“The Christian Code of Conduct”
1 Corinthians 6 - pt 6
Opening Video Illustration: From “Horton Hears a Who.” In this clip Horton reaffirms that he will stay 100% faithful to the who’s - despite danger to himself. He will do this because his code of conduct has always been “100% faithfulness” to things he commits to. He said “I meant what I said and said what I meant!”
I have sometimes wondered if Christians meant what they said when they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior? I mean some have said the prayer of faith – repented of their sin only to return to it time and time again. Some as Paul points out in 1 Corinthians are even proud of their sins and they think – they believe God is okay with it!
Opening Illustration: In the book, No Bad Dogs, by British dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse, she says dogs understand love better than we do. She writes, “In a dog’s mind, a master or a mistress to love, honor, and obey is an absolute necessity. The love is dormant in the dog until brought into full bloom by an understanding owner. Thousands of dogs appear to love their owners, they welcome them home with enthusiastic wagging of the tail and jumping up, they follow them about their houses happily and, to the normal person seeing the dog, the affection is true and deep. But to the experienced dog trainer this outward show is not enough. The true test of love takes place when the dog has got the opportunity to go out on its own as soon as the door is left open by mistake and it goes off and often doesn’t return home for hours. That dog loves only its home comforts and the attention it gets from its family; it doesn’t truly love the master or mistress as they fondly think. True love in dogs is apparent when a door is left open and the dog still stays happily within earshot of its owner. For the owner must be the be-all and end-all of a dog’s life.” The real test of our walk of Faith isn’t seen in our work or activity, or even in our theological purity. It’s found in this: when we have an opportunity to wander away, to disobey, to leave His presence, do we choose instead to stay close to Him, to abide in Christ, to obey? Contributed to sermon central by: Greg Yount
Many say the prayer of faith but the real test of their faithfulness comes down to obeying the Word of God and living a holy and committed lifestyle that honors God.
Thesis: Paul tells us that the Christian who has been sanctified by Jesus will live by a strict holy code of conduct in their lives. They will act Christ like and therefore honor God and make Him look good.
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 6:1-20
1If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! 5I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers!
7The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.
9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And 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.
12“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15Do 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! 16Do 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.” 17But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19Do 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; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
Introduction:
There is bumper sticker which says, “If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” This made me start thinking about how a Christian conducts themselves throughout their days. If you were put on trial for being a Christian could you be convicted of this type of conduct?
That’s something to think about isn’t it?
When I Goggled ‘Christian Code of Conduct” on the internet “Wiki Answers” came up and defined it this way: “The Ten Commandments!”
Wow what a way to describe the Christian Code of Conduct! A Christian will according to this secular website follow the guidelines of the 10 Commandments in their everyday life.
The Christian code conduct has been portrayed to us throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. As I study and read the New Testament and the Old Testament I continue to see a code of conduct being stressed to the followers of the Lord. It is expected and even demanded by the Lord for those who claim to be His. Why are these Commandments promoted in both the Old and New Testament? So-- that the Lord Jesus Christ receives the glory from our changed and transformed lives.
We should all commit ourselves to a code of conduct that glorifies the Lord no matter where we are at in life. Why? Because it will benefit those around us and make God look good. Here are few dimensions to the Christian Code of Conduct: (This code was adapted from Hampton Christian High School’s code of conduct in their handbook).
Courtesy "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, live as brothers, be compassionate and humble." (I Peter 3:8, NIV) Our actions and our speech quickly convey to others the factors which motivate us in our relationships. We must daily practice being courteous to those we associate with, and go out of our way to live in harmony with them. Simple action and words can go a long way to express our love and concern for others. Coupled with our desire to be courteous should also be a desire to show respect for those in authority over us. We should respond to them in a manner that shows our appreciation to them for accepting the responsibility placed on them by God to assume a position of leadership.
Self-Control "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." (Phil 4:5, KJV) The quality of our community is largely affected by our desire to practice moderation in our behavior. We function best in a calm, quiet, controlled environment. We must constantly recognize that our failure to practice moderation in words, actions and lifestyle, impacts the ability of those around us. Practicing self-control as a Christian will create an environment that is conducive to all.
Integrity "The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out." (Prov. 10:9 NIV) A environment that is based on integrity provides a setting of peace and trust. We must maintain a place that is based on honesty of word and action. There should be no hidden meaning in what we say and our actions must always be open to public scrutiny. There is great comfort and a sense of security and peace in an environment where practicing integrity is the norm.
Love "Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are the children of God, and that they are getting to know Him better." (I John 4:7 LB) Loving others first is not a character trait that comes easily to us. Our first desire is to put ourselves first. We must constantly strive to "practice" loving one another and to put the needs and well-being of others first.
