to consider whether they’re helping their brothers or not and should never be so mastered by meat that they would be unwilling to do without it, even if it meant destroying their brother.
But it seems like they were also stretching their Christian liberty to a point that was outright sinful. Starting in verse 13, it seems that Paul picks up on an understanding they had that sexual immorality was okay and really didn’t affect them even as food doesn’t make one unclean because it just goes into the stomach and is gone. But Paul corrects them. In fact, verses 13-20 is full of reasons why sexual immorality is unacceptable for the believer. And these are reasons I want us to see this morning.
After all, temptation to sexual immorality is all around us. We live in culture, perhaps not unlike most others, that is obsessed with sexual immorality. You can’t even stand in the checkout line at the grocery store without seeing more of someone’s body than is appropriate to see outside of marriage. Pornography is as easily accessed as it’s ever been in history, being available on devices we carry around with us. Remaining sexually pure until marriage is not valued but mocked in our culture. Homosexuality is not only seen as an acceptable form of sexual expression but celebrated. Even sex trafficking, where people are coerced and forced into commercial sex trade has become so prevalent that authorities in our own city are taking measures to fight against it and minister to those who have been rescued out of it. It’s in our music, on the television, in movies, in magazines, online, and every other media imaginable. This is our culture.
And what’s dangerous for us is that being immersed in that kind of atmosphere where sexual immorality is seen, and practiced, and celebrated so regularly, this can become for us a blind spot. What should seem crazy to us can grow to a point where it feels and seems acceptable. Therefore, we need texts like 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 because I think we might be right where the Corinthians were. Perhaps even this morning, there are some of you out there who are engaging in sexual immorality, perhaps being sexually intimate with someone who is not your husband or wife, perhaps engaging in looking at internet pornography, and maybe so obsessed with attracting others with your body that you’re hurting yourself to the point that you’re doing irreparable damage to your health. And worst of all, maybe it doesn’t feel wrong to you anymore. Maybe it feels normal. Maybe you’re not bothered by it at all. Maybe you’re right where the Corinthians were in this text we’re looking at this morning. Therefore, what I want to do this morning is show us four reasons in our text why Paul says that as believers we must not be involved in sexual immorality. First:
Verse 13 can be a little confusing, but perhaps some of the Corinthians were saying that just as food is meant to be consumed in our stomachs and God gave us stomachs so that we could consume food, and in the end, our stomachs are going to be destroyed when we die just as there will be no trace of the food we’ve eaten, so this holds true in regards to our bodies. That is to say, they may have been suggesting that God gave us bodies with which we can involve ourselves sexually with others, and we have certain biological drives, and in the end, the body will be destroyed, so it really doesn’t matter what we do with our bodies, even if we commit sexual immorality.
And Paul answers, “No!” He says verses clearly in the end of verse 13 through verse 14, “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.” First, Paul says, “No, you’re wrong. God didn’t give you bodies so that you may use them for sexual immorality. It’s not parallel to our stomachs being given to us so that we can consume food. Yes, God gave you your stomach so that you could eat, but he most certainly did not give you your body so that you could engage in sexual immorality.”
Why then, Paul, did God give us our bodies? His answer: he gave you your body so that you could glorify God with it. The body is made for the Lord – to glorify him. And the Lord lived, and died, and was raised for your body (for all of us), so that even as your body is destroyed in death, it will be raised. He gave us bodies so that we could use them both now and on into eternity to glorify him.
So, do you think that way about your body? Do you ask yourself, “How can I most glorify God with my body?” After all, that’s why God gave us bodies. And there’s a strong temptation, whether we hate our bodies or love them to use our bodies not to glorify God but to sin, isn’t there? Some of you ladies may be so discontent with your bodies and so driven that your body is different that you’re starving yourselves, or throwing up what you’ve eaten, or are exercising to such unhealthy levels that you’re seeing signs negative health signs. And perhaps others are so delighted with your bodies, that you feel that you must let others see more of it than they should. Each of these responses is not glorifying God with your body. And for men, we must ask ourselves the same question: Are we glorifying God with our bodies? Are we just as caught up in body image? The Lord didn’t give us our bodies so that we might show them off either. He gave us our bodies to glorify him. That’s their purpose.
