Flirt Or Flee, It's Your Choice (Part Two)

That’s last week in a nutshell. We must move on to The Purpose and The Plan.

The Purpose

What is God’s purpose for believers in Christ as it relates to sex? God, through the Apostle Paul, gives the answer beginning at the end of verse 13…

“The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”

1 Corinthians 6:13b

1st Corinthians 6:17 says…

“But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.”

1 Corinthians 6:17

And verses 19 and 20 read…

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This is pretty amazing. We must remember the context here is sex. Some people ditch the idea that Paul is talking about sex at this point in the passage to speak in general terms what it means to glorify God. Don’t do that. I believe Paul is speaking about how we can show off the wonder of God through our sexuality! Let me state what Paul is driving at in one sentence.

The purpose for your body is that you make Christ look as wonderful as He truly is through how you conduct yourself sexually.

I realize that Christ is magnified in other ways than this, but that’s what Paul is driving at given the context.

Let’s look more deeply at what this means…

#1: Good sex (marital sex) illustrates the exclusivity of our relationship to Christ.

The husband is exclusively for his wife and she is exclusively for him.

Healthy, vibrant sex, with just your spouse, serves as a deep illustration of the exclusivity of our relationship to Christ. There are many things a married individual can do with someone of the opposite sex, who isn’t their spouse, but sex is not one of them. Sex is exclusive.

Go tell the average person on the street that a) You been married for 25 years and b) you only have sex with your spouse and c) you keep the fires of passion burning and watch their expression. If they are wearing dentures they will fall out! It’s not normal. A while back I met with a couple that was living together. Each had been in many relationships including two previous marriages. They were in trouble. It was great to meet with them. During our conversation I told them Jean and I have been married for 41 years and that she is the only one I have been with sexually. It blew them away! The look on the woman’s face spoke volumes. I could tell that she wished she could say the same thing.

The exclusivity of my relationship with Jean demonstrated to them that Christ is for us and we are for Him.

#2: The same is true if you are single and sexually pure.

If you’re single and abstain from sexual immorality you also illustrate the exclusive nature of your relationship to Christ. And the same is true if you wrestle with homosexual desires. When you practice celibacy you show the exclusivity of your relationship to Christ.

Let me restate the end of verse 13 positively.

“The body is…for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”