We should in the Body of Christ expect the following code of conduct from other Christians:
To observe Biblical morality in all relationships, word and deed. "Now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for the fruit of light consists of all goodness, righteousness and truth." (Eph 5:8,9)
To act with integrity. "I know my God that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity." (I Chron.29:7)
To practice self-control. "Live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age." (Titus 2:12)
To preserve personal purity. "Keep yourself pure." (I Tim. 5:22)
To approach the Church and its program with a positive Christian attitude and refrain from negativism either in action, word, or appearance. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." (Phil 4:8)
To respond properly to the authority of the church and the home. "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority." (Heb. 13:17)
To regard others with courtesy. "So in everything do to others what you would have them do to you." (Matt. 7:12)
As I look at this Christian Code of Conduct the thought flashed through my mind – “Imagine a world that adheres to this type of conduct – would it not be a wonderful place to dwell and live? I know that I would love to be in a place that functioned on these premises. Paul in our text today is telling the Corinthian church to create a place like this in their church setting. He had already reminded them that they need to refocus on the great sacrifice of Jesus and they were to remember what they received from their conversion experience. This life changing experience should compel them to create a place that lives by a Christian Code of Conduct!
The Question: What is my personal response to the death and the great sacrifice that Jesus gave to me at my salvation?
Has it changed my daily life?
Has it changed my value system?
Has it transformed my lifestyle?
Has it given me a license to keep on sinning?
Has it given me a free ticket into Heaven without any sacrifice or commitment on my part?
Has it motivated me to make God look good?
How we respond to life and the situations that arise in it determines if we are adhering to a Christian Code of Conduct or not. Paul tells the Corinthian church that as Christians we are to behave differently – really we are to act Christ like. Our life should reflect a Christian Code of Conduct. He then gives some instruction and insight as to what a Christian Code of Conduct looks like and acts like.
I say: “The actions of men and women are the best interpreters of what is in their hearts.”
I. How the Christian handles conflict with other believers reveals which code of conduct they adhere too in life (verses 1-8).
a. Paul makes it clear to the Corinthian church that those who have Christ in their life have eternal wisdom from above and they should use this wisdom to resolve conflicts in the church.
i. Paul is stressing the fact that God gives wisdom to those who belong to Him and they should be the ones the church looks to –to resolve conflict – they should not be running to worldly judges who have no wisdom from above.
1. Remember Paul has already established that the Holy Spirit dwells within the believer and this Spirit will lead and guide them into all truth.
ii. Paul knows that the world judges things by wisdom from below, not wisdom from above.
1. This means that even a judge can be deceived by the enemy and make wrong decisions in cases of dispute.
b. James gives us a clear picture of the type of wisdom we are to follow as a Christian in James 3: 13-18:
i. “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”
ii. James speaks of two types of influence and wisdom in this text. One focuses on fleshly knowledge and the other divine insight.
1. We have in this passage, James comparing two different lifestyles and he defines them by where their source of wisdom comes from "wisdom from above" and "wisdom from below."
a. Vs. 14-16 speaks of wisdom from below or earthly wisdom which comes from mankind and the devil - whereas Vs. 17-18 speaks of wisdom that is from above which is from heaven – from God.
b. Guernesey states this about the text, "We have found James’ description of the two sets of values very helpful in pinpointing the kind of values, attitudes, and behavior that make for healthy lives and relationships."
2. Let’s look at the two lifestyles!
a. A lifestyle based on "wisdom from below".
i. This code of conduct adheres to earthbound values and humanistic mindsets.
1. James speaks here in 3:15 that "wisdom from below" is a value system that is "earthly", "unspiritual", and "devilish."
2. Earthly is a word designated to mean standards of this earthly realm.
3. This mind set is one that is based on the value of: "Let’s do it to them before they do it to us." It represents the survival of the fittest mind set.
4. This lifestyle promotes self-centeredness, arrogance, pride and self-righteousness.
5. It also promoted devilish tactics and actions toward others.
b. The second mindset has a lifestyle based on “Wisdom from above.”
i. There are seven dimensions to this code of conduct and a heavenly value system.
1. Purity - means freedom from any hint of evil or sin.
2. Peaceable - In James there is an earthly wisdom that seeks to hurt others. But we are able to seek wisdom that brings people closer together and closer to God and this brings peace.
3. Gentle - It is a person who knows how to forgive, when strict justice would allow condemnation. It is the person who tempers justice with mercy.
a. Sometimes decisions need to be made that recognize that people are always more important than things.
4. Reasonableness - It means willing to listen, willing to be persuaded, skilled in knowing when to wisely yield.
a. Romans 12: 1, 2: “Dear Friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to Him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him.”
5. Full of mercy and good fruits - This has to do with a kind of mercy that results even when the other person has brought the problem upon himself or herself.
a. It’s also known as the gift forgiveness!
