Necessity of writing about immoralities
Dangers of immorality
Two Views: Relativism versus Authoritarianism
Subjectivism of Changing Standards (1 Corinthians 6:12)
Five Arguments for Fixed Standards (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)
Flee Immorality (9 suggestions)
Only Two Choices
Bible Study Questions for 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
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Responding to Reports (1-6)
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Replying to
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1 Corinthians is split up in two large parts. |
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| Chapters 1-6 discuss Paul's response to different reports he had heard about the Corinthian church. They tend to be more touchy topics. | Chapters 7-16 discuss issues that the Corinthians themselves had brought up in some letter mentioned in 7:1. These issues are more what one might think addressed in public: issues about worship, spiritual gifts, and doctrinal controversies. |
| 9) Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10) nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11) And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. 12) All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13) Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food; but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body. 14) Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. |
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 harlot? May it never be! 16) Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO WILL BECOME ONE FLESH." 17) But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18) Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 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? 20) For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:12:20) |
Necessity of Writing about Immoralities
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 is the closing statement to the first part of 1 Corinthians. Paul discusses some difficult issues. Earlier on we had talked about factions and divisions in the church and how to handle a difficult case with a brother. Should he sue him? Paul says a clear, "No." Today we are addressing another difficult and embarrassing topic: sexual immorality.
Last year when I visited my mother in another state, she surprised me when she said that where she lived it was illegal to hang out ones clothes to dry. We grew up with a backyard clothes line. I still remember bringing in some frozen pants and shirts.
I wondered why it would become illegal. Was it an image issue? Everyone needs to dry clothes. It is not just poor people that do this. Maybe people were offended at seeing other people's underwear? Perhaps.
The issues that the apostle brings up are like this. Some things like these issues ought not be existent. If everything worked right, then Paul certainly could have skipped these first six chapters and gone straight onto public issues. I grieve over some issues that I have needed to talk about with individuals, couples and even the church as a whole. Some things just shouldn't have to be discussed. It grieves me when my little children have to hear a sermon about sexual immorality.
We got problems! I am glad, however, that the apostle didn't skip over these chapters.
These issues are embarrassing but ignoring them would be horrible. Some people avoid trouble by avoiding conflict. They run from place to place piling up scars. This is ungodly and irresponsible behavior. Paul's approach might be more direct than you are used to, but it rings with a message of love and freedom.
Satan deceives people into thinking they have to stay put in their sins. They don't know of a way out. We just read how all sorts of people ensnared in sin are set free by the power of Jesus Christ. If there was no solution, then maybe it would be okay not to say anything. But this is not the case in Christianity. Christ is for freedom to do what is right, good and lovely. Do you want this freedom? Then you need Christ. He specializes in delivering people from their difficult situations. Having said this, we also must understand that this is also a warning for everyone of us. We all are in danger.
• The Young People
The young people who are trying to understand their new found sexual feelings are being told that for them to be normal and happy that they need to indulge these sexual desires however they want. Everyone seems to say that; they wonder if it is true. It sounds good, but it sounds wrong.
• The Young Professionals
It is not just young people that are facing problems. No, not at all. We have created a double crisis by extending the age of marriage to the late 20s. I am not for this. Let me ask you this question, "Is it okay to graduate from grad school on time if it cost you to fall into a few immoral situations?" No one wants to face the issues of modernity. Parents just aren't thinking about God's design for people.
• The Married
Those who are married also need to wake up. They are facing dangers. There use to be a lot of support for marriages but not today. Many churches have left God and have adopted worldly standards. Divorce is rampant and accepted in many cases. Where there is not much divorce, there is still much adultery. Where there is seems to be good marriages, in many cases they are sullied by heart adultery where pornography substitutes real people.
We are fighting a great immoral culture. It is like a big ball of dough. Poke your finger in it. Challenge it. But it will again expand and the hole be gone.
The Danger of Immorality
Let me share two images with you. This is how dangerous I think our present situation is.
(1) The Family Sand castle
The first image is a nice family laughing on a beach playing by the ocean. The Dad, Mom and three children are busy building a super big sand castle. They are laughing and having so much fun. But when you look down far away at this family, you see that there is a tidal wave coming at them. They don't see it. The wave is huge and it is mounting larger and larger. No one is there to warn them. They can't hear your voice. They are laughing but in imminent danger.
