JOINED To The LORD-II—1Corinthians 6:12-20
Those Uncontrollable Christians
Attention:
You’re In The Army Now!
A young man joined the Army & soon after was expected to attend a wedding.
He asked an officer for a pass & was told he had to be back by 7 p.m. Sunday.
The new recruit responded, "You don't understand, sir, I'm in the wedding.” “And besides that sir, the wedding is an evening wedding on Sunday. It will be impossible for me to make it back to the base by 7:00pm.”
The officer replied, “No, son, I believe it’s YOU doesn’t understand.”...“You see, You’re in the Army!”
Being in the Army made every difference when it came to the young man’s obligations!
Likewise, when we are Joined to the Lord, our obligations are refocused.
Need:
1Sam. 15:22-23—“So Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings & sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity & idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.””
*The apostle Paul warned the church at Corinth of the inherent danger of sexual immorality.
‘Inherent’= “existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute”
God must be allowed to control our bodies, so...
God’s people must be joined to the Lord.
Why must God’s people be joined to the Lord?
4 distinctions emerge from our being joined to the Lord.
We found earlier that, When you/we are Joined to the Lord...
1. His MASTERY Emerges(:12)
We will find today that...
2—When we are Joined to the Lord...
His USE/PURPOSE Emerges(:13-14)
Explanation:(:13-14)
:13—“Foods for the stomach & the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it & them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, & the Lord for the body.”
“Foods for the stomach & the stomach for foods” is probably another(as :12 appears to be) example of an adage, slogan, or saying accepted among the church body. Paul follows it immediately with his explanation.
They had been taught a ‘God made it let’s use it any way we want to’ mentality.
This saying “had apparently been used by some in Corinth to justify sexual license(fornication & adultery).”—RWP Such a saying was ‘probably’ used to justify a dualistic nature—where it is assumed that the things done in the body have no effect on one’s spiritual nature.
Christianity(Paul) maintains no such dualistic nature!(2Cor. 5:9-10). To be a Christian & maintain such a dualism is either hypocritical or incredibly shortsighted.
2Cor. 5:9-10—“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
“Foods” are indeed specifically intended for the purposes of satisfying the “stomach’s” need, but not necessarily its wants.
Likewise the “stomach” exists specifically for the purposes of attaining nutrition for the body thru its breakdown of various “foods.” The two(“food” & “stomach”) exist for each other so that neither has meaning apart from the other. Each is interdependent upon the other or their purpose & meaning is lost. That body, in harmony with itself & God, is useful to God!
One day both food & the stomach will be done away with(“destroy”). But it is God Who will do away with them. That the above is true does not mean that either foods or the stomach or their interrelation are inconsequential, or that they are untouchable by sin, or that either one or both is inherently ‘bad.’
The human body is not intended to function either physically or spiritually apart from its commitment to the Lord & for His purposes.
“The human body has a higher mission than the mere gratification of sensual appetite.”—RWP
“Sexual immorality” was an open issue of conflict in the Corinthian church. There were obviously those in their midst who were teaching things which touched on “sexual” issues & the morality &/or “immorality” of such. Those (false)teachers must have pushed their heretical leanings, which caused the entire church to reconsider their theological trusts. We must remember that they did not have the New Testament as we do today! It was unfolding before their very eyes!
?What are your reasons for maintaining your immorality?
Though the body will eventually be done away with(at least in its present form—cf. 1Jn. 3:2-3)—“God will destroy both it & them”— this does not mean that the body is inconsequential in relations to God. The body does not exist for the purpose of “sexual immorality/fornication.” Rather, the body exists for the express purposes of the Lord.
1Jn. 3:2-3—“Beloved, now we are children of God; & it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
Likewise, it is key to the Lord’s purpose & plan that ‘He’ specifically affects flesh/the human body. That is, God has sent His Son to redeem the body from self & Satan, thus bringing it into compliance with His perfect desire.
“The Lord Jesus & porneia[“sexual immorality/fornication”] contested for the bodies of Christian men; loyal to him they must renounce that, yielding to that, they renounce him(Findlay).”—RWP
1Thess. 4:3-8—“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification & honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of & defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you & testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”
The bodies of Christians are members of Christ.
Since our souls/bodies are members of Christ then they should never be allowed to be taken away from Christ.
One’s “body” can be ‘taken’ from Christ by accepting deviant/negative/aberrant influences(cf.-:15). A false teacher can take Christian souls/“bodies” away from Christ thru their misleading.
“Foods”—brwma—Noun Neuter—1) That which is eaten, food. Strong—Food(literally or figuratively), especially ceremonially--Articles allowed or forbidden by the Jewish law. Used 17X.
