WEBVTT 00:00:00.970 --> 00:00:04.650 This morning we continue our study in going through 00:00:04.650 --> 00:00:08.570 the Word of God. Today, looking to the book of 00:00:08.570 --> 00:00:13.529 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 12 through 20. 00:00:14.449 --> 00:00:17.129 We're going to be reading this here in just a 00:00:17.129 --> 00:00:20.429 moment. But I would just like to say once again 00:00:20.429 --> 00:00:25.410 that the Word of God is eminently practical to 00:00:25.410 --> 00:00:29.559 our lives. It speaks directly to us. even sometimes 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:31.739 in ways that might be a little bit uncomfortable. 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:35.460 And of course, the job of the preacher is also 00:00:35.460 --> 00:00:39.399 to preach the Word of God as it is. So today, 00:00:39.619 --> 00:00:42.560 we are going to be looking at the subject of 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:46.659 sexual immorality. The title is, Flee Sexual 00:00:46.659 --> 00:00:51.979 Immorality. Your body is a temple of the Holy 00:00:51.979 --> 00:00:56.039 Spirit. Let's read the passage, beginning in 00:00:56.039 --> 00:01:01.070 verse 12. All things are lawful for me, but all 00:01:01.070 --> 00:01:04.530 things are not helpful. All things are lawful 00:01:04.530 --> 00:01:07.829 for me, but I will not be brought under the power 00:01:07.829 --> 00:01:11.969 of any. Food for the stomach and the stomach 00:01:11.969 --> 00:01:15.030 for foods, but God will destroy both it and them 00:01:15.030 --> 00:01:20.140 now. The body is not for sexual immorality, but 00:01:20.140 --> 00:01:24.239 for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:27.700 both raised up the Lord and will also raise us 00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:32.219 up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies 00:01:32.219 --> 00:01:35.379 are members of Christ? Shall I then take the 00:01:35.379 --> 00:01:38.019 members of Christ and make them members of a 00:01:38.019 --> 00:01:43.019 harlot? Certainly not. Or do you not know? That 00:01:43.019 --> 00:01:47.060 he who is joined to a harlot is one body with 00:01:47.060 --> 00:01:53.000 her. For the two, he says, shall become one flesh. 00:01:53.480 --> 00:01:56.359 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit 00:01:56.359 --> 00:02:01.180 with him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that 00:02:01.180 --> 00:02:04.680 a man does is outside the body. But he who commits 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:08.740 sexual immorality sins against his own body. 00:02:09.449 --> 00:02:13.030 Or do you not know that your body is the temple 00:02:13.030 --> 00:02:16.569 of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have 00:02:16.569 --> 00:02:21.050 from God, and you are not your own? For you were 00:02:21.050 --> 00:02:27.550 bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God in 00:02:27.550 --> 00:02:31.810 your body and in your spirit, which are God's. 00:02:32.250 --> 00:02:35.610 Let's ask the Lord's blessing on this time. Father, 00:02:35.669 --> 00:02:38.280 we come before you, Lord, in this... is indeed 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:41.460 an impactful chapter, Lord, and this passage, 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:44.800 Lord, one that is extremely relevant to us. It 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:48.139 speaks to us, Lord, and it calls us to a life 00:02:48.139 --> 00:02:51.860 of holiness and purity amidst a world that is 00:02:51.860 --> 00:02:55.280 awash in immorality. So, Lord, we pray that you 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:57.159 would be with us, Lord, as we go through this. 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.120 Captivate our hearts, O Lord, by your Spirit. 00:03:00.580 --> 00:03:03.860 Let us think your thoughts after you and help 00:03:03.860 --> 00:03:06.759 us, Lord, to understand. as you would have us, 00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:09.400 Lord, through the elimination of the Holy Spirit. 00:03:09.500 --> 00:03:21.939 We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Dear brothers 00:03:21.939 --> 00:03:27.560 and sisters, we are the church of Jesus Christ. 00:03:27.819 --> 00:03:30.620 We have been bought with his blood, and we are 00:03:30.620 --> 00:03:34.569 the temple of God. We have been washed. sanctified 00:03:34.569 --> 00:03:38.009 and justified as we heard last week. And our 00:03:38.009 --> 00:03:41.930 hearts and our minds have been and are being 00:03:41.930 --> 00:03:46.069 renewed. We have been made new. And the transformation 00:03:46.069 --> 00:03:49.650 that has happened to us truly matters. We are 00:03:49.650 --> 00:03:52.469 not merely concerned about outward forms or rituals 00:03:52.469 --> 00:03:56.270 or a checklist of do's and don'ts. But it is 00:03:56.270 --> 00:03:59.250 important for us that we have personal, sincere, 00:03:59.370 --> 00:04:04.689 abiding and true faith in the Lord Jesus. From 00:04:04.689 --> 00:04:08.169 the depths of our hearts. As I preached last 00:04:08.169 --> 00:04:13.789 week. Nevertheless, the outward body matters. 00:04:14.509 --> 00:04:20.269 Your body matters. Spirituality is not just some 00:04:20.269 --> 00:04:23.550 super ethereal pie in the sky type of thing. 00:04:23.629 --> 00:04:28.480 But it is real. It is enfleshed. The spiritual 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:31.899 life that is within must be demonstrated by our 00:04:31.899 --> 00:04:35.779 actions, by the fact that our body is not some 00:04:35.779 --> 00:04:39.079 worthless piece of the flesh that must be abandoned 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:43.720 in order to have the Spirit. No, as God speaks 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:47.560 in His Word today, our bodies matter as well 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:53.060 as other outward things. Order matters. The sacraments 00:04:53.060 --> 00:04:57.639 matter. Faithful marriages matter. And your body 00:04:57.639 --> 00:05:03.199 matters. So much so that your physical body, 00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:07.720 your flesh and blood body, is a temple. It is 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:11.939 a sanctuary and dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:15.399 Yes, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:18.819 Trinity, God the Holy Spirit. Your body belongs 00:05:18.819 --> 00:05:22.459 to God and God the Holy Spirit dwells in each 00:05:22.459 --> 00:05:26.980 and every one who is born again and who has faith 00:05:26.980 --> 00:05:31.899 and trust in Christ. If your body is holy and 00:05:31.899 --> 00:05:34.639 is a temple of the Holy Spirit, then you should 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:38.379 not hate your body. God made you. He created 00:05:38.379 --> 00:05:41.990 you. He created you to worship your God in an 00:05:41.990 --> 00:05:45.790 embodied fashion. Your true person, the real 00:05:45.790 --> 00:05:48.930 you, that is, is not just your inner person like 00:05:48.930 --> 00:05:53.149 is sometimes said. No, a true and real man and 00:05:53.149 --> 00:05:57.629 woman consists of both body and spirit. When 00:05:57.629 --> 00:06:01.430 your body is dead, part of you is missing until 00:06:01.430 --> 00:06:03.910 the resurrection when your body and your soul 00:06:03.910 --> 00:06:08.269 will be reunited together again. This time, In 00:06:08.269 --> 00:06:11.889 a resurrected body. We will worship in heaven. 