HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODIES

Passage: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Key verse: 20

NIV

Sexual Immorality

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.(A) “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”(B) The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord,(C) and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead,(D) and he will raise us also.(E) 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?(F) Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 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.”[a](G) 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.[b](H)

18 Flee from sexual immorality.(I) All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.(J) 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples(K) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;(L) 20 you were bought at a price.(M) Therefore honor God with your bodies.(N)

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Footnotes
  1. 1 Corinthians 6:16 Gen. 2:24
  2. 1 Corinthians 6:17 Or in the Spirit
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Flee Sexual Immorality

12 (A)“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 (B)“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one (C)and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but (D)for the Lord, and (E)the Lord for the body. 14 And (F)God raised the Lord and (G)will also raise us up (H)by his power. 15 Do you not know that (I)your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined[a] to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, (J)“The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord (K)becomes one spirit with him. 18 (L)Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin[b] a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person (M)sins against his own body. 19 Or (N)do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? (O)You are not your own, 20 (P)for you were bought with a price. (Q)So glorify God in your body.

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Footnotes
  1. 1 Corinthians 6:16 Or who holds fast (compare Genesis 2:24 and Deuteronomy 10:20); also verse 17
  2. 1 Corinthians 6:18 Or Every sin
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

In Christ, believers have significant freedom. For example, Christians are not bound by dietary laws or other nonessential concerns that people observed in the past (Ro 14). As Christians, the order of worship, the method of baptism, and the frequency of celebrating the Lord’s Supper fall into the nonessential category. However, the freedom in Christ should not be taken to mean the right to do anything. Not everything is beneficial, especially if it enslaves a person.

Sexual sin belongs to this category; it is not beneficial to anyone, and it also has power to enslave. Some Corinthian Christians excused sexual immorality, believing God would one day destroy sex and the body. But our bodies will not be destroyed. A bodily resurrection is coming. God intends for us to be united to him, not a prostitute or anyone else in an adulterous relationship.

We must not excuse sexual sin. We are commanded to flee it. Sexual sin is against our own body, yet our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. God purchased us, soul and body, with the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. Your body does not belong to you but to God. Honor God with your redeemed body.

Prayer: Father, sexual immorality is all around us, as it was in Paul’s time. Help us to flee from sexual sin and to honor you with our bodies.

One Word: Flee from sexual immorality