(2) The Mother Harlot
The second picture comes from the scriptures. Revelation gives us a picture behind the facade of the world.
"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality." (Revelation 14:8).
A cesspool of iniquity is coming upon us like never before. The scripture predicts it. This is not a question simply whether he fell or did not fall into immoral situations. Satan is going for your heart. He is attacking your family. Satan wants no friendships. He wants you to be his slave.
Because of the fast and cheap storage of visual data, Satan can have easy access into a person's heart. It is dangerous. The ads and pictures that accompany some otherwise good web sites are sensual. What do you do about it? Why? We will get back to this latter.
Two Views
Today we are looking at 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.This section follows reports about immorality among Christians. It is bad but things are always worse than you see or here. God knows how we as a people are doing today. He sees right into our hearts. Today God Himself is bringing truth into our minds so that we can be set free and be protected from these mass invasions of sensual dangers. God wants to reshape how we think about these issues. Unless you change how you think about sexual immorality, then you are going to go under and not come up.
There are two basic viewpoints out there. Relativism and Fixed which I call the authoritative viewpoint. Let me share more clearly what I mean.
• View #1: Subjectivism of Changing Standards
1 Corinthians 6:12 is the first verse that we need to discuss. It is an odd one. At least it is odd where it stands.
"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." (1 Corinthians 6:12)
Some Christians there in that church were saying that "All things are lawful for me." Twice the apostle repeats the phrase that was going around the church.
What is odd about this saying is that it is a biblical phrase. Paul later uses it rightly in 10:23. They probably in fact heard it originally from Paul when he told them that Jesus said that the truth shall make you free, and you shall be free indeed.
In verses 9-11, the apostle said categorically that some things were wrong - always wrong. Why is it then that now he says, "All things are lawful?"
The apostle is uncovering a subtle but deadly thought. These deadly thoughts hide under the surface of our thinking more than we realize. In this case Paul identified the words that revealed the heart belief of numerous people. Even though one might hear God's Word, they have underlying beliefs that would shuffle God's Word aside. Have you ever heard God's Word tell you to do something but your just simply rationalize it away? This was like those guys there.
In this case some were saying to these challenges that because they are in Christ, they are free. They can do anything. They are saved in Christ. In regards to immorality, a common mantra goes around saying that 'anything done in love is okay.' Now you know what I am saying, don't you? People are able to twist truths to affirm the supposed rightness of what they want to do. They are passion-ruled or desire-ruled. These are the relativists.
We often hear phrases like, "I can't do it." "That's your opinion." "That is his interpretation." "Well, that is what you believe." Their purpose is to skirt away from the real issues.
The Way to Freedom
Although we will be tempted with many sensual images, we need to be attentive to what the apostle is doing here. He acknowledges that if you do not change your attitude toward the truth, then you are lost like that family by the sea. Paul is desperately trying to help these people get free. They think they are free. But they are slaves to their passions. They are deceived by the world's thinking.
Relativism is developed very early in life. Let me ask you whether you could get you own way with your parents? If so, you were being trained to live by your desires rather than by authority. Many parents are making fatal mistakes by not insisting that children obey them. You are training them to be relativists where they learn that their desires are to be preferred over what is right.
In the end, if a person really thinks what he wants is most important, then he will misapply truth to get what he wants just as these people did misapplying "All things are lawful." Paul will later on (10:23) discuss the proper context of this truth. Some issues are not wrong in themselves. This is not the case here. These problems are clearly always wrong.
We will now go through the numerous arguments that Paul has laid out to convince these people of why God has declared all kinds of immorality wrong.
• View #2: Five Arguments for Fixed Standards (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)
Before we start out, I want you to know that God's laws are all built on love. We might think that we might find more love in an immoral relationship, but this is simply not so. In fact, all immoral relationships whether they are fornicators, adulterers or homosexuals, are built not on love but on selfish desires. This is the reason a Christian simply must not be immoral. If he pursues immorality and does not repent, it simply shows his true colors, that is, he is not a Christian at heart. He will be judged with the world.
"Love does no wrong to a neighbor;
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We will now look at five arguments that the Apostle gives for heeding the instruction on staying sexually pure.