6. Unwavering - It’s the ability of being calm in the storms of life, being stable in turmoil and trouble. The ability to be steady, operating according to settled absolutes as spelled out in God’s Word.
a. This person is committed to those Biblical values which he or she intends to chart his or her life by.
b. Romans 12: 9-21:9: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
i. Show sign in front of one church! “Show kindness to your enemy it will mess with their minds.”
7. A lack of hypocrisy – This means a person is real, not plastic, and not a phony.
iii. A wise heart that hears from above knows that they are not in control in this world – God is. They understand that, “God Knows Best!”
1. They have a divine understanding from the Holy Spirit that tells them that they will not have all the answers to life’s questions.
a. They know that this life is a faith walk with God which means we trust God even when we do not have all the answers to life’s tragedies and dilemmas.
i. Benjamin Franklin said: “Life’s Tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late!”
ii. Abraham Lincoln said, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day." Robert Warren sermoncentral.com
2. The wise in heart know this about wisdom from above - “Wisdom is the God-given ability to perceive the true nature of a matter and implement the will of God in that matter” (Larry Lea, Wisdom pg.14)
3. “If you lack knowledge, go to school. If you lack wisdom, get on your knees! Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge”.-- Vance Havner
iv. It’s the Holy Spirit who is said to be the Counselor and the one that will lead us into all truth and into wisdom from above.
1. John 14:26 states, "Jesus said, ’The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things."
a. So why do we think that education will teach us all things?
b. Scripture tells me that it is the Holy Spirit that teaches us the major lessons of life.
c. My main teacher is to be the Holy Spirit not some professor without the Spirit of God in them!
d. It’s the Holy Spirit that brings wisdom to bear on disputes and disagreements not a secular judge with no wisdom from above.
2. Since the Holy Spirit is the ultimate teacher - I must have an intimate relationship with Jesus in prayer, meditation and Bible Study so as to hear the direction of the Spirit.
a. Paul will stress this to this church over and over in this letter and it is a message to us today!
c. We as believers are to look for wisdom and insight from the leaders within the Body of Christ. We are not to look to the ungodly judges who have no divine wisdom or insight to settle disputes between brothers and sisters in the Lord.
i. The truth is the leaders within the body will one day judge the world! The wisdom to discern correctly comes from the Spirit of God and prayer and this is why Paul wants this church to look within to resolve conflict.
1. Scripture is clear that one of the rewards of the faithful will be to judge the world in the end time:
a. Revelation 20:4: “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge...”
b. 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3: “2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!”
d. John Bevere in his book Driven by Eternity reminds all of us that the Day of Judgment is coming for every believer: We are to run this life to win. In order to win, we must develop discipline and self-control and live with purpose. We are not competing against others, only ourselves, and our goal is to be well pleasing to Jesus in everything we do (2 Cor. 5:9). Read the Scriptures carefully; find out what our Lord desires in the way we treat people, what we pursue, what we give our time to, how we affect souls for eternity, how we give to His Kingdom and to others, do we forgive others, etc…Bottom line: live to win! (page, 189).
e. Paul in this chapter says in a sense: “Shame on you for your immature ways and your dishonoring lives to God!” It’s time to grow up!
i. 1 Corinthians 3:1
T.S. – Paul addresses the disunity and the immature code of conduct of this church and then paints a clear picture of how Christians are not to act. The reality check from Paul is that those who act like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
II. People who are deceived according to Paul have this code of conduct (9-11).
a. Deception is the primary tool used by the devil to convince people that the wrong way is really the right way.
i. Mac Hammond in his book “Doorways to Deception” says, “Satan cannot afflict you with the destructive effects of the curse unless you allow it by choosing, with your own free will, something that opens you up to those effects. Think about it for a moment. Satan is not called the father of destruction; he’s called the father of lies. If Satan had the power to destroy you, he would have already done so. But he can’t. As it says in Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue. The power is in your tongue! And Hebrews says, ‘That through death he (Jesus) might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. Ephesians 6:11 confirms this truth: ‘Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ Notice this verse doesn’t say you are standing against sickness or poverty or some other crisis. No, you are standing against the wiles of the devil. Wiles, as defined in my concordance, simply means ‘trickery.’ The armor spoken of in these verses that follow is not given to you to protect you from negative circumstances; it’s designed to enable you to stand against the root cause of all of Satan’s attacks, which as we have seen is deception…it would be helpful at this point to define what it means to deceive. To deceive someone is to convince him that something is true or valid when it is actually untrue or invalid. You see, no one intentionally chooses destruction or the curse. No, the only way Satan can defeat people is by getting them to believe something that is untrue and invalid. In other words, Satan can’t bring evil into your life unless you, in effect, choose it. And you won’t choose it unless he can deceive you into believing a lie” (pages 17, 18).
b. People who are deceived are defined by their wicked code of conduct and by the fruit that is produced from their lives: Paul describes their character traits in this chapter:
i. Sexually Immoral – This person commits sex before marriage or outside of marriage.