And I don’t want to start laying out laws on what is okay and what is not okay in dress, but perhaps it’s best for us to ask ourselves the questions prompted in verse 12 when making these decisions. Is the way I’m dressing helpful for others? Does it encourage others or tempt others? Is the way I’m dressing show that I’m being mastered by a deep desire to be lusted after or enticing to others?
Rather, let us use our bodies for God’s glory and never in a way that doesn’t glorify God. Let us pursue godliness and godly character over body image and having the Lord’s approval over a man or woman’s attention. Our bodies were given to us to glorify God. But Paul doesn’t stop there. I want to note a second reason why we must not engage in sexual immorality:
Now, we talk a lot about the fact as believers that we are united with Christ by faith so that what is true of Christ is bestowed on us as well. He’s perfectly righteous, and by virtue of being united with Christ, his perfect righteousness is credited to us as well, and so on. As we’ve noted before, salvation is simply the benefits we know as we are united with Christ by faith. But perhaps we underestimate this reality a little bit. Listen to what Paul says in verses 15-17:
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh.’ But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”
Do you see that in verse 15? Our bodies are members of Christ! Therefore, when the Bible speaks of us being united with Christ, we must not think that somehow our bodies are exempted from that union. Now, yes, Paul in fact mentions in verse 17 that we’re one spirit with Christ. But that isn’t somehow to discount what he says in verse 15 when he notes that our bodies are members of Christ.
Paul’s conclusion, then, is that our bodies are members of Christ (mine and yours), then taking what is a member of Christ and making it a member of another (a prostitute here is specifically mentioned, but anyone with whom you’re being sexually immoral would apply) who is not your husband or wife is simply inconceivable. You’re joined to Christ, you’ve become one with him through faith. Therefore, you can’t turn around and unite yourself with another in sexual immorality. Otherwise, you’re taking what belongs to Christ (your body) and giving to another who has no right to your body. And just in case we’re missing the strong imagery here, Paul gives us a third reason not to commit sexual immorality here:
In the midst of the argument about us being united with Christ and members of his body and how that is incompatible with uniting what are members of Christ with a prostitute, Paul asks a question that that they should have known, but my guess is they hardly thought about. Paul says to them in verse 16, “Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh.’”
Now, let’s follow carefully what Paul is saying here. He’s mentioned that our bodies are members of Christ. Okay, we got that. It’s a glorious and mystical reality that we are united with Christ so that even our bodies are members of him. Then, he moved on from that to argue that when we are sexually intimate with a prostitute (and again, I think we could argue that when we engage in sexual intercourse with anyone) we become one body with that person.
Then, Paul backs up his argument with Scripture. He says, “For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh.’” Now, that is a quotation of Genesis 2:24. In Genesis 2:24, this refers to the marriage relationship. Adam had been called to name all of the animals, and he had done that, but it became apparent that there was no helper for him. I don’t know if that means that Adam merely looked at all the animals and realized that none were quite like him or if he noticed that in a world where there were he-bears and she-bears, he-lions and she-lions, he-horses and she-horses, with regard to man, there was only he. But God gave him a helper, having Adam fall asleep and taking a rib from him, he fashioned a woman, Eve, Adam’s wife.
And it’s understandable then when God brings her to him that he responds that this is at last bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. This is the “she” he longed for, the woman to the man. Therefore, God gave them to one another, commanding from that point forward that a man would leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and hold fast to his wife and “the two will become one flesh.”
This, of course, takes place in the sexual union between a man and a woman. Marriage, historically, has always involved some kind of legal declaration and the sexual union between a man and a woman (and, to be frank, the kind of sexual union that can only happen between a man and a woman – i.e. not between a woman and a woman or a man and a man). This most intimate of human relationships, that between a man and his wife, is given this gift of physical intimacy that unites them together so that they become one. This was God’s intention and design for sexual intimacy. It is God’s creation to create a union between a man and a woman so that they become one.
So, then, Paul understanding that, wants them to know what is happening when you are sexually intimate with someone to whom you are not married. You are engaging in the very act that God gave us to make two become one. You’re engaging in the physical act that God gave us to unite husband and wife as one flesh. And you’re doing that with someone who is not your husband or wife. In the case of the Corinthians, it was with a prostitute.
Do you see, then, that there is no such thing as casual sex? The adjective “casual” paired with sexual intimacy is as off-base as calling a married man a bachelor or a four-sided object a triangle. Sexual intimacy is never casual.