From the base of—bibrwskw—a reduplicated & prolonged form of an obsolete primary verb [perhaps causative of boskw]; To eat.
“Stomach”—koilia—Noun Fem.—1) The whole belly, the entire cavity—1a) The upper [i.e. stomach] & the lower belly are distinguished; 2) The lower belly, the lower region, the receptacle of the excrement; 3) The gullet—3a) To be given up to the pleasures of the palate, to gluttony; 4) The womb, the place where the fetus is conceived & nourished until birth—4a) Of the uterus of animals; 5) The innermost part of a man, the soul, heart as the seat of thought, feeling, choice. Strong—from koilov("hollow"); A cavity, i.e. especially--The abdomen; by implication--The matrix; figuratively--The heart.
“Destroy/Do away with”—katargew—Future Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative—1a) To cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency, 1b) To deprive of force, influence, power; 2) To cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish—2a) To cease, to pass away, be done away, 2b) To be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one, 2c) To terminate all intercourse with one. Strong—To be(render) entirely idle(useless), literally or figuratively.
From—kata—1) Down from, through out; 2) According to, toward, along. Strong—a primary particle; prepositionally--Down(in place or time), in varied relations(according to the case [genitive case, dative case or accusative case] with which it is joined).—&—argew/argov—To be idle, i.e. figuratively--To delay. ‘/‘ Also 1) Free from labour, at leisure; 2) Lazy, shunning the labour which one ought to perform.
“Both”[See :14—“Also”]—kai—Conjunction—1) And, also, even, indeed, but. Strong—apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative & sometimes also a cumulative force; And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection(or composition) with other particles or small words.
“It”—outov, including nominative masculine plural outoi; nominative feminine singular auth; & nominative feminine plural autai—1) This, these, etc. Strong—The he(she or it), i.e. This or that(often with article repeated).
“Them”—tauta or ta auta—Pronoun—1) These. Strong—nominative or accusative case neuter plural of outov, outov, outoi, auth, autai; These things.
“Body”2X[See :15, 16, 18, 19, 20]—swma—Noun Neuter—1) The body both of men or animals—1a) A dead body or corpse, 1b) The living body—1b1) Of animals; 2) The bodies of planets & of stars (heavenly bodies); 3) Is used of a (large or small)number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body—3a) so in the NT--Of the church; 4) That which casts a shadow as distinguished from the shadow itself. Strong—The body(as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.
“Sexual Immorality/Fornication/Immorality”—porneia—Noun Fem.—1) Illicit sexual [attentions]intercourse—1a) Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc., 1b) Sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18, 1c) Sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mr 10:11,12; 2) metaph.--The worship of idols—2a) Of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols. Strong—Harlotry (including adultery & incest); figuratively--Idolatry.
From—porneuw—To act the harlot, i.e. literally--Indulge unlawful lust(of either sex), or figuratively--Practice idolatry.
“Lord”[See :14, 17]—kuriov—Noun Masc.—1) He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord. Kuriov has a wider meaning[than despothv], applicable to the various ranks & relations of life & not suggestive of either property or of absolutism. Strong—from kurov(supremacy); Supreme in authority, i.e. as noun--Controller; by implication--Mr.(as a respectful title).
:14—“And God both raised up the Lord & will also raise us up by His power.”
God has not only “raised” the Lord...but He will “also” likewise “raise up” Christians. In fact, Christ’s being “raised up” pictures & guarantees a similar raising for every Christian(1Cor. 15:12-20; Col. 2:16--3:11; Acts 2:22-28; Jn. 11:25-26).
*1Cor. 15:12-20—“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty & your faith is also empty. Yes, & we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, & has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Acts 2:22-28—[Peter preaching]“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, & signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know--Him, being delivered by the determined purpose & foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, & put to death; “whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, & my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’”
Jn. 11:25-26—“Jesus said to her[Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
God will “raise” them thru “His power.”
“Raised up”—egeirw—Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—Verb—1) To arouse, cause to rise—1a) To arouse from sleep, to awake, 1b) To arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life, 1c) To cause to rise from a seat or bed etc., 1d) To raise up, produce, cause to appear—1d1) To cause to appear, bring before the public, 1d2) To raise up, stir up, against one, 1d3) To raise up i.e. Cause to be born, 1d4) of buildings--To raise up, construct, erect. Strong—probably akin to the base of agora[the town-square/A market or thoroughfare](through the idea of collecting one's faculties); To waken(transitively or intransitively), i.e. Rouse(literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence).