1. Remember The Religion of Corinth: In Corinth you could find the cults of the gods of Egypt, Rome and Greece. The temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, stood atop the Acrocorinth. "A famous temple to Aphrodite had stood on the summit of Acrocorinth in the Classical Age... It had fallen into ruins by Paul’s time, but successors to its 1,000 cult prostitutes continued to ply their profession in the city below. Many of them were no doubt housed in the lofts above the 33 wine shops uncovered in the modern excavations. Corinth was a city catering to sailors and traveling salesmen. Even by the Classical Age it had earned an unsavory reputation for its libertine atmosphere; to call someone ’a Corinthian lass’ was to impugn her morals. It may well be that one of Corinth’s attractions for Paul was precisely this reputation of immorality." (The Biblical World In Pictures). The city was filled with sailors who gladly spent their money there. The name "Corinth" became a synonym for immorality. This temple gave Corinth it’s reputation for gross immorality of which Paul often spoke (1 Cor. 6:9-20; 2 Cor. 12:20-21). "She had a reputation for commercial prosperity, but she was also a byword for evil living. The very word korinthiazesthai, to live like a Corinthian, had become a part of the Greek language, and meant to live with drunken and immoral debauchery ... Aelian, the late Greek writer, tells us that if ever a Corinthian was shown upon the stage in a Greek play he was shown drunk. The very name Corinth was synonymous with debauchery and there was one source of evil in the city which was known all over the civilized world. Above the isthmus towered the hill of the Acropolis, and on it stood the great temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. To that temple there were attached one thousand priestesses who were sacred prostitutes, and in the evenings they descended from the Acropolis and plied their trade upon the streets of Corinth, until it became a Greek proverb, ’It is not every man who can afford a journey to Corinth.’ In addition to these cruder sins, there flourished far more recondite vices, which had come in with the traders and the sailors from the ends of the earth, until Corinth became not only a synonym for wealth and luxury, drunkenness and debauchery, but also for filth." (William Barclay, The Letters To The Corinthians, p. 2-3).
2. As I read about the wickedness of this city I came across the big news item this week about the 17 girls who also chose the path of sexual immorality in Boston area: June 19, 2008 Time article by Kathleen Kingsbury: There’s an alarming trend at Gloucester High School and it has nothing to do with pleather leggings. According to Time, as the school year finishes up, "17 girls are expecting babies-more than four times the number of pregnancies the 1,200-student school had last year."As it turns out: All it took was a few simple questions before nearly half the expecting students, none older than 16, confessed to making a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together. Then the story got worse. "We found out one of the fathers is a 24-year-old homeless guy," the principal says, shaking his head. With this strange epidemic thrust upon them, school officials and parents are divided on what to do next. "Even with national data showing a 3% rise in teen pregnancies in 2006--the first increase in 15 years--Gloucester isn’t sure it wants to provide easier access to birth control."And it looks like the problem runs deeper than the issue of contraception. The past decade has been difficult for this mostly white, mostly blue-collar city (pop. 30,000). In Gloucester, perched on scenic Cape Ann, the economy has always depended on a strong fishing industry. But in recent years, such jobs have all but disappeared overseas, and with them much of the community’s wherewithal. "Families are broken," says school superintendent Christopher Farmer. "Many of our young people are growing up directionless." But what does this have to do with teenage girls doing everything they can to be pregnant? Well, on Gloucester High grad has an inkling: Amanda Ireland, who graduated from Gloucester High on June 8...gave birth her freshman year and says some of her now pregnant schoolmates regularly approached her in the hall, remarking how lucky she was to have a baby. "They’re so excited to finally have someone to love them unconditionally," Ireland says. "I try to explain it’s hard to feel loved when an infant is screaming to be fed at 3 a.m."
a. Once again we see deception taking root into young people’s lives and telling them to practice sexual immorality and get pregnant because then you will find love.
ii. Idolater - Idolatry, in Christianity, is "the worship of a created object either made by human hands or created by God" instead of, or in addition to, the worship due only to the true God. The term "idol" may also refer to conceptual constructs such as fame, money, nationality, ethnicity, and attachment to these considered idolatry (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
1. Daman in his book “Leading the Small Church” states this about the idol worship of today in our culture:
a. “The world is in a crisis of confusion concerning the character and the nature of God. Just as paganism and polytheism tainted the ancient Near Eastern world, our society is influenced by corrupted views of God. The names have changed, but the false gods they represented have not. Instead of Baal, we have new age philosophy; instead of the Sun god Ra, we have Eastern Mysticism, with its worship of Creation; instead of Asherah, we have the worship of supermodels and the sexuality they represent. Instead of idols made of silver, gold and wood, we have consumerism, materialism, humanism, yoga, meditation, and a host of other philosophies that draw from the same cesspool of idolatry represented by the gods of the Canaanites” (page 106).