In fact, this is what makes sexual immorality such a serious sin. Paul says in verse 18, “Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” Now, this isn’t Paul saying that other sins we do don’t have negative effects on our bodies. They certainly do. Drunkenness negatively affects our bodies. Harming ourselves negatively affects our bodies. But in another sense those sins are “outside” the body in that only sexual immorality actually binds you to another human in a way that you become one flesh as happens with sexual intimacy. I think that’s what Paul means in these verses.
So, we avoid sexual immorality because God gave us our bodies not so that we could be sexually immoral but so that we could glorify him with our bodies. We avoid sexual immorality because our bodies are members of Christ, and that is utterly incompatible with us then using our bodies to be sexually immoral. And we avoid sexual immorality because sexual intimacy creates a one-flesh union, and that is only meant to occur between a husband and wife. But there is one more reason I want us to see. We must flee from sexual immorality because:
Multiple times in our text Paul has introduced a statement with the line, “Do you not know,” sometimes adding “or” to the beginning of that statement. We saw it up in verse 15, when Paul asked, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” And, if we are honest, we might have said, “No,” or at least, “That’s not really something I’ve thought a lot about.” Similarly, we see it in verse 16 where Paul says, “Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?” And again, perhaps we would say, “I don’t think I really thought of it that way.” Well, he uses the phrase again in verses 19-20, when he says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
Now, here’s one where we might jump in and say, “I did know that.” Even the newest of believers are typically quickly taught that the Holy Spirit indwells them, that they’re purchased with the blood of Christ, and that they now belong to the Lord.” They are his.
But there’s another sense in which the Corinthians should have answered, “No, obviously we don’t know that.” If I told you that God says you shouldn’t steal and ask you if you understand that statement, you could say, “Yes, I understand it. God says I shouldn’t steal.” And in one sense you’ve clearly demonstrated that you understand it. But if you said, “Yes, I understand it” while refusing to pay someone you owe or cheating on your taxes, then we would be right to say, “You really don’t understand this statement because understanding is shown in applying this truth.” No matter how much you understand the words being said, you obviously don’t understand the truth.
So, in regards to this statement, do you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Do you know that you are not your own, but have been bought by the blood of Christ? And when we ask ourselves these questions, I don’t think we’re supposed to say, “Sure, I am aware of that.” I think we’re supposed to look and ask, “Does my life show an understanding of that?”
Does the way we’re using our bodies show that we understand that the Holy Spirit himself lives within us? Do our activities in regards to sexual immorality show that we understand that Christ dictates what we look at, think about, and do because he’s purchased us with his blood, and we are his? Because that really is the case.
It’s not up to us to decide what we want to do with ourselves. It’s not up to us to decide what we want to do with our bodies. It’s not up to us to decide what we want to look at, think about, and do. It’s not up to us to decide if we want to engage in sexual immorality. We forfeited that right to call our own shots when we bowed the knee to Jesus Christ. Now, we must use our bodies and everything else about us to glorify him.
And if we think that’s a bit too steep of an expectation, then know that there is an alternative. You can rebel, but in the end, remember that the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God. Hear me this morning, if you want to suffer in a lake of fire for eternity, then you can pursue sexual immorality. But if you want the kingdom of God to be your inheritance, then it’s not an option. And if we’ve been involved in sexual immorality, we must repent. Repent because you’re not your own and the Spirit indwells you. Repent because you don’t want to join yourself in a one-flesh union with anyone except your husband or wife. Repent because you are a member of Christ and don’t want to join part of Christ with immorality. Repent because your body was given to you so that you might use it at all times and in all ways to glorify the Lord. And, repent because the Lord forgives repentant people.
You see, he bought you with a price, and that price was his own blood. Jesus shed his blood so that those who turn to him in repentance and faith might be forgiven of sexual immorality. He died and was raised so that sexually immoral people might turn from their sins and trust in him and spend eternity clothed in white robes. He died and was raised so that prostitutes might repent and be cleansed, without their sin being counted against them, as cleansed as Rahab the prostitute who was made to be part of the line of Christ himself. So, let us come to the table this morning in repentance and with faith in the one who lives, died, and was raised so that he might make us his own and indwell us through the Holy Spirit. And then let us, as cleansed people, flee sexual immorality and glorify God in our bodies. Amen.