First Corinthians is all about living like followers of Christ. A couple of years after Paul established a group of believers in Corinth, he received word that they were losing their way. In 1 Corinthians, Paul gives them practical advice on how to live as Christians in the midst of a culture that pressures them to compromise. – Faith Life Study Bible
The Corinthians way of thinking, “Everything is permissible for me”, Paul’s answer, but not everything is beneficial. The Corinthians way of thinking, “Everything is permissible for me”, Paul’s answer, but I will not be mastered by anything. The Corinthians way of thinking, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”, Paul’s answer, but God will destroy them both. 1 Corinthians 6:12-13
Paul was writing as if he was having a conversation with the believers of the Corinthians Church. Some Biblical commentaries say that the phrase, “Everything is permissible for me” was a common secular way of thinking that was affecting many areas of a life in Christ of many in the Church. One area in particular was the way some Christians understood what was God’s moral position concerning sex. Paul knew that the Corinthians lived in a cultural environment of an immoral sexual mentality and practices, which were contrary to God’s intention for a believer’s attitude and practice of sex.
God in His Word gives us instructions of how to live “cleansed” and free from different types of sin, including clear instructions of our sexual attitudes and practices. A small (but not complete) list of these instructions that He gives us and the Corinthians is stated by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. 9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. New Living Translation
Another example of God’s attitude concerning sexual sin is in Romans; Paul also writes to the Roman church concerning sinful sexual desires, lesbianism and homosexuality in Romans 1:24-27.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Sexual sin enslaves a person with its temptations and impulses; however, as we studied last week, there is freedom in Christ Jesus from the slavery of sin. Paul makes this point clear in Romans 6:6-7, 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him (Christ) so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
We must always remember that contemporary secular society does not determine morally what a Christian’s standard of sexual attitude and practice is, it is God’s Word, which is the Christian’s moral compass. The sad fact is that there are some who consider themselves Christians who deliberately ignore the clear instructions God gives us in his Word and approve (and even practice) sexual immorality in its many different ways. “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:32.
God’s Word does not only condemns the practice of sexual immorality but it also assures us of God’s forgiveness, cleansing and freedom of its bondage. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Paul not only points out that God condemns sexual sin, but also in the following verse he states that God forgave, cleansed and changed those of the Corinthian church who in the past committed and practiced sexual sins. 1 Corinthians 6:11, 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.
There were some Christians in the Corinthian church that needed to understand what sex was supposed to be from God’s perspective, as Paul told the Ephesian congregation they needed to know God’s truth and to be made new in the attitude of their minds. Ephesians 4:21-24, 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. New Living Translation.
“The believer’s body is a member of Christ. How can we be joined to Christ and joined to sin at the same time? Such a thought astounds us. Yet some of the Corinthians saw no harm in visiting the temple prostitutes (there were 1,000 of them at the temple of Aphrodite) and committing fornication.”- Warren Wiersbe
Some Corinthian Christians needed to learn about God’s perspective concerning sex and how to live out that reality in their new life in Christ Jesus. What was accepted and practiced as normal sexually, in a secular lifestyle is not normal in a Christian’s life. They need to learn to live their lives in Christ with a new (Biblical) normal concerning sex and their bodies. 13 The body 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 he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:13-17.
Immoral sexual attitudes and practices are not only physical; Jesus makes this very clear in Matthew 5:27-28, 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Jesus’ comments in Matthew 5:27-30 “affirms God’s position of the sanctity of sex. God created it God protects it and God punishes when His law is violated. We must not think that because we are “under grace” we can flaunt God’s Law and get away with it.” “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” Hebrews 13:4 NASU
Finally, in Corinthians 6:19-20 Paul gives the reasons why a Christian should not accept sexual immoral practices as normal, that which clearly God calls sin. The reason is, that we do not own ourselves any more to do what we want with our bodies. God owns us now, so we must honor God with what we do sexually with our emotions (or minds) and bodies.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 body.
The Bible commentator Warren Wiersbe summarizes concisely what the apostle was writing the Corinthian church concerning this topic. “We must remember that the grace of God can change the sinner’s life. “And that is what some of you were.” (1 Corinthians 6:11). It is wonderful how faith in Christ makes a sinner into a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17,21). And it is important that we live like those who are a part of God’s new creation. We are not our own. We belong to the Father who made us, the Son who redeemed us, and the Spirit who indwells us. We also belong to the people of God, the church, and our sins can weaken the testimony and infect the fellowship.”
Pastor John