b. He adds, “Like the prophets of Scripture, our task as spiritual leaders is to call the people away from the confusion of polytheism to the clarity of the monotheistic God of Scripture. Like Elijah on Mount Carmel, we are called to challenge people to choose between the God of the Bible and the gods of the culture” (page 107).
c. This is what Paul is doing to the Corinthian church – calling back to God!
iii. Adulterers - Adultery is the voluntary act of sexual intercourse between a married person and another person who is not his or her spouse.
1. Statistics show that adulterous behavior is out of control. The Kinsey Institute estimates that, during their married lives, 37 percent of American males will prove sexually unfaithful to their wives and 29 percent of American wives will commit adultery (June M. Reinisch, St. Martins Press, New York, 1990, p. 7, 73).
2. Adultery is family-obliterating behavior that destroys the very heart of society, with devastating consequences for children. According to social critic William Kirkpatrick, divorce is "up 700 percent in this century, with most of the rise occurring in recent decades" (Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right From Wrong, Touchstone, New York, 1993, p. 249).
3. The impact of adultery is crushing the family unit in Aerica today and it too says deceptive things like: “Go ahead have the affair no one will know, he or she will make you feel loved and appreciated, you will find peace and contentment!”
iv. Prostitutes - to sell the services of sex of oneself or another for purposes of sexual acts.
1. Prostitution is still a problem in our modern world today and in America it is getting worse according to some recent statistics:
a. With the rise of internet porn comes a rise in sexually immoral acts.
2. I read this report this week while preparing my sermon to show the condition of this nation: June 25, 2008 – Report from Associated Press: WASHINGTON — Hundreds of people have been arrested and 21 children rescued in what the FBI is calling a five-day roundup of networks of pimps who force children into prostitution. The Justice Department says it targeted 16 cities as part of its "Operation Cross Country" that caps off five years of similar stings nationwide. Many of the children forced into prostitution are either runaways or what authorities call "thrown-aways" _ kids whose families have shunned them. Officials say they are preyed upon by organized networks of pimps who lure them in with shelter or drugs, then often beat, starve or otherwise abuse them until the children agree to work the streets. "We together have no higher calling than to protect our children and to safeguard their innocence," FBI Director Robert Mueller said Wednesday. "Yet the sex trafficking of children remains one of the most violent and unforgivable crimes in this country."In all, authorities arrested 345 people _ including 290 adult prostitutes _ during the operation that ended this week. Since 2003, 308 pimps and hookers have been convicted in state and federal courts of forcing youngsters into prostitution, and 433 child victims have been rescued, Mueller said. The cities targeted in this week’s sting are: Atlanta; Boston; Dallas; Detroit; Houston; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; Montgomery County, Md.; Oakland, Calif.; Phoenix; Reno, Nev.; Sacramento, Calif.; Tampa; Toledo, Ohio and Washington. The problem of child prostitution has taken on a new urgency in recent years with the growth of online networks where pimps advertise the youngsters to clients. The FBI generally investigates child prostitution cases that cross state lines.
a. I thought our society was improving – at least this is what the humanist tell us but once again they are deceived because they close their eyes to the world of sin or they try to say it’s okay!
3. Don’t forget that Corinth church faced a major prostitution ring in their own city – The Temple of Aphrodite was a placed filled with prostitution and sexual immorality.
a. This week in my research I Goggled “The Temple of Aphrodite” and it brought me to a temple sight on the internet that was still filled with people who worship this goddess today. Yes, believe it or not there is a website called Dreambook - Temple of Aphrodite: Here is just one of the prayers on this website to this goddess: From Dawn: Aphrodite:
“Oh great Aphrodite, I am truly a daughter of your heart. I worship you for the passion you stir within my soul. I beseech thee grant me the lustful desires burning within, and in return I shall take a mark representing You upon my body to ever remind me of your blessings. “
-Tuesday, June 17th 2008 - 10:14:54 PM
(http://books.dreambook.com/kyreneariadne/aphrodite.html)
v. Homosexuals - Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex, or to a sexual orientation.
1. For more information on this sinful behavior see my sermon last week.
vi. Thieves - In the criminal law, theft (also known as stealing) is the illegal taking of another person’s property without that person’s freely-given consent.
vii. Greed - Greed denotes desire to acquire wealth or possessions beyond the needs of the individual, especially when this accumulation of possession denies others legitimate needs or access to those or other resources. For example, amassing a large collection of seashells would not be considered greed, unless in doing so, the needs of others were jeopardized. Essential to the concept of greed is the awareness that the needs of others are denied, thus rivalrous goods exemplify greed while non-rivalrous goods may not. Greed also often involves using wealth to gain power over others, sometimes by denying wealth or power (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
1. Greedy Christians are ones who refuse to give to God what belongs to God and this means tithes and offerings. They refuse to give so as to fuel their greedy lifestyles and the result is they hinder the outreach of the Church.
viii. Drunkard - one who is habitually drunk (Webster).
1. This person is a confessing Christian who still is habitually drunk and even proud of it! They portray and attitude that God is okay with their idol of bondage.
ix. Slanderer - To defame or malign another person. Law Oral communication of false statements injurious to a person’s reputation. A false and malicious statement or report about someone (Free online dictionary).
1. A Christian who lies and slanders others in the church and is proud of it and refuses to repent is to be driven from the Body so as to stop the Cancerous tumor from spreading.
x. Swindler – a person who swindles you by means of deception or fraud (Wordreference.com).
1. This person is a confessing Christian who rips others off in the Body of Christ and is not repentant and they think God is okay with it.
c. These sins all focus on character traits – Paul says the church is not to look like this - nor tolerate this type of behavior from its people. They do not go together because this behavior makes God look bad!
i. Character defines the heart of the individual – How they live and act defines their spiritual condition according to Paul and the Word of God.
1. Listen to this statement, “Character counts to God!”
2. Daman states, “…we must first have and maintain a right relationship with God, which is based on a mature understanding of doctrine. Paul, in his writings to Timothy and Titus, remind them –and us- that personal commitment to Christ and obedience to his Word are at the heart of Christian experience” (page 91).
ii. Warning: No one who lives by these standards of conduct will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
1. Paul is adamant about this and this is a warning today to the Christian church as well!
d. Why the warning from the Word? Because the Christian was delivered from sin, by the sacrifice of Jesus. When a person chooses to not to quit sinning or are willing to change their lifestyle then they crucify over and over and discredit His name to the world. Our lifestyle is to be changed at conversion. Our conversion experience should compel us to abide by the Christian code of conduct so as to honor the Lord Jesus.
i. Accepting Jesus washed us.
1. Definition “Washed”
a. To be cleansed from the dirt of sin! To be made pure and holy!
ii. Accepting Jesus sanctified us.
1. Definition “sanctified”
a. To set apart for sacred use; consecrate.
b. To make holy; purify.
c. To give religious sanction to, as with an oath or vow.
d. To give social or moral sanction to.
e. To make productive of holiness or spiritual blessing.
iii. Accepting Jesus justified us.
1. Definition “Justified” from Web Bible Encyclopedia
a. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands.
b. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom. 5:1-10).
c. It proceeds on the imputing or crediting to the believer by God himself of the perfect righteousness, active and passive, of his Representative and Surety, Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:3-9).
T.S. - Paul makes it clear that Christians are to act differently from the world and they are to have nothing to do with wicked lifestyles. He then focuses back onto the fact that we as Christian are to honor the Lord Jesus with our bodies because we are the Temple of The Holy Spirit.
III. Our bodies belong to Jesus- We are His Temple - therefore we must keep them pure and holy places (12-20)!
a. Paul asks if everything is permissible for the Christian (12-18)?
i. It may be permissible to do something in a wicked society but it is not beneficial according to Paul. Paul warns the church that to practice acts that become your master sets you up against the Christian Code of Conduct. Paul goes on to say that we are not to be mastered by anything because if we are then that is our god.
1. We are to be mastered by God Himself!
2. We are to be mastered by His Word!
3. We are to be mastered by His teachings!
4. We are to be mastered by His sacrifice!
5. We are to be mastered by His value system!
6. We are to be mastered by His love!
7. We are to be mastered by His holiness!
ii. Paul stresses once again that the body was no meant for sexual immorality (this should not be your master in life - he is referring to the sexual drive, and temple prostitution of the wicked city of Corinth all around them) – God did not design you or your body for sexual immorality! This should never be your master!
1. The body you have was designed to bring glory and honor to the Lord.
2. Practicing sexual immorality will never bring honor to God or to you!
a. It will dishonor you and God!
b. Illustration: Bruce Wilkinson, author of Prayer of Jabez, stated, “Sexual immorality is a threshold sin. On one side of the threshold is immorality and on the other is purity. On one side are guilt, lying, deceit, addiction, and shame, an on the other side are freedom, honesty, transparency, liberty, and a clear conscience. Believers who are in bondage to immorality find that unless they experience victory in this area, they cannot grow in holiness or serve the Lord with passion and power…” (Victory Over Temptation).
b. The Christian code of conduct tells us that we are to live pure lives.
i. Why? Because Jesus paid for them with his life and death.
ii. He delivered us from the curse of sin and therefore we need to live holy and pure lives. We must be prudent in casting out anything that is evil and wicked.
iii. We are to never prostitute our body –because it’s God’s holy residence and he will stay in a place that is filled with wickedness and sin.
iv. When you unite with a prostitute you unite with her or his spirit of deception, sinfulness and wickedness.
1. Your flesh becomes infected with their fleshly sins of the other and you will reap the whirl wind of their immoral lifestyle!
c. Here are some ways that you become infected by the spirit of sexual immorality:
i. Sexually transmitted diseases statistics:
1. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain a major public health challenge in the United States. While substantial progress has been made in preventing, diagnosing, and treating certain STDs in recent years, CDC estimates that approximately 19 million new infections occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24. In addition to the physical and psychological consequences of STDs, these diseases also exact a tremendous economic toll. Direct medical costs associated with STDs in the United States are estimated at up to $14.7 billion annually in 2006 dollars (from http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats/trends2006.htm)
ii. The repercussions of sexual immorality on society:
1. Fatherless families – single moms USUALLY live in poverty.
2. Equally disturbing developments are the levels of premarital sexual activity and pregnancy in Western nations. How many American teens are engaging in sex? "Data on teenage sexual activity are inexact . . . But most experts in the field agree that somewhere over 60 percent of American teenagers have had sexual intercourse by the time they finish high school" (Lillian B. Rubin, Erotic Wars, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York, 1990, p. 61, emphasis added).
3. In Britain, "one in five [teenagers] report having intercourse before their 16th birthday." Also, in a 1996 poll, "31 percent of female respondents said they had been [pressured] to have sex before they were ready" (The Independent, September 16, 1996).
4. What does this mean in terms of premarital pregnancy? In the United States estimates are that "nationally 11 percent of unmarried teenage girls become pregnant each year" (Rubin, p. 75). To put it another way, "every 64 seconds . . . a baby is born to a teenage mother . . ." (Children’s Defense Fund, The Adolescent & Young Adult Fact Book, Washington, 1991).
5. According to William J. Bennett, former U.S. secretary of education, illegitimate births increased in the U.S. 400 percent from 1960 to 1990 (The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, March 1993). Based on current trends, U.S. News & World Report reports that "early in the next century, unless we change, 1 out of every 2 American children will be born out of wedlock" (October 2, 1995, p. 88, emphasis added).
6. The costs and implications of these trends are truly alarming: "In 1997 almost 1 million American teenagers will become pregnant, nearly 75% of them out of wedlock. About 80% of these new mothers will end up in poverty, dependent on welfare payments. The problem costs the American taxpayer $7 billion a year . . . Every day in America there are 1,300 teenage births and 1,100 teenage abortions. Last year 3 million teenagers had sexually transmitted diseases" (The Sunday Times, January 12, 1997).
iii. Abortions increase in sexually immoral societies:
1. WORLDWIDE- Number of abortions per year: Approximately 42 Million.
a. Number of abortions per day: Approximately 115,000
b. Where abortions occur:
83% of all abortions are obtained in developing countries and 17% occur in developed countries. © Copyright 1996-2008, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (www.agi-usa.org.
c. UNITED STATES - Number of abortions per year: 1.37 Million (1996)
i. Number of abortions per day: Approximately 3,700
ii. Who’s having abortions (age)?
52% of women obtaining abortions in the U.S. are younger than 25: Women aged 20-24 obtain 32% of all abortions; Teenagers obtain 20% and girls under 15 account for 1.2%.
iii. Who’s having abortions (race)?
While white women obtain 60% of all abortions, their abortion rate is well below that of minority women. Black women are more than 3 times as likely as white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are roughly 2 times as likely.
iv. Who’s having abortions (marital status)?
64.4% of all abortions are performed on never-married women; Married women account for 18.4% of all abortions and divorced women obtain 9.4%.
v. Who’s having abortions (religion)?
Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as "Born-again/Evangelical".
vi. Who’s having abortions (income)?
Women with family incomes less than $15,000 obtain 28.7% of all abortions; Women with family incomes between $15,000 and $29,999 obtain 19.5%; Women with family incomes between $30,000 and $59,999 obtain 38.0%; Women with family incomes over $60,000 obtain 13.8%.
vii. Why women have abortions
1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).
iv. The breakdown of the family unit is the primary result of sexual immorality in a society and it will lead to the demise of a society.
