JOINED To The LORD-III—1Corinthians 6:12-20
OR--Those Uncontrollable Christians
Attention:
Pitiful Pilots
The small plane is flight & in trouble because the pilot has passed out just as they are making their descent to land it. Two buddies(goobers/rednecks) immediately spring into action. They take over the controls & try to land the plane. They’ve seen it done on TV so it can’t be that difficult, Right?!
They start descending & as they the wheels touch the ground the one ‘pilot’ screams to the other ‘pilot’:
"Pull up, the runaway is ending!”.
The second ‘pilot’ swiftly gets the plane back up in the air.
They make a big turn & start descending again.
The moment they touch the ground, the ‘pilot’ screams again, "Get the plane up, the runaway is ending!”
The second ‘pilot’ swiftly gets the plane back up in the air ... They make a big turn & start descending again... This goes on again & again...
During their fourth descent the ‘pilot’ says : “Bubba, this is so dumb, they built this huge, expensive airport but with such a short runaway."
"I know," answers the second ‘pilot’, "But look how wide they made it ..."
Some of you are trying to land on a ‘short’ runway as it were!...But you are going about it in the wrong way...You’re going about it on your terms & thus without Jesