Series: Do You Not Know?
Sermon: Your Bodies Are Members of Christ
Text: 1 Corinthians 6:12-18.
Introduction:
I hope that it does not seem that I am obsessed with sin or immorality. I hope that it does not seem that I am, like Santa Claus, “making a list and checking it twice, going to find out who’s naughty or nice.” I don’t want to give the impression that I am through struggling with sin, and therefore have the right to rub you nose in your sin. I want you to know that I am sinner, just like you are. I want you to know that my sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ, and that’s the only way anyone’s sins can ever be forgiven.
But I have noticed, as you may have also, that Paul has an awful lot to say about sin and about immorality. And when I say “immoral”, the Greek word translated “immoral” forms the root of such words as “pornographic”, and “fornication” so that we know precisely what type of immorality to which we are referring. As Paul had a lot to say about immorality, I would be negligent in my responsibilities, if I did not declare to you the whole counsel of God.
Lesson:
Rationalization to Sin #1—“All things are lawful.” (6:12).
Our culture tends to equate legality with morality. We have laws about certain things that are considered immoral. Murder is morally wrong; we have laws against murder. Stealing is wrong; we have laws against stealing. You’ve probably heard someone say, “You can’t legislate morality.” The truth is morality is legislated on a fairly regular basis.
The truth is that we just don’t consistently do so. There are many things that are legal, but still immoral. Covetousness, greed, many forms of sexual immorality; all are morally wrong, but there are no laws that punish those that do such things.
“But what about the Law of God?” someone might ask. Good point. Doesn’t God have laws about such things? Indeed he does. “But wait a minute,” someone might respond, “I thought that the Law was nailed to the cross. Doesn’t Colossians 2:14 say, ‘This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.’”
Indeed it does say that. But what is set aside, the moral law of God? No! The condemnation of the Law is set aside. It is the curse of the Law from which Christ redeemed us (Galatians 3:13), but the Law still stands.
What I find interesting here is that Paul does not refute the claim, even though I believe that a good case could be made that the claim is false. Instead, he answers those who would rationalize sin, “So what? So what if it is legal? What difference does that make?”
Counter—but not all things are helpful.
Even if immorality were lawful, ask yourself, “Is it helpful?” An odd question, isn’t it? But it is a good one, none the less. What do we hope to accomplish by being immoral? What good can come of it?
Why do people continue to involve themselves in immorality when it is not helpful? Fear—They fear losing the one they are involved with more than they fear God. Love—They love the one they are involved with more than they love God.
In either case, they are placing someone above God and that is idolatry. The truth is that nothing good comes from it. It is a deception. It is a lie.
Counter—but nothing shall enslave me.
Anything that has the power to enslave us ought to be avoided. Numerous times the scriptures warn us of becoming entangled in sin. Certain sins have a power to enslave that defies description. Addictive behavior has no place in the life of a Christian. Jesus died so that we could be free from the power of sin to enslave us. Now, if you’re saying to yourself, “I can quit anytime I want to.” I say good, do so. And if you can’t, we’re here to help you in whatever way we can.
Rationalization #2—“Food is made for the stomach and the stomach for food.” (6:13).
I suppose we might word this, “Hey it’s natural. Our bodies were made for this.
Counter—God will destroy both.
God is your creator and he is the one who determines what’s natural and what is appropriate. You know, Eve thought that fruit was good for eating too, but she was wrong. God is not only your creator; he is your judge as well.
Counter—the body is not made for sexual immorality.
God reserved sexual activity to the marriage relationship. Sexual immorality cheapens, degrades what God has made beautiful. This past winter, when it would snow, the snow looked beautiful as it clung to the tree branches. But that same snow, as it fell into the street became soiled and ugly. We cannot rationalize immorality by taking something that God created as special and good and taking out of the context for which God created it and expect it to retain its beauty and goodness outside that context. It just doesn’t work that way.
Counter—the body is made for the Lord and the Lord for the body.
Honor God with your bodies. Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.
Immorality in the flesh is incompatible with flesh intended for the resurrection. (6:14).
God raised Jesus (who was morally pure), by His power. God will raise our bodies too—shouldn’t they be pure also?
Do you not know—your bodies are body parts of Christ’s body? (6:15).
Usually when we think of membership, we think of belonging to a club or some organization. But Paul is not speaking of the body of Christ as if it were a club or organization. He’s speaking about it as a body. He uses the term “member” to mean a body part. The church is the body of Christ. Christ was incarnate and has a body of flesh—but Paul is not speaking of his body in that sense. Christ is our head—he determines what we should and should not do—all of our actions are under his control. The church is the body of which Christ is the head. We, as individuals, are the body parts that make up the body. Paul used this illustration when describing the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. As I read this, everyplace I use the term “member”, think “body part”. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
Listen, this is important. If the body parts are involved in immorality, where are they getting their direction from? You’ve got to ask yourself, “If I willfully involve myself in immorality, is Jesus Christ my head, the one from whom I take direction?
Do you not know—the “one flesh” concept? (6:16).
When you involve yourself in sexual sin, you become emotionally or spiritually attached to that person. You may not mean to. But you cannot help it. That attachment to another person is so strong that you cannot break that attachment without leaving some of you behind or taking something of that other person. Illustration—Envelope
The “one spirit” concept. (6:17).
Corresponding to the “one flesh” concept is the “one spirit” concept. We have been united with Christ, in the likeness of his death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6). We partake of his nature. Immorality is inconsistent with our new nature in Christ.
Flee sexual immorality. (6:18).
Some sin is just so powerful; the best thing you can do is run away from it. Some sin is able to corrupt us so quickly; the best thing to do is run.
Remember Joseph, in the Old Testament. He was a handsome man. Potifer’s wife wanted him and tried to seduce him. What did Joseph do? He ran. He got in trouble with the law, but he was innocent in the sight of God.
Every other sin is outside the body. The word translated “Every” is a funny term, because often it does not mean “every”. What Paul means here is that there are two types of sin—sin that has a dramatic and immediate effect upon the body and sin whose effect on the body is less drastic. The same word is used to tell us about the effectiveness of John’s ministry, “Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,(Matthew 3:5). The point is that sexual immorality can have drastic effects on the body: unwanted pregnancies, syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV, AIDS, etc.
The sexually immoral person sins against his own body. The consequences are multiplied. There are not only spiritual consequences, but physical, emotional, and societal consequences as well.
Conclusion:
If you are not married, keep yourself pure. Save yourself for your wedding night. Don’t ruin your life because you think you might be missing out on something wonderful. Wait for the man who will commit himself to you in marriage and wait for your wedding night. You will not regret it. Many who have not heeded this advice, however, have regretted it.
If you are married, keep your vows of faithfulness to your spouse. You will not regret it. Many who have not heeded this advice, however, have regretted it.