1. Here is an overlooked sex survey from Society’s Slide into Sexual Immorality (from http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn10/sexualimmorality.htm).
a. “Other sources also warn of the devastating effects of moral turpitude. The record of history is clear. English anthropologist J.D. Unwin extensively studied 86 societies through 5,000 years of history. After his death in 1936 the results of his research were published under the title "Hopousia: The Sexual and Economic Foundations of a New Society."
b. “Unwin studied cultures and empires from the standpoint of their sexual behavior. In particular he was interested in their prenuptial and post-nuptial behavior. He noticed a correlation between such behavior and what he termed a nation’s "expansive energy." We might refer to this as the capability to remain productive and maintain a position of influence and leadership among other nations.”
c. “He stated that "expansive energy has never been displayed by a society that inherited a modified monogamy or a form of polygamy. . ." (J.D. Unwin, Hopousia, George Allen & Unwin, London, 1940, p. 82, emphasis added throughout).”
d. We need to unite ourselves with the Lord not with the spirit of evil. We are to flee sexual immorality and choose the path of purity and holiness:
i. Here is case in point Joseph from the OT.
1. Low Joe says No to Mrs. Po. In the land of bondage (Genesis 39).
a. Joe said no unlike other Bible heroes like David, Samson, and Solomon. Just because you say no to temptation once does not mean it will never come again. Mrs. Po did not accept Joe’s no. Her repeated tempting was “Yo Joe!” “Come here Joe!” “Joe I want you.” “Joe he does not love me-he is too busy with his work!”
b. Joe’s continual response was no. It was based not on what his father taught him but because of his relationship with God.
c. How did Joseph overcome this temptress? (Genesis 39:6 -12).
i. He knew that to honor God he had to live the life.
ii. He knew if he sinned that it would affect others.
iii. He knew that adultery was not permitted by God.
iv. He knew he had run.
1. You too may have to choose to run away from sin.
a. Share about the women’s house we did for Urban.
b. Share about the so-called Christian girl you dated.
d. Jo goes but Mrs. Po mo’s and puts on a show.
i. The result of this unfair circumstance is that Joe’s teachable spirit grows. She moans and he grows – but who really lost?
1. Who’s Your Master?
a. Whatever injury wicked men-in-power inflict upon good men is to be regarded … as a test for the good man’s virtues. Thus, a good man, though a slave, is free; but a wicked man, though a king, is a slave. For, a wicked man serves not just one master, but, what’s worse, as many masters as he has vices. For, it is in reference to vice that the Holy Scriptures says: “For by whom a man is overcome, of the same also he is the slave” (II Peter 2:19). -Augustine
e. Our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit – never forget this fact!
i. God’s Holy Spirit lives in us!
ii. God gave us the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth to keep us from being deceived!
iii. If you chose to listen to the pressures and deception of the world then you will silence the voice of the Spirit.
iv. We belong to God because of the price Jesus paid for us on the cross and our confession of faith.
v. We are to be sold out to Jesus not to wickedness and evil after conversion.
vi. If we chose to give up our holiness to another then we reap the whirlwind of immorality.
vii. Therefore we need to honor God with our bodies!
Conclusion:
Illustration about how the Christian Code of Conduct preserves a society from collapsing:
How valuable is salt? 40 million tons are required each year to fill our needs. Homer called it divine. Plato called it a "substance dear to the gods." Shakespeare mentioned salt 17 times in his plays. Perhaps Leonard da Vinci wanted to send a subtle message about purity lost when he painted "The last Supper." In that painting an overturned salt cellar is conspicuously placed before Judas. In ancient Greece a far-flung trade involving the exchange of salt for slaves gave rise to the expression, "...not worth his salt." Special salt rations were given to Roman soldiers and known as "Solarium Argentums" the forerunner of the English word "salary." Thousands of Napoleon’s troops died during his retreat from Moscow because their wounds would not heal--their bodies lacked salt. The human body contains about 4oz. of salt. Without enough of it, muscles won’t contract, blood won’t circulate, food won’t digest and the heart won’t beat a beat. Without a doubt, salt is the essence of life. And Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth." Contributed to sermon central by: Terry Dashner
We as the Body of Christ are what stand between the success or the destruction of this society and we have to decide if I will live by the Christian Code of Conduct which will preserve it or I will choose to live by another code of conduct which will destroy it! You choose!
Summary of chapter 6’s messages:
Christians will live by a code of conduct that will honor the Lord Jesus Christ and make Him look good and appealing to the world. This code of conduct is the preserving force that keeps this world from self-destruction. Let’s be reminded of what we have learned today:
1. The world should see that a Christian handles disputes by listening to wisdom from above not by wisdom from below.
2. The world should see people who have a holy standard of living in the church and a deep desire to run away from wickedness and sinful lifestyles.
3. The world should see in the church Christians who honor God with their bodies and their lives.
4. The world should see that a Christian reflects the fact that God dwells inside of them!