#1 All not profitable (1 Corinthians 6:12a)
The argument that says immoral things are okay has an obvious hole in it. We often hear people say, "Just so it doesn't hurt anyone." Whenever I hear this from someone, I take them up on it. In the case with immorality, we see that God has certainly brought many hard consequences to immorality that never make it profitable.
- Cost of disease: infertility, some deadly (HIV), pain, embarrassment, affect spouse.
- Cost of broken relationships (relationships built on lust will bare loneliness)
- Cost of grief (always have guilt and usually hatred and selfishness)
We don't have to do much schooling to see that immorality never pays.
Do not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her catch you with her eyelids. For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, And an adulteress hunts for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? Can a man walk on hot coals, And his feet not be scorched? So is the one who goes in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever touches her will not go unpunished. Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house. The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it." (Proverbs 6:25-32)
On the positive side, keeping your virginity makes great sense. There is much profit. You will see this on your wedding night and treasure your devotion to your partner all your life. Staying faithful makes you a better person with self-control and love.
#2 Not be mastered (1 Corinthians 6:12b)
Those that say that immorality is okay for reasons such as love cannot stand up to this test either. When you hear love is mostly lust or passion. These are our desires. Christ has set us free to use our bodies to do good. Before they were enslaved by their desires. Now you might call it love or 'frumb' or 'ply' but when you seek out a sexual relationship outside of your own marriage, it is lust-oriented. You think you are in control but then shortly you discover that you are ensnared. You are led to do things that are risky, dangerous, absurd and downright manipulative.
On the positive side, God has set us free to love. This means we can care for others without any intent on satisfying our own desires, whether they be sexual or otherwise.
#3 Argument of Design (1 Corinthians 6:13)#3 Argument of design (1 Corinthians 6:13)
"Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body."
We need to realize that God has made our sexual parts as well as our whole bodies including our stomachs. The stomach has a design and that design has to do with its function. We need to realize after life has come and gone, that as much as we live by God's design that we will be rewarded. If we live apart from this design, we will suffer consequences including judgment.
• Food for stomach; stomach for food
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What happens if you start eating things that you are not meant to eat? Some people have eaten coins. Our stomachs are not the best piggy bank. The coins are rather irretrievable! Some eat chemicals; they cause all sorts of problems. If we don't eat what is good for us, our bodies will suffer consequences. If we eat what is good for us, though, not only will we enjoy the food but energize our bodies. The more we study the chemistry of the body, the more we are fascinated by the way God keeps us going.
Our bodies were not made for immorality. This is what this verse clearly tells us. Never is immorality right. Never is it right to keep a boy close to you by sexual favors. Never is it right to spice up your life by looking at pornography. Never is it right to follow up sexual desires for those of your own sex or not. We should never express our sexual desires outside of marriage. We first become a good potential and godly spouse, then get married and follow this up with intimate relations. In such cases, we are working with the Lord.
• Body for Lord; Lord for body
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On the positive side, we can be sure our bodies were designed to work just right when we are busy doing what God wants. There is nothing like marital love. We all should do everything to maintain, protect and preserve ourselves for the great things God has planned.
#4 A Higher Purpose: Made for Eternity (1 Corinthians 6:14)
"Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power."
Our bodies are dignified creations of God with a higher purpose than just indulging in sensual pleasures. We can see this in the coming resurrection. Those that believe in relativism live for the day. They are not thinking of eternity. They do not know that the body is so precious and must be wisely cared for.
The Christian knows that one day God will raise our bodies just as He did Christ. This flesh will put on immortality. We will never die. We will never sin and never even want to sin. If God has put so much value on them at making them anew in the new creation, should we not treat holy what God is not getting ready?
Immortality not Immorality!
Look at each battle with lust, one that tries to take your treasures in heaven away.
#5 Belong to Christ (1 Corinthians 6:15-20)
"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 harlot? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO WILL BECOME ONE FLESH."
When a person has become a Christian, he has given up his right to live by his desires. We must remember that those desires are no good to follow anyway. They enslave us to do evil. The non-Christian is captured by his self-oriented desires. It is not always sexual desires, but he is always captured by them. When we come to know the Lord, set aside all that. We die to it. We now live for Christ. We belong to Christ. If we would take our bodies and do something evil with them, it is like taking something that belongs to Christ and giving it to a harlot. Even worse, it is intimidating, it is like Christ being part with a harlot. You can see why God would radically judge such Christians. Judgment would come quickly.
There is some who say that sexual sins are no worse than others. The scriptures here in 6:16-18 deny this. There is a special grieving that goes on when we take our bodies, the temple of God, and made them a place to serve our own fleshly needs. It is like taking Christ and forcing Him to a harlot's house and going to bed with her. Other sins are not direct compromise with our bodies. I suppose it for this reason, that extra guilt and reactions come about from those Christians who fall into sexual sins. Clearly we are to flee immorality, whether in thought or in deed.
Proper sexual relations is sanctified in marriage. God has no problem being part of that temple. Those things outside of marriage use their lusts to satisfy themselves. God's love is holy, and it must be other-focused.
Flee Immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18)
Here are nine suggestions to flee immorality.
- Literally run like Joseph (body run)
We are to run from all such situations with immorality. Joseph set a wise precedence when he flew from immorality. Don't deliberate. The desires can get so strong, we just fall in with them. Move. Change locations. Study elsewhere. Or like I do most every day, move my head away from that direction. Or as on the web, move my eyes away from that ad. Or stay away from the web site or that store with such photos. Don't let their eye catch you.
- Stop watching (eyes run)
I recommend to stop watching anything that has sensual thoughts, images or plots. As a single, that is the worse place to go. What you fire up will need to be put out. Best not to get the fires going.
- Meditate on scripture warnings
Meditate and rehearse different scriptures reminding you of the dangers of immorality.
- Positively think of self as temple of God.
Positively think about yourself as a temple of the Holy Spirit. Your body is a temple of God. Your spirit lives in your body and the Holy Spirit in your spirit. RWP- "In Corinth was the temple to Aphrodite in which fornication was regarded as consecration instead of desecration. Prostitutes were there as priestesses of Aphrodite, to help men worship the goddess by fornication."
- Don't think dating non-Christian is okay.
We should not contemplate marrying or even dating a non-Christian. Our standards should be clear even if means we will be single for life. At least we will please the Lord
- Don't give up hope. 1) Repent 2) Change
No one is born a homosexual just as he is not born an adulterer. These are life choices. Desires seem natural and compulsive after a while because of repetition. These are the lusts that enslave. Only Christ can set you free.
- Don't fool yourself (6:11)
Don't be deceived. The kingdom of God sets us free. If you live for your self, don't fool yourself. It would be better to admit that you are now a pagan posing as a Christian than find out out on the Day of Judgment. If you admit it now, you might even become a Christian.
- You belong to God (6:20 bought with a price)
God purchased you. You belong to Him. You are not your own. You do not need to give in to your different fleshly needs.
- Love what is good and holy
Lastly, you need to know of the consequences of immorality. But as the Apostle ended, you will only conquer these sins if you love what is good and holy. Truths will set you free from lust so that you can love. Just because a couple is married, it doesn't mean the husband loves his wife. He can still treat her with a selfish flare. God has so much more for us. We are the temple of God. We were bought with a price. We belong to Christ. God loves us.
Are you really going to find this love, power and security in immoral relations? No. They strip you from virtue and cover you inside and out with guilt and scars of broken relationships. Flee from them while you have a chance.
Only Two Choices |
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CHANGING STANDARDS |
FIXED STANDARD |
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We need to reject the relativism that allows us to live by ways other than God's Word. Everything else is building on sand. It is agreeing but not doing. Perhaps, right now you go to church and are faithful, but in the end you will find yourself in a situation where that relativism will throw you into confusion. For there the Lord will test your heart. Relativism always shows its true colors in the end. We only can repent from it and allow the authoritative Word of God always take precedence in our lives. |
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"Come here, I shall show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,
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"Behold,
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Make decisions according to changing values & situations.
Make decisions according to God's unchanging Word.
Bible Study Questions for 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Articles on 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Outline of 1 Corinthians
Necessity of writing about immoralities
Dangers of immorality
Two Views: Relativism versus Authoritarianism
Subjectivism of Changing Standards (1 Corinthians 6:12)
Five Arguments for Fixed Standards (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)
Flee Immorality (9 suggestions)
Only Two Choices
Bible Study Questions for 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Most of BFF articles such as this one is nicely formatted for printing. This article also has a Powerpoint. Check out the great number of articles on the BFF Biblical Training CDs all for one low cost.New American Standard Bible used
Biblical Foundations for Freedom
By Paul J. Bucknell