“Lord”[See :14, 17]—kuriov—Noun Masc.—1) He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord. Kuriov has a wider meaning[than despothv], applicable to the various ranks & relations of life & not suggestive of either property or of absolutism. Strong—from kurov(supremacy); Supreme in authority, i.e. as noun--Controller; by implication--Mr.(as a respectful title).
“Also”[See :13—“Both”]—kai—
“Raise us up”—exegeirw—Future Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To arouse, raise up(from sleep); 2) To rouse up, stir up, incite. Strong—To rouse fully, i.e. figuratively--To resuscitate(from death), release(from infliction). Used 2X.
From—ek/ex—1) Out of, from, by, away from. Strong—a primary preposition denoting origin(the point whence action or motion proceeds), From, out(of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote).—&—egeirw—To waken(transitively or intransitively), i.e. Rouse(literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence).
“By”—dia—Prep.—1) Through—1a) of place—1a1) With, 1a2) In, 1b) of time—1b1) Throughout, 1b2) During, 1c) of means—1c1) By, 1c2) By the means of; 2) Through—2a) The ground or reason by which something is or is not done—2a1) By reason of, 2a2) On account of, 2a3) Because of for this reason, 2a4) Therefore, 2a5) On this account. Strong—a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; Through(in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional).
“Power”—dunamiv—Noun Fem.—1) Strength power, ability—1a) Inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts & puts forth, 1b) Power for performing miracles, 1c) Moral power & excellence of soul, 1d) The power & influence which belong to riches & wealth, 1e) Power & resources arising from numbers, 1f) Power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts. Dunamiv denotes power, natural ability, general & inherent Strong—from dunamai[To be able or possible]; Force(literally or figuratively); specially--Miraculous power(usually by implication--A miracle itself).
Argumentation:
Mat. 15:1-20—“Then the scribes & Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” He answered & said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? “For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father & your mother’; &, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”--‘then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear & understand: “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” Then His disciples came & said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” But He answered & said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” Then Peter answered & said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach & is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, & they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
Jn. 6:5-14, 26-27—“Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, & seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves & two small fish, but what are they among so many?” Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, & when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, & the disciples to those sitting down; & likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, & filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”.....“Jesus answered them & said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves & were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
Eph. 2:8-10—“For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Rom. 14:7-8—“For none of us lives to himself, & no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; & if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”
Php. 2:12-13—“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear & trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will & to do for His good pleasure.”
Rom. 12:1-2—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.”
Eph. 5:3-11—“But fornication & all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ & God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, & truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
1Thess. 4:1-8—“Finally then, brethren, we urge & exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more & more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk & to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification & honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of & defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you & testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”
*Col. 2:16--3:17—“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility & worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, & not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished & knit together by joints & ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations--“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using--according to the commandments & doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, & neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, & your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, & covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, & have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all & in all.”
Ps. 143:10—[of David]—“Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.”
*Mat. 7:15-23—“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down & thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, & done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
Illustration:
I know of a man who took his outboard motor to be worked on/The particular repair shop kept it for way too long & when pressed about the time, said that they would have it ready by a certain day/The owner of the motor called & confirmed it was fixed & picked it up/But it spit & coughed & sputtered & had no power—exactly like it did before being ‘fixed’/The motor owner took it to a different repair shop where within the same day, it was properly repaired—also finding that within the cowling there was a build up of mud & debris—The other shop hadn’t even bothered to clean off the motor much less open it up to find the problem!/Thanks to the real mechanics at the one repair shop, the proper PURPOSE/USE of the outboard motor emerged
*You can never ever know or fulfill your God-ordained purpose, apart from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!
A hidden purpose unlocked with a proper key...
I downloaded a particular OCR(Optical Character Recognition ) program for my computer/I have lots of old sermons which I’ve never digitized & wanted an easy way to digitize them/I do not have a physical copy of the software(no DVD or flash-drive) because I downloaded it off of the internet/But in order to open the program & use it, I not only had to pay for it, but also had to type in a specific ‘key’, which consisted of about 10 numbers & letters/Without the ‘key’ I could not use the program—It was of no use to me/However, with the ‘key’, the fullness of the program was made available/USE-PURPOSE emerges
Application:
?Is God’s PURPOSE/USE(thru Christ) Emergent in you?
?Are you Joined to the Lord?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
“No, son, I believe it’s YOU doesn’t understand.”...“You see, You’re in the Army!”
Action:
When you/we are Joined to the Lord...
2. His USE/PURPOSE Emerges(:13-14)
1. His MASTERY Emerges(:12)
Pt.# 2 only! presented 02/04/2017am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