00:06:11.949 --> 00:06:15.490 After the resurrection. As a whole being. Body 00:06:15.490 --> 00:06:18.490 and spirit. We will again. Not be some kind of 00:06:18.490 --> 00:06:21.029 ethereal angel. Sitting on a cloud. Some kind 00:06:21.029 --> 00:06:24.110 of disembodied spirits. No. This is not a biblical 00:06:24.110 --> 00:06:30.649 understanding. We will be together. Body and 00:06:30.649 --> 00:06:35.670 spirit. In light of this. We cannot fall into 00:06:35.670 --> 00:06:38.430 extreme asceticism, the doctrine that teaches 00:06:38.430 --> 00:06:40.910 us that we must be detached from the material 00:06:40.910 --> 00:06:44.769 world in order to draw closer to God. And this 00:06:44.769 --> 00:06:47.730 detachment is often professed to be done through 00:06:47.730 --> 00:06:50.689 denial of food or other pleasures, or through 00:06:50.689 --> 00:06:54.930 renouncing material possessions, or abstaining 00:06:54.930 --> 00:06:59.089 from sexual relationships, which then leads to 00:06:59.089 --> 00:07:02.629 hatred of the body and denial of the gifts that 00:07:02.629 --> 00:07:06.259 God gives. has given us. Some forms of asceticism 00:07:06.259 --> 00:07:09.500 go so far as to even whip oneself or to wear 00:07:09.500 --> 00:07:12.779 chains or spike devices or have prolonged sleep 00:07:12.779 --> 00:07:15.959 deprivation or to wear a hair cloth shirt or 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:20.860 sleep on a bed of nails. No, this is not the 00:07:20.860 --> 00:07:25.649 biblical view of our body. In the passage today, 00:07:25.870 --> 00:07:28.730 the Apostle Paul develops the subject of God's 00:07:28.730 --> 00:07:33.730 view of your body and how sexual immorality is 00:07:33.730 --> 00:07:37.470 a sin against God the Father, against Christ, 00:07:37.730 --> 00:07:42.589 and against the Holy Spirit. Sex is a gift from 00:07:42.589 --> 00:07:47.230 God, designed by God for procreation and for 00:07:47.230 --> 00:07:49.889 pleasure, as we will see in the next chapter. 00:07:50.069 --> 00:07:53.990 But God puts fences around it, and when those 00:07:53.990 --> 00:07:59.209 fences are broken, great trouble comes. It is 00:07:59.209 --> 00:08:02.170 a powerful tool that used rightly in a marriage 00:08:02.170 --> 00:08:05.769 covenant, brings forth abundant blessings, begetting 00:08:05.769 --> 00:08:08.990 children, and giving enjoyment and fulfillment. 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:13.579 but wrongly used. It is a weapon of destruction 00:08:13.579 --> 00:08:18.379 that creates hurt, betrayal, abandoned children, 00:08:18.779 --> 00:08:22.959 sex trafficking, rape, and other sins against 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:26.860 a holy and just and right God. And it is also 00:08:26.860 --> 00:08:33.279 a sin then against our own body. The lies being 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:36.909 taught and lived in the city of Corinth. Are 00:08:36.909 --> 00:08:41.029 very much like the lies of today. Have you heard 00:08:41.029 --> 00:08:46.710 the words. My body. My choice. My body. My choice. 00:08:46.970 --> 00:08:53.309 Or if it feels good. Do it. These lies are pervasive. 00:08:53.409 --> 00:08:56.769 And they were pervasive at the time in which 00:08:56.769 --> 00:09:00.370 this book was written. So common was immorality 00:09:00.370 --> 00:09:05.110 in Corinth. That to act like a Corinthian. became 00:09:05.110 --> 00:09:10.830 a universal shorthand for gross immorality, promiscuity, 00:09:10.870 --> 00:09:15.049 and drunken debauchery. To be a Corinthian was 00:09:15.049 --> 00:09:20.809 to be that kind of person in those deeds. Nevertheless, 00:09:21.070 --> 00:09:24.990 as the word tells us today, man is not an animal 00:09:24.990 --> 00:09:27.610 to do whatever his instincts desire at any place. 00:09:27.830 --> 00:09:30.610 Man is created for covenant, both to be in covenant 00:09:30.610 --> 00:09:32.889 with God and to be in covenant with one another. 00:09:33.450 --> 00:09:36.169 As Paul will bring out in chapter 7 verse 2. 00:09:36.330 --> 00:09:39.470 He says because of sexual immorality each man 00:09:39.470 --> 00:09:43.149 is to have his own wife and each woman to have 00:09:43.149 --> 00:09:48.230 her own husband. Man is created to worship and 00:09:48.230 --> 00:09:51.269 this includes the use of his body according to 00:09:51.269 --> 00:09:56.309 God's rules. Not only simply a physical impulse. 00:09:56.789 --> 00:09:59.850 The human body is not created to live like the 00:09:59.850 --> 00:10:02.929 beasts or the birds. In our passage today, Paul 00:10:02.929 --> 00:10:07.049 deals with five reasons why a Christian is to 00:10:07.049 --> 00:10:12.190 flee sexual immorality. Five reasons why sex 00:10:12.190 --> 00:10:15.269 outside of the marriage covenant is contrary 00:10:15.269 --> 00:10:19.509 to the will and the law of God Almighty. The 00:10:19.509 --> 00:10:24.730 central command is found in verse 18. Flee sexual 00:10:24.730 --> 00:10:30.920 immorality. All illicit sexual intercourse. harlotry, 00:10:30.920 --> 00:10:34.100 adultery, fornication between unmarried persons, 00:10:34.340 --> 00:10:39.539 homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, incest, 00:10:39.539 --> 00:10:44.039 or those who are unlawfully divorced. All of 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:47.919 that is contained in this word. Ephesians 5 verse 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:51.500 3, But sexual immorality and all uncleanness 00:10:51.500 --> 00:10:55.240 and covetousness, let it not once be named among 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:59.480 you. As is fitting for saints. This is the law 00:10:59.480 --> 00:11:01.379 and the word of God. And Paul goes into great 00:11:01.379 --> 00:11:07.279 detail and explains why. Why this is so. And 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:09.919 he does this in a way that is not really given 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:13.500 in any other passage. With attention to the detail 00:11:13.500 --> 00:11:15.899 that he gives right here. At least not that I'm 00:11:15.899 --> 00:11:19.960 aware of. The content or the prohibition. An 00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:22.720 explanation is in many passages. But in this 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:26.500 particular one. He goes into detail about a proper 00:11:26.500 --> 00:11:30.960 view of the body. That is not found any other 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:34.000 place in the scripture just like this. Let's 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:36.820 look now to this passage in God's word. Beginning 00:11:36.820 --> 00:11:40.440 in number 1. In verse 12. Sexual immorality is 00:11:40.440 --> 00:11:43.549 contrary. to the principles of christian liberty 00:11:43.549 --> 00:11:47.309 sexual immorality is contrary to the principle 00:11:47.309 --> 00:11:50.990 of christian liberty he says verse 12 all things 00:11:50.990 --> 00:11:54.870 are lawful for me but all things are not helpful 00:11:54.870 --> 00:11:58.629 all things are lawful for me but i will not be 00:11:58.629 --> 00:12:01.690 brought under the power of any paul begins with 00:12:01.690 --> 00:12:04.580 a statement all things are lawful for me Now 00:12:04.580 --> 00:12:08.320 this could sound contrary to what he's about 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:11.500 to say, but there's two ways to understand this. 