Overcoming Sexual Sin
Earlier this week, I read through 1 Corinthians 5-6 during my devotions. In chapter 5, Paul addresses a scandalous sin where a man is sleeping around with his own mother-in-law. Paul was so horrified that he said that even pagans don’t sin like that. When we look at a story like this, and many others like it, we can never accuse the Bible of whitewashing the sinfulness of humanity. Now, when we get to chapter 6:13-20, we have one of Paul’s longest teachings on sexual immorality. Another lengthy passage on this subject can be found in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, but here in 1 Corinthians 6, some valuable things are taught about this particular sin and how to overcome it. Nearly every Christian struggles with sexual temptation, perhaps even more during this pandemic. Let’s discover what Paul teaches. First, let’s read the text:
(1 Corinthians 6:12-20) “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “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.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? 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.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.
Let’s try to follow along with Paul’s argument:
Paul begins the argument by offering a rebuttal to the common thinking of the day, which was an argument for human freedom. It was saying, “I can do whatever I want.” This kind of thinking is pervasive in our day as well. It’s a belief that comes from the devil. This was the nature of the serpent’s words to Eve in the Garden. “Go on Eve, you can do whatever you want!” In today’s culture, human autonomy, especially in the area of sexuality and sexual identity has run amuck. We live in a world of sexual anarchy. Human autonomy is good only when lived under the sovereign rule of God.
Next, we need to know the very purpose of our bodies. Our bodies were not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord (13b). In other words, our bodies were not meant to be used as instruments for sin, but for holiness, for the Lord. This doesn’t mean that we were not created for sex. In fact, we were created for sex, but that sex act is sacred and should only be practiced with our spouse, in marriage.
Now, if point one was about our purpose, then point two is about our relationship. The next thing we need to know is that our bodies are members of Christ (15). By being members of Christ, we are united with him (17a). We are one with him in spirit (17b). One of the most beautiful benefits of our salvation is union with Christ. When we become Christians, we become spiritually united to him. I am in Christ and Christ is in me. This is our most deep, intimate, and profound relationship.
Then Paul proposes this horrific impossibility. He asks, “Would you ever, in your wildest imagination, consider uniting Christ with a prostitute?” It’s hard for me to even write that sentence. Here are his words exactly, “Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute?” He emphatically answers his own question with, “NEVER!” Here’s the logic. When I became a Christian, I became united with Christ. The Bible also teaches that when a man has sexual relations with a woman, he is uniting himself with her, like in marriage. They are becoming one. So, if I engage in a sexually immoral act (such as fornication, adultery, pornography, homosexuality), am I not, in a sense, trying to involve Christ in my immorality, since I am united with Him? To which we also should answer, “NEVER!” or “May it never be!” So Christian, be careful of arguments touting human autonomy. Understand the purpose for why you were created, and the God given purpose of your bodies. As well, never forget your union with Christ and the dreadful thought of inviting Christ into my sin. What then are the next steps?
RUN! Flee from sexual immorality (18). Isn’t that interesting? It’s not enough to know the above principles; we must live them out. Several times in Paul’s writing he tells Christians to flee from sin. Don’t walk into sin. Don’t put yourself in situations where you will be tempted to sin. Don’t try to be a tough guy. Be like Joseph, when he fled from the seductions of Potiphar’s wife. Run!
Realize that all sins are not the same. Sexual sins are some of the worst kind. I know we all like to say, “All sins are the same,” but when we carefully read the Bible, we can never come to that conclusion. The easiest way to look at it is this way: in the Old and New Testaments, are all the punishments for sins the same? The answer, of course, is ‘no’. Some sins carried very minor consequences, like a repayment, or a sin offering. On the other end of the spectrum, some sins, carried a capital punishment. Thus, it is wrong to think that all sins are the same. Here in verse 18, Paul says that sexual sins are worse than other sins because it’s the only sin where we sin against our own body, and our bodies are the very temple of the Holy Spirit. There’s that idea of union with Christ again. Now, here’s the big question. What does it mean to sin against your own body? Also, related to this, why does that make this sin worse than other sins? One commentator says, “No other sin threatens to put the body under the mastery of something or someone else.” Calvin writes these helpful words, “Hence I explain it in this way, that he does not altogether deny that there are other vices, in like manner, by which our body is dishonored and disgraced, but that his meaning is simply this — that defilement does not attach itself to our body from other vices in the same way as it does from fornication. My hand, it is true, is defiled by theft or murder, my tongue by evil speaking, or perjury, and the whole body by drunkenness; but fornication leaves a stain impressed upon the body, such as is not impressed upon it from other sins.” Or what about what another commentator says? He writes, “fornication involves a man in what Godet calls ‘a degrading physical solidarity, incompatible with the believer’s spiritual solidarity with Christ’.” Finally, read what Matthew Henry wrote about this sin. “This sin is in a peculiar manner styled uncleanness, pollution, because no sin has so much external turpitude in it, especially in a Christian. He sins against his own body; he defiles it, he degrades it, making it one with the body of that vile creature with whom he sins. He casts vile reproach on what the Redeemer has dignified to the last degree by taking it into union with himself.” My thoughts for why this sin is so grievous is because it violates a sacred union—first the union with our spouse, but greater than that, it violates, it defiles our union with Christ, in a way that others sins do not. Thus, this applies to both married and single people. This also emphasizes how incredibly sacred the sex act in marriage is to be seen, protected, and cherished.
Finally, we should avoid this sin because “we were bought at a price.” “We are not our own,” Paul says. That means, we’ve willingly given up our autonomy. We now belong to God, to use our bodies in a holy manner and towards its originally designed purpose. It’s very hopeful and encouraging to know that because of the Gospel and what Christ has done for us, that we can now, through Christ, overcome sexual sins. In my opinion, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 is one of the most powerful passages in all of Scripture.
9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
The first portion is quite scary, warning us that sinners who engage in certain sins will not go to heaven, but then comes verse 11. Read it again. “And that is what some of you were.” The Corinthian church, like ALL churches, was filled with ex-sinners, who were washed, sanctified and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. This is good news.
Let’s strive to be holy in our sexuality. Remember, see the severity of sexual sin. Understand the purpose for why God created you. Never forget the union you have with Christ. Now flee from sexual immorality and be holy.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Pastor Peter