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:15.399 First of all, some commentators think that he 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:17.559 could be repeating a statement that the Corinthians 00:12:17.559 --> 00:12:20.320 made, and then he answers it, both here and in 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:24.659 verse 13. That they say all things are lawful, 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:27.240 and Paul responds with all things are not helpful. 00:12:28.269 --> 00:12:30.750 However, I think, along with other commentators, 00:12:30.769 --> 00:12:32.990 that he is making a true statement because it's 00:12:32.990 --> 00:12:35.610 one that is repeated at other places in the New 00:12:35.610 --> 00:12:39.250 Testament. He's referring to principles of Christian 00:12:39.250 --> 00:12:42.909 liberty. For indeed, we have great liberty that 00:12:42.909 --> 00:12:46.009 God has given us, and that liberty extends to 00:12:46.009 --> 00:12:50.429 many aspects of the Christian life. Paul himself 00:12:50.429 --> 00:12:54.629 says in Romans 14 and verse 14, I know and am 00:12:54.629 --> 00:12:58.490 convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing 00:12:58.490 --> 00:13:03.590 unclean of itself. And later in this book, he 00:13:03.590 --> 00:13:06.590 says in the context of foods in chapter 10, verse 00:13:06.590 --> 00:13:11.250 23, all things are lawful for me, but not all 00:13:11.250 --> 00:13:13.970 things are helpful. All things are lawful for 00:13:13.970 --> 00:13:18.409 me, but not all things edify. But while all things 00:13:18.409 --> 00:13:20.909 are lawful, he says, not all are helpful and 00:13:20.909 --> 00:13:23.490 some things enslaved and a Christian should not 00:13:23.490 --> 00:13:26.350 be enslaved to things. We can easily see this 00:13:26.350 --> 00:13:29.169 in food and drink. These are wonderful gifts 00:13:29.169 --> 00:13:32.070 of God, but they can be enslaving through gluttony 00:13:32.070 --> 00:13:35.570 or through drunkenness. Many things are lawful, 00:13:35.649 --> 00:13:38.529 but they're not suitable at all times or in all 00:13:38.529 --> 00:13:43.789 circumstances. So it is with the gift of sex 00:13:43.789 --> 00:13:47.820 that God has. created and that is today's subject 00:13:47.820 --> 00:13:53.419 he says to flee sexual immorality this in today 00:13:53.419 --> 00:13:55.340 we're going to be look again at the negative 00:13:55.340 --> 00:13:58.240 effects of this and the actions next week lord 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:00.039 willing we're going to be getting into principles 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:03.779 for married life in chapter 7 looking more on 00:14:03.779 --> 00:14:07.179 the positive side Now our liberty extends to 00:14:07.179 --> 00:14:09.980 many things. We're not to be subject to the regulations 00:14:09.980 --> 00:14:13.379 and commandments of men. As Paul says in Colossians 00:14:13.379 --> 00:14:16.840 chapter 2 verse 20 to 22. By he's saying that 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:18.840 not that you can't necessarily do things that 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:21.559 men say or have certain practices. But you're 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:25.179 not to look at that as the word of God. Therefore, 00:14:25.259 --> 00:14:27.559 he says, if you died with Christ from the basic 00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:30.620 principles of the world, why, as though living 00:14:30.620 --> 00:14:33.600 in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations? 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:39.460 Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, which 00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:42.919 all things concern with perishing with the using, 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:49.440 according to the commandments and doctrines of 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:53.440 men. But in the all things, Law and liberty are 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:56.519 defined by God Himself in His Word. God gives 00:14:56.519 --> 00:15:00.019 us great and incredible freedoms. Look at all 00:15:00.019 --> 00:15:02.960 the different foods we can eat. The tastes and 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:06.080 the textures and the colors and the varieties 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:10.139 of them. And He says in 1 Timothy chapter 4, 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:13.860 For every creature of God is good, and nothing 00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:18.149 is to be refused if it is good. received with 00:15:18.149 --> 00:15:21.009 thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word 00:15:21.009 --> 00:15:25.149 of God and prayer. God gives us incredible variety. 00:15:25.990 --> 00:15:28.389 Aren't you glad that we just have to exist all 00:15:28.389 --> 00:15:32.750 of our life? And are you glad that we don't exist 00:15:32.750 --> 00:15:34.710 in all of our life just by eating one kind of 00:15:34.710 --> 00:15:39.659 fish? Or just one kind of vegetable? No, we look 00:15:39.659 --> 00:15:42.179 at the textures and the tapestries and the flavors 00:15:42.179 --> 00:15:46.259 and all the sorts of things. Look at what comes 00:15:46.259 --> 00:15:49.000 out of a pig versus what comes out of a cow versus 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:51.279 what comes out of a sheep. You know, and all 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:53.759 of the wonderful meats that we have and the ways 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:56.259 of preparing them. All the wonderful foods and 00:15:56.259 --> 00:15:58.779 then there's spices and there's flavors. God 00:15:58.779 --> 00:16:02.500 gives it all to us because He is a rich God and 00:16:02.500 --> 00:16:07.679 He gives us all things richly to enjoy. We're 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:11.299 free to choose any job that we want, as long 00:16:11.299 --> 00:16:14.019 as the function of that job is not breaking God's 00:16:14.019 --> 00:16:16.720 law, such as theft or prostitution or something 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:19.759 like that. You can live where you want to. You 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:22.559 can choose to marry or to remain single. You 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:25.539 can choose to get further education and pursue 00:16:25.539 --> 00:16:29.460 a different career path. But all of this freedom 00:16:29.460 --> 00:16:36.450 is fenced with the law of God. We have this glorious 00:16:36.450 --> 00:16:39.049 freedom, this Christian liberty that he gives 00:16:39.049 --> 00:16:44.210 us. But on some things God says no. Or some things 00:16:44.210 --> 00:16:49.870 he says yes in this context and no in that context. 00:16:50.009 --> 00:16:54.690 And such is the subject of today. Sexual conduct 00:16:54.690 --> 00:16:57.169 is one of the bodily functions that God speaks 00:16:57.169 --> 00:17:00.360 directly to. In different scriptures of both 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:03.500 the Old and the New Testaments. Therefore, freedom 00:17:03.500 --> 00:17:06.920 to do what you want is simply not an option. 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:11.299 It is not a matter of Christian liberty. For 00:17:11.299 --> 00:17:15.420 immorality is against the law of God and contrary 00:17:15.420 --> 00:17:19.740 to the principles of Christian liberty. Number 00:17:19.740 --> 00:17:24.160 two, verse 13 and 14. Sexual immorality is against 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:29.700 the sanctity and the purpose. of the body food 00:17:29.700 --> 00:17:31.960 for the stomachs and the stomach for foods but 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:34.940 god will both will destroy both it and them now 00:17:34.940 --> 00:17:38.319 the body is not for sexual immorality but for 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:42.420 the lord and the lord for the body and god both 00:17:42.420 --> 00:17:45.599 raised up the lord and will also raise us up 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.599 by his power three things we're going to note 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:51.740 in here first of all the body is not for sexual 00:17:51.740 --> 00:17:55.140 immorality the first portion The Romans and Greeks 00:17:55.140 --> 00:17:58.099 viewed sex as a natural bodily impulse. It was 00:17:58.099 --> 00:18:00.559 a function of the body, just like eating or drinking. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.880 And the church at Corinth still had some of this 00:18:03.880 --> 00:18:06.339 mindset. It was seen as a thing indifferent, 00:18:06.660 --> 00:18:10.400 not immoral in any kind of circumstances, with 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:12.940 the exception of incest. as we saw in chapter 00:18:12.940 --> 00:18:16.359 5, described as sexual immorality not even named 00:18:16.359 --> 00:18:18.960 among the Gentiles. They reasoned from analogy 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:22.099 that it was okay to eat all kinds of food which 00:18:22.099 --> 00:18:24.660 are adapted to the stomach, so it is right to 00:18:24.660 --> 00:18:27.980 gratify any other natural desires. And so they 00:18:27.980 --> 00:18:32.980 did, in every way. Roman masculinity was strictly 00:18:32.980 --> 00:18:38.559 defined by dominance, and so a man would dominate 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:43.880 sexually over his slaves. or over prostitutes, 00:18:43.900 --> 00:18:47.559 or with social outcasts, or even, very sadly, 00:18:47.700 --> 00:18:50.960 young males. Understanding this culture, you 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:54.259 can see why this was such a problem. And in almost 00:18:54.259 --> 00:18:58.299 every letter to Gentile churches, Paul emphasizes 00:18:58.299 --> 00:19:03.000 this emphatically. He speaks to them about this 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:07.220 matter. You look at Romans, Galatians, Ephesians. 00:19:07.579 --> 00:19:11.420 Colossians, Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, 00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:15.119 and in the letter to Timothy, who is ministering 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:18.640 to other churches. Peter writes of it, and so 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:21.099 does the writer of Hebrews. The New Testament 00:19:21.099 --> 00:19:24.539 letters are filled with instructions on this 00:19:24.539 --> 00:19:27.720 matter, and it is no wonder, considering the 00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:32.140 culture in which they live. It was everywhere. 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:39.700 But sex is different than food. While we are 00:19:39.700 --> 00:19:42.859 free to eat all or any of the foods that God 00:19:42.859 --> 00:19:45.099 has provided, like food for the stomach and the 00:19:45.099 --> 00:19:47.259 stomach for food, which might have been a popular 00:19:47.259 --> 00:19:50.339 proverb, they were saying that the body is created 00:19:50.339 --> 00:19:54.420 for all of these bodily functions, and so we 00:19:54.420 --> 00:20:00.099 can indulge wherever and however we please. But 00:20:00.099 --> 00:20:03.039 God did create our bodies, but not for the purposes 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:08.140 of having sex. like people eat food. No, the 00:20:08.140 --> 00:20:11.339 body is not for sexual immorality, he says. He 00:20:11.339 --> 00:20:15.059 fences it by giving it as a gift to a man and 00:20:15.059 --> 00:20:20.220 a woman united in holy matrimony. Marriage is 00:20:20.220 --> 00:20:23.799 honorable among all and the bed undefiled, but 00:20:23.799 --> 00:20:28.720 fornicators and adulterers God will judge. The 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:34.779 body is not meant for sexual immorality. And 00:20:34.779 --> 00:20:37.960 we see this in some of the consequences and problems 00:20:37.960 --> 00:20:41.900 that come from an immoral lifestyle, a promiscuous 00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:45.279 lifestyle. And we see these around our world. 00:20:45.339 --> 00:20:47.859 I'm just going to list some of them. Consider 00:20:47.859 --> 00:20:51.059 the psychological impact, the shame and the guilt, 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:54.319 the broken hearts and the emotional instability 00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:58.720 that comes. Then there's the social harm of the 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:02.400 breakdown of families, the lack of proper fatherhood. 00:21:02.829 --> 00:21:05.490 and motherhood, and then abandoned children. 00:21:05.630 --> 00:21:08.750 Children moved from the stability of a family 00:21:08.750 --> 00:21:11.710 where mother and father love and care for each 00:21:11.710 --> 00:21:14.710 other to children being moved from pillar to 00:21:14.710 --> 00:21:19.130 post. The societal costs of immorality are huge. 00:21:20.549 --> 00:21:24.450 There is increased crime. Crimes because of jealousy, 00:21:24.769 --> 00:21:27.349 because of conquest, because of the breakdown 00:21:27.349 --> 00:21:30.890 of trust. even murders, covetousness, theft, 00:21:31.210 --> 00:21:37.029 control and manipulation, and sexual abuse. There's 00:21:37.029 --> 00:21:39.509 also the hardening of the conscience, distance 00:21:39.509 --> 00:21:42.650 between people and alienation, meaninglessness. 00:21:42.710 --> 00:21:46.950 Women value only because of their bodily function 00:21:46.950 --> 00:21:51.599 and not for who they are. Sexual immorality enormously 00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:55.740 increases the likelihood of STDs or sexually 00:21:55.740 --> 00:21:58.940 transmitted diseases that can lead to severe 00:21:58.940 --> 00:22:04.220 long -term health issues. And finally, the strength, 00:22:04.299 --> 00:22:07.200 honor, and the fruit of your labor is then squandered 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:12.000 to others who will not reward or repay you. Hear 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:15.220 the wise words of Solomon in Proverbs 5, verse 00:22:15.220 --> 00:22:18.569 1. My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Lend your 00:22:18.569 --> 00:22:21.170 ear to my understanding that you may preserve 00:22:21.170 --> 00:22:23.309 discretion and your lips may keep knowledge. 00:22:23.569 --> 00:22:26.390 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey and 00:22:26.390 --> 00:22:29.470 her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end, 00:22:29.470 --> 00:22:31.910 she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two -edged 00:22:31.910 --> 00:22:34.809 sword. Her feet go down to the earth. Her steps 00:22:34.809 --> 00:22:37.569 lay hold of hell. Lest you ponder her path of 00:22:37.569 --> 00:22:40.329 life, her ways are unstable. You do not know 00:22:40.329 --> 00:22:42.990 them. Therefore hear me now, my children, and 00:22:42.990 --> 00:22:45.390 do not depart from the words of my mouth. Remove 00:22:45.390 --> 00:22:47.869 your way far from me and do not go near the door 00:22:47.869 --> 00:22:50.329 of her house, lest you give your honor to others 00:22:50.329 --> 00:22:53.170 and your years to the cruel one, lest aliens 00:22:53.170 --> 00:22:55.710 be filled with your wealth and your labors go 00:22:55.710 --> 00:22:58.029 to the house of a foreigner and you mourn at 00:22:58.029 --> 00:23:00.750 last when your flesh and your body are consumed 00:23:00.750 --> 00:23:04.890 and you say, How I have hated instruction and 00:23:04.890 --> 00:23:09.609 my heart despised correction. This, these are 00:23:09.609 --> 00:23:15.309 sobering words from Proverbs. So the body is 00:23:15.309 --> 00:23:18.809 not for sexuality, immorality, but secondly, 00:23:19.049 --> 00:23:24.630 under this point, the body is for the Lord. Your 00:23:24.630 --> 00:23:28.670 body is for the Lord. The Lord redeemed not only 00:23:28.670 --> 00:23:31.789 your spirit, but your body by his blood. You 00:23:31.789 --> 00:23:34.470 were bought with a price, as Paul speaks a little 00:23:34.470 --> 00:23:38.500 later. Therefore, you belong. To Christ. And 00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:40.759 through the shed blood of Christ. By which he 00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:44.720 purchased us. Our bodies belong to him. And he 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:50.759 set us free. From slavery to sin. Excuse me. 00:23:53.119 --> 00:23:56.759 You are made for the glory of God. You are designed 00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:59.500 by God and your body is required in the worship 00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:02.640 of God because God created you so. Your body 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:05.200 not only belongs to the Lord, but he says here, 00:24:05.240 --> 00:24:08.880 it was made for the Lord. That is to be a member 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:12.160 of Christ. Redeemed by him and to serve him in 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:16.019 righteousness and holiness and not to be prostituted 00:24:16.019 --> 00:24:19.299 to lust and evil desire. Your body is not irrelevant 00:24:19.299 --> 00:24:23.680 because you will die someday. No, your body matters 00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:26.640 because of the resurrection in union with Christ. 00:24:27.160 --> 00:24:31.329 And, he says, the Lord is for your body. John 00:24:31.329 --> 00:24:33.829 Gill says of this, he was preordained in the 00:24:33.829 --> 00:24:37.089 counsel of God and provided in the covenant of 00:24:37.089 --> 00:24:40.089 grace and sent in the fullness of time to be 00:24:40.089 --> 00:24:45.170 a redeemer and savior of the body as well as 00:24:45.170 --> 00:24:49.190 the soul, to be a sanctifier of it and the raiser 00:24:49.190 --> 00:24:52.839 of it up from the dead in the resurrection. Then 00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:55.000 in this passage, yet there's the eternal significance 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:57.539 of the body. I already alluded to that. Your 00:24:57.539 --> 00:25:01.700 body is designed and designated for resurrection 00:25:01.700 --> 00:25:07.039 glory. For resurrection glory. Yes. This very 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:11.319 body will be raised just as the Lord Jesus Christ's 00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:15.400 body was raised. Though it dies, though it is 00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:18.619 put into the ground and it returns to dust, God 00:25:18.619 --> 00:25:21.960 will raise it up again in new life. It will be 00:25:21.960 --> 00:25:25.740 transformed, still truly your body, and yet perfected 00:25:25.740 --> 00:25:27.980 and glorious in the resurrection. Because the 00:25:27.980 --> 00:25:30.920 dead in Christ will rise, their bodies reunited 00:25:30.920 --> 00:25:33.839 with their spirits. And together as complete 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:37.019 men and women, we will worship and serve the 00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:40.500 Lord together forever and ever. And so we shall 00:25:40.500 --> 00:25:44.000 always, always be with the Lord. Therefore, our 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:47.259 present bodily actions have profound importance 00:25:47.259 --> 00:25:53.910 for eternity. Number three, sexual union is a 00:25:53.910 --> 00:25:59.710 profound spiritual reality. Therefore, we must 00:25:59.710 --> 00:26:05.630 flee sexual immorality. It is a profound spiritual 00:26:05.630 --> 00:26:10.210 reality, so we must flee sexual immorality. This 00:26:10.210 --> 00:26:14.029 is verse 15 through 17. Do you not know that 00:26:14.029 --> 00:26:17.390 your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then 00:26:17.390 --> 00:26:20.309 take the members of Christ? and make them members 00:26:20.309 --> 00:26:24.150 of a harlot? Certainly not. Or do you not know 00:26:24.150 --> 00:26:27.809 that he who is joined to a harlot is one body 00:26:27.809 --> 00:26:30.930 with her? For the two, he says, shall become 00:26:30.930 --> 00:26:35.170 one flesh. But he who is joined to the Lord is 00:26:35.170 --> 00:26:40.390 one spirit with him. So our bodies then are created 00:26:40.390 --> 00:26:42.250 by God. They are for the glory of God. But they 00:26:42.250 --> 00:26:44.950 are also here, as he brings out, they are members. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:50.359 Christ just as an arm or a leg is part of our 00:26:50.359 --> 00:26:55.440 body so our bodies are part of the body of Jesus 00:26:55.440 --> 00:26:59.450 Christ We have become united with Christ through 00:26:59.450 --> 00:27:02.730 salvation. We are one with Him. He has redeemed 00:27:02.730 --> 00:27:05.470 us. He has saved us. He has sanctified us. And 00:27:05.470 --> 00:27:08.549 He has made us part of His body. We partake of 00:27:08.549 --> 00:27:10.710 the Lord's Supper together, which is a means 00:27:10.710 --> 00:27:13.589 of grace to us. And He gives us heavenly food. 00:27:13.789 --> 00:27:16.210 When we are joined to Christ, we are one spirit 00:27:16.210 --> 00:27:19.170 with Him. And our bodies also become the Lord's. 00:27:20.089 --> 00:27:25.700 But, He says, Sex outside of marriage joins the 00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:29.440 members of Christ to one that does not belong 00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:33.869 to us. in the context here, to a harlot or any 00:27:33.869 --> 00:27:37.529 woman indulging in unlawful sexual intercourse. 00:27:37.769 --> 00:27:40.529 All sexual sin also comes under the heading of 00:27:40.529 --> 00:27:44.130 harlotry. The two bodies become one flesh, which 00:27:44.130 --> 00:27:47.509 indicates a bonding together like wood being 00:27:47.509 --> 00:27:50.950 glued or metal being welded. This creates a huge 00:27:50.950 --> 00:27:54.430 disconnect because the believer is one spirit 00:27:54.430 --> 00:27:59.039 with the Lord. And so doing this then, Living 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:02.539 in immorality creates a disconnect. It is a desecration 00:28:02.539 --> 00:28:06.700 and it is an insult to Christ. Paul says emphatically, 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:10.420 shall I then take the members of Christ and make 00:28:10.420 --> 00:28:13.359 them members of a harlot? Certainly not. Now 00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:15.619 this last phrase is somewhat difficult to translate, 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:18.980 but it is the very strongest Greek negative. 00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:23.200 It's like, may it never be so, or God forbid. 00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:29.970 No, this should never be done. Now, there's also 00:28:29.970 --> 00:28:33.930 a persistent lie that says, as long as my intentions 00:28:33.930 --> 00:28:36.269 are right, as long as my heart's right, and if 00:28:36.269 --> 00:28:38.789 I confess my sins, then I can do what I want 00:28:38.789 --> 00:28:41.809 and God will forgive me. God's grace is always 00:28:41.809 --> 00:28:47.170 there, right? No, this is not okay. This is not 00:28:47.170 --> 00:28:49.349 the attitude of a true believer who wants to 00:28:49.349 --> 00:28:52.299 please God. Remember verse 9 that we looked at 00:28:52.299 --> 00:28:55.920 last week? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, 00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:58.720 nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, 00:28:58.720 --> 00:29:01.579 nor sodomites will inherit the kingdom of God. 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:04.960 We cannot live in these sins and walk in communion 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:07.140 with God and expect that we will inherit the 00:29:07.140 --> 00:29:12.740 kingdom of God. But to all who are married and 00:29:12.740 --> 00:29:15.180 you join together as husband and wife in sexual 00:29:15.180 --> 00:29:20.339 union, you are one flesh. You are welded and 00:29:20.339 --> 00:29:24.460 cemented together. And your union reflects the 00:29:24.460 --> 00:29:27.680 glories, not only of the union between Christ 00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:32.400 and the church, but also of your union to Christ. 00:29:32.500 --> 00:29:35.079 You're being united to him and members of him. 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:39.500 I will tell you, I do not understand all of this 00:29:39.500 --> 00:29:42.980 fully. This is why Paul says in Ephesians 5 verse 00:29:42.980 --> 00:29:48.089 32, this is a great mystery. Indeed. It is, but 00:29:48.089 --> 00:29:51.269 is nonetheless true and it is amply supported 00:29:51.269 --> 00:29:55.009 by the word of God. It is a mysterious thing 00:29:55.009 --> 00:29:59.190 and yet it is glorious. Number four, moving on 00:29:59.190 --> 00:30:02.730 to number four. Sexual immorality is a unique 00:30:02.730 --> 00:30:08.369 sin against your own body. This is verse 18. 00:30:08.710 --> 00:30:12.230 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man 00:30:12.230 --> 00:30:15.160 does is outside the body. But he who commits 00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:19.000 sexual immorality sins against his own body. 00:30:19.480 --> 00:30:22.460 The first word here, the first phrase is flee 00:30:22.460 --> 00:30:26.019 it. Flee sexual immorality. That is to shun it. 00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:29.059 Run from it. Seek safety by flight and escape 00:30:29.059 --> 00:30:32.579 out of danger. Don't mess around with this thinking 00:30:32.579 --> 00:30:35.339 that you can reason your way out of it. When 00:30:35.339 --> 00:30:38.559 strong passions take hold of you, it will easily 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:41.420 overthrow everything and you lose restraint. 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:45.859 And so the word of God tells us, flee it. Remember 00:30:45.859 --> 00:30:49.180 how allurement works, how the impulse comes, 00:30:49.420 --> 00:30:51.859 the attractiveness and the beauty are there. 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:55.980 And then comes strong desire and restraint is 00:30:55.980 --> 00:30:59.640 tossed to the wind. And the act is done. That's 00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:03.819 the way it works. And so the word is here. Don't 00:31:03.819 --> 00:31:06.039 even take the first step in that. Don't dally 00:31:06.039 --> 00:31:10.049 around with it. Flee it. Flee it. Joseph is a 00:31:10.049 --> 00:31:13.210 great example of this. When Potiphar's wife attempted 00:31:13.210 --> 00:31:16.009 to seduce him, she kept coming after him and 00:31:16.009 --> 00:31:18.450 after him. And finally, she grabbed his cloak 00:31:18.450 --> 00:31:21.289 and pulled him to her. And so what did he do? 00:31:21.470 --> 00:31:24.309 He did not stop to reason. He did not stop to 00:31:24.309 --> 00:31:27.789 attempt to persuade her. He fled, leaving his 00:31:27.789 --> 00:31:31.430 coat behind. He was a good example of this right 00:31:31.430 --> 00:31:35.609 here. He fled. Now Paul is putting this sin in 00:31:35.609 --> 00:31:40.240 a class of itself. And in this, he's saying that 00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:42.900 this is not necessarily greater than other sins, 00:31:43.079 --> 00:31:47.019 but there's something peculiar and unique about 00:31:47.019 --> 00:31:50.119 it. Because of the mystery spoken about this 00:31:50.119 --> 00:31:53.339 in the Bible, sexual immorality is a sin against 00:31:53.339 --> 00:31:56.759 your own body that is different than theft or 00:31:56.759 --> 00:32:02.140 drunkenness or lying and such other sins. What 00:32:02.140 --> 00:32:05.859 does Paul mean by this? This is a subject of 00:32:05.859 --> 00:32:09.539 a fair amount of debate or discussion. How is 00:32:09.539 --> 00:32:12.119 this a greater sin? Or how is it a sin against 00:32:12.119 --> 00:32:15.299 your own body? I'll give you a few possibilities. 00:32:16.079 --> 00:32:19.819 One is, and this is by William Loder quoted in 00:32:19.819 --> 00:32:22.599 Thistleton's commentary. He suggests that sex 00:32:22.599 --> 00:32:25.799 actually changes people by creating a new reality. 00:32:25.940 --> 00:32:29.799 By becoming one with another person. And that 00:32:29.799 --> 00:32:33.589 is unique. as opposed to other sins. I think 00:32:33.589 --> 00:32:37.329 that is probably a good interpretation. It changes 00:32:37.329 --> 00:32:40.369 you by creating a new reality. You become one 00:32:40.369 --> 00:32:42.789 with the other person, and this is different 00:32:42.789 --> 00:32:47.789 than any other sin. Second, it also is unique 00:32:47.789 --> 00:32:51.130 because this act is how new life is generated, 00:32:51.390 --> 00:32:55.210 whether the act is lawful or not. So when done 00:32:55.210 --> 00:32:58.569 unlawful, unlawfully there's still the possibility 00:32:58.569 --> 00:33:03.069 of a new person that is an image bearer of god 00:33:03.069 --> 00:33:07.309 being brought into the world through this sinful 00:33:07.309 --> 00:33:10.710 action an eternal soul who will not experience 00:33:10.710 --> 00:33:13.190 the love and the wholeness of a faithful father 00:33:13.190 --> 00:33:17.450 or mother here again this is unique to this sin 00:33:17.450 --> 00:33:21.650 no other sin has the possibility that this does 00:33:21.650 --> 00:33:25.349 in the creation of another soul So it could be 00:33:25.349 --> 00:33:28.410 that that's part of what he is speaking about. 00:33:28.710 --> 00:33:32.309 But thirdly, sexual union also has covenantal 00:33:32.309 --> 00:33:35.430 implications. Because it is covenantally and 00:33:35.430 --> 00:33:40.089 spiritually significant, immorality creates a 00:33:40.089 --> 00:33:43.650 spiritual wedge or disconnect from oneself and 00:33:43.650 --> 00:33:47.170 simply defiles the body in a unique way. Those 00:33:47.170 --> 00:33:50.410 are three options. There may be more, but whatever 00:33:50.410 --> 00:33:54.059 it is, Paul says this one is unique. It is against 00:33:54.059 --> 00:33:57.759 your own body, whereas all the other sins are 00:33:57.759 --> 00:34:03.579 done outside your body. It is a unique sin. Number 00:34:03.579 --> 00:34:09.639 five, your body then is the temple of the Holy 00:34:09.639 --> 00:34:14.500 Spirit. You are not your own. So glorify God 00:34:14.500 --> 00:34:16.940 in your body. Again, this is speaking to believers. 00:34:17.500 --> 00:34:21.619 Your body is the temple. Of the Holy Spirit. 00:34:21.900 --> 00:34:24.400 This is not referred to unbelievers. This is 00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:26.760 only those who have been made new in Christ. 00:34:27.420 --> 00:34:31.000 He says. Or do you not know. That your body is 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:33.340 the temple of the Holy Spirit. Who is in you. 00:34:33.500 --> 00:34:38.079 Whom you have from God. And you are not your 00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:41.860 own. For you were bought at a price. Therefore 00:34:41.860 --> 00:34:46.900 glorify God. In your body. And in your spirit. 00:34:47.059 --> 00:34:51.980 Which are God's. He begins this with, do you 00:34:51.980 --> 00:34:56.440 not know? Now Paul uses this searching phrase 00:34:56.440 --> 00:35:01.079 in this chapter six times. Six times in this 00:35:01.079 --> 00:35:05.400 chapter he says, do you not know? Indicates that 00:35:05.400 --> 00:35:07.599 as Christian believers who are instructed from 00:35:07.599 --> 00:35:10.039 the word and read the word and have the Holy 00:35:10.039 --> 00:35:13.809 Spirit, they ought to know these things. A good 00:35:13.809 --> 00:35:16.150 understanding and reading God's word, you should 00:35:16.150 --> 00:35:18.210 be able to know these things, which is why he 00:35:18.210 --> 00:35:20.789 asked them again, don't you know this? Do you 00:35:20.789 --> 00:35:24.750 not know? But he has to tell them, and over and 00:35:24.750 --> 00:35:28.489 over again. The apostle lived and he taught there 00:35:28.489 --> 00:35:30.650 for at least a year and a half. They had wise 00:35:30.650 --> 00:35:33.030 and good instructors in Apollos and Paul and 00:35:33.030 --> 00:35:35.650 others, and still these truths had not taken 00:35:35.650 --> 00:35:39.750 root. So firmly entrenched was it in the ethos 00:35:39.750 --> 00:35:43.599 and the culture of the day. They still had not 00:35:43.599 --> 00:35:47.500 taken root. So Paul in this way is rebuking them 00:35:47.500 --> 00:35:50.039 for their immaturity and their lack of knowledge 00:35:50.039 --> 00:35:53.460 and wisdom and perception. Do you not know? And 00:35:53.460 --> 00:35:56.699 this calls us to examine ourselves. Have we understood 00:35:56.699 --> 00:36:01.400 and internalized these realities? Or are we only 00:36:01.400 --> 00:36:03.900 hearing them without being transformed by them? 00:36:04.159 --> 00:36:06.320 Because that's what was happening here. They 00:36:06.320 --> 00:36:08.360 were still involved in this kind of activity. 00:36:08.940 --> 00:36:12.869 And yet... They needed to hear this and be changed. 00:36:14.130 --> 00:36:17.690 We Christian believers are a temple, both in 00:36:17.690 --> 00:36:20.269 that the church collectively is a temple of God, 00:36:20.349 --> 00:36:23.429 as we saw back in chapter 3, but also now we 00:36:23.429 --> 00:36:25.650 see that our bodies are a temple of the Holy 00:36:25.650 --> 00:36:28.769 Spirit and that the Spirit of God dwells in and 00:36:28.769 --> 00:36:35.409 with us. This is our status in Christ. Our bodies 00:36:35.409 --> 00:36:39.070 are a temple of the Holy Spirit. John Gill rightly 00:36:39.070 --> 00:36:42.949 says, the Holy Spirit, in regeneration and sanctification, 00:36:43.269 --> 00:36:46.130 when he begins the good work of grace on a man, 00:36:46.230 --> 00:36:50.750 takes possession of his whole person, soul and 00:36:50.750 --> 00:36:55.989 body, and dwells therein as in his temple. Paul 00:36:55.989 --> 00:36:59.230 taught back in chapter 3, verse 17, said, If 00:36:59.230 --> 00:37:02.309 anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy 00:37:02.309 --> 00:37:05.210 him, for the temple of God is holy, which temple 00:37:05.210 --> 00:37:09.269 you are. So our calling then is to glorify God 00:37:09.269 --> 00:37:14.329 in our body and spirit and to act accordingly 00:37:14.329 --> 00:37:17.070 to the fact that we are a temple of the Holy 00:37:17.070 --> 00:37:20.590 Spirit. And we cannot do that if we're living 00:37:20.590 --> 00:37:24.380 in sexual immorality. That is his point. Here 00:37:24.380 --> 00:37:28.239 that he is bringing so strongly. Our bodies are 00:37:28.239 --> 00:37:31.440 a sanctuary of the third member of the Holy Trinity. 00:37:31.460 --> 00:37:34.519 A sanctuary of God himself. The Holy Spirit. 00:37:34.900 --> 00:37:39.679 This usage here is very like to the inner sanctuary 00:37:39.679 --> 00:37:42.559 of the temple. The place where the Ark of the 00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:44.960 Covenant was. Where only the high priest could 00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:48.960 go in once a year. But in Christ we are that 00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:54.099 temple. And we have access to God himself. Now 00:37:54.099 --> 00:37:56.679 picture this. This is the image that he is giving 00:37:56.679 --> 00:38:00.980 you. The thought of dragging a harlot or an immoral 00:38:00.980 --> 00:38:03.800 person into the inner sanctuary of the temple 00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:07.460 and having unlawful sex, of becoming one flesh 00:38:07.460 --> 00:38:11.059 together in the presence of a holy God is repugnant. 00:38:11.320 --> 00:38:15.039 It is such an incredible image. And of course 00:38:15.039 --> 00:38:16.940 we often don't stop to think of it in that way. 00:38:17.000 --> 00:38:20.280 But that's what's going on. That is what is happening. 00:38:20.880 --> 00:38:26.179 And he makes this point. very strongly. Your 00:38:26.179 --> 00:38:29.719 body is the temple. You are not your own. Therefore, 00:38:29.840 --> 00:38:34.980 glorify God in your body. We have been purchased 00:38:34.980 --> 00:38:38.139 by Christ at the price of the shedding of his 00:38:38.139 --> 00:38:41.159 own blood for our sins. And so we are called 00:38:41.159 --> 00:38:44.519 to glorify him in our body and in our spirit. 00:38:44.659 --> 00:38:48.380 How do we do this? How do we glorify him? First 00:38:48.380 --> 00:38:50.800 of all, we put off the old man with his corrupt 00:38:50.800 --> 00:38:53.739 practices and evil deeds. And we put on the new 00:38:53.739 --> 00:38:56.840 man, renewed in knowledge after the image of 00:38:56.840 --> 00:39:00.840 our creator. Secondly, we live in covenant faithfulness 00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:04.340 and sexual purity with our spouse. Or if you're 00:39:04.340 --> 00:39:09.000 not married, in chaste singleness. In chaste 00:39:09.000 --> 00:39:13.000 singleness. Thirdly, we confess our sins and 00:39:13.000 --> 00:39:16.420 we depart from them. Fourth, we love God, as 00:39:16.420 --> 00:39:18.599 we heard again this morning, last weekend, this 00:39:18.599 --> 00:39:21.199 week. We love God with our heart, soul, mind, 00:39:21.300 --> 00:39:23.260 and our strength, and we love our neighbor as 00:39:23.260 --> 00:39:28.380 ourself. And finally, we worship God with acceptable 00:39:28.380 --> 00:39:31.719 worship, with reverence and fear, for our God 00:39:31.719 --> 00:39:36.440 is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12, 28 and 29. In 00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:39.460 contrast with the culture of the day, of the 00:39:39.460 --> 00:39:42.039 culture of the time of Corinth, and in the culture 00:39:42.039 --> 00:39:46.179 of our own day. Christian believers were and 00:39:46.179 --> 00:39:50.780 are called to a much different way. Looking back 00:39:50.780 --> 00:39:54.099 at them, they rejected the double standard, the 00:39:54.099 --> 00:39:57.619 temple prostitution, the pederasty, and the casual 00:39:57.619 --> 00:40:01.239 use of slaves and bodies. They were taught and 00:40:01.239 --> 00:40:04.519 understood that sex belongs in the faithful exclusive 00:40:04.519 --> 00:40:07.980 marriage of one man and one woman with mutual 00:40:07.980 --> 00:40:12.679 rights and with self -control. They understood 00:40:12.679 --> 00:40:16.369 also, And they taught that the body is not just 00:40:16.369 --> 00:40:19.869 a disposable vessel for impulses, but it was 00:40:19.869 --> 00:40:23.670 designed for resurrection. It was designed for 00:40:23.670 --> 00:40:28.210 resurrection. So how it is used matters eternally. 00:40:28.829 --> 00:40:33.230 And number four, this was radically counter -cultural. 00:40:33.409 --> 00:40:37.039 It elevated women's dignity. It condemned exploitation. 00:40:37.320 --> 00:40:40.639 And it called believers, including former pagans, 00:40:40.639 --> 00:40:48.119 to holiness amidst a sexually saturated world. 00:40:49.099 --> 00:40:53.739 Such were some of you, says Paul. Such were some 00:40:53.739 --> 00:40:56.679 of you. But you have been washed. You have been 00:40:56.679 --> 00:41:01.900 sanctified. You have been justified. Thank God. 00:41:03.179 --> 00:41:05.539 Let's consider just a few final applications 00:41:05.539 --> 00:41:09.000 as we look at this truth. Light of all this, 00:41:09.079 --> 00:41:12.280 what are some strategies for purity? How do we 00:41:12.280 --> 00:41:17.099 remain pure in the world in which we live? Well, 00:41:17.179 --> 00:41:21.000 the first thing is, if you're married, you love 00:41:21.000 --> 00:41:23.929 your wife. And we'll look at this next week, 00:41:23.969 --> 00:41:26.309 but as Proverbs speaks, you rejoice with the 00:41:26.309 --> 00:41:30.429 wife of your youth. You accept her and you receive 00:41:30.429 --> 00:41:35.030 her joyfully just as a wonderful treasure and 00:41:35.030 --> 00:41:38.110 glorious and you embrace her and you keep yourself 00:41:38.110 --> 00:41:43.610 for her. That's one. But secondly, you also actively 00:41:43.610 --> 00:41:48.869 flee in other ways. And going back, I should 00:41:48.869 --> 00:41:51.570 say. you also do that to your husband. Sorry, 00:41:51.730 --> 00:41:53.210 I was just kind of speaking to the men. But you 00:41:53.210 --> 00:41:57.610 as wives, you also, you joyfully love your husband 00:41:57.610 --> 00:42:00.690 and keep yourself for him and rejoice with him. 00:42:00.949 --> 00:42:03.210 The Proverbs has it in the mail, so that's where 00:42:03.210 --> 00:42:05.909 I went. All right, how do we flee in these ways? 00:42:06.530 --> 00:42:10.309 Number one is avoidance. Physically remove yourself 00:42:10.309 --> 00:42:14.349 from tempting contexts. That is, avoid places 00:42:14.349 --> 00:42:18.989 known. for sexual sin. Set clear boundaries for 00:42:18.989 --> 00:42:23.789 your context. There are some times where it's 00:42:23.789 --> 00:42:25.650 not just you look the other way or you just deal 00:42:25.650 --> 00:42:27.429 with your own heart or you think right thoughts 00:42:27.429 --> 00:42:29.510 or whatever. There are some places where you 00:42:29.510 --> 00:42:32.250 need to flee. You avoid it. You don't go there. 00:42:33.590 --> 00:42:38.469 Avoid it. Secondly, pray. Pray. When you are 00:42:38.469 --> 00:42:42.519 faced with a temptation, You pray for God's help 00:42:42.519 --> 00:42:47.000 to bind, to remove those tempting images from 00:42:47.000 --> 00:42:51.539 your mind. We're faced with them. You ask God 00:42:51.539 --> 00:42:54.900 to remove them. Thirdly, you train your mind. 00:42:54.960 --> 00:42:57.719 You train your mind to process beauty in a pure 00:42:57.719 --> 00:43:00.659 manner so that when encountering potential temptation, 00:43:01.079 --> 00:43:05.420 you can come away from it. Understanding that 00:43:05.420 --> 00:43:07.840 it is God who has created beauty, but then you 00:43:07.840 --> 00:43:10.800 let it go rather than allowing it to turn into 00:43:10.800 --> 00:43:16.239 lost and evil desire. Fourth, understand your 00:43:16.239 --> 00:43:20.179 own dignity as a member of Christ. Remember the 00:43:20.179 --> 00:43:22.760 dignity and the holiness of your body as a temple 00:43:22.760 --> 00:43:26.369 of the Holy Spirit, as a guard against... The 00:43:26.369 --> 00:43:29.510 sin of immorality. When you're faced with it, 00:43:29.530 --> 00:43:32.969 no, I am not my own. I have been bought. I am 00:43:32.969 --> 00:43:36.670 a temple of the Holy Spirit. Understand that. 00:43:37.010 --> 00:43:42.690 And number five, remember grace. Recall that 00:43:42.690 --> 00:43:45.809 salvation includes grace for past sins. Such 00:43:45.809 --> 00:43:49.869 were some of you, but also the power for future 00:43:49.869 --> 00:43:54.659 victory. And if you fall, you run to God. You 00:43:54.659 --> 00:43:57.900 repent of your sin. You flee away from it. You 00:43:57.900 --> 00:44:00.880 confess your sin and you're renewed and restored 00:44:00.880 --> 00:44:05.519 in right relationship with God. Actively flee 00:44:05.519 --> 00:44:10.659 in these ways. So then we are to live through 00:44:10.659 --> 00:44:13.400 Christ who bought us, who is our Lord and by 00:44:13.400 --> 00:44:15.420 the power of the Holy Spirit who lives and works 00:44:15.420 --> 00:44:18.179 within us. Apart from him, we can do nothing. 00:44:18.619 --> 00:44:22.260 We are then called to present our bodies. Yes. 00:44:22.730 --> 00:44:26.789 These earthly, physical bodies with all of our 00:44:26.789 --> 00:44:30.449 senses. We present them to the Lord. How? As 00:44:30.449 --> 00:44:35.150 a living sacrifice. Holy and acceptable to God. 00:44:35.349 --> 00:44:38.570 Romans 12, 1 and 2. This is our reasonable service 00:44:38.570 --> 00:44:41.369 and it's our spiritual worship. We must not be 00:44:41.369 --> 00:44:44.010 conformed to the world, neither in its sins and 00:44:44.010 --> 00:44:46.650 its lusts, nor in its pagan view of human sexuality. 00:44:47.730 --> 00:44:50.650 Instead, by the word of God and the illuminating 00:44:50.650 --> 00:44:53.190 power of the Holy Spirit, we are transformed 00:44:53.190 --> 00:44:56.829 by the renewing of our minds. And in this way, 00:44:56.829 --> 00:45:01.389 we prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect 00:45:01.389 --> 00:45:07.150 will of God. Even our sanctification. I'll close 00:45:07.150 --> 00:45:10.269 with this passage from 1 Thessalonians 4, 3 -5. 00:45:10.510 --> 00:45:14.159 For this is the will of God. your sanctification, 00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:18.159 that you should abstain from sexual immorality, 00:45:18.300 --> 00:45:22.460 that each of you should know how to possess his 00:45:22.460 --> 00:45:27.699 own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in 00:45:27.699 --> 00:45:30.980 the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do 00:45:30.980 --> 00:45:36.280 not know God. For God did not call us to uncleanness. 00:45:36.659 --> 00:45:40.840 Dear church, God did not call us to uncleanness, 00:45:40.840 --> 00:45:46.059 but... To holiness. May the grace and the power 00:45:46.059 --> 00:45:50.860 of God. Enable us to live that way. As we live. 00:45:50.900 --> 00:45:54.800 And as we work. In this day. Let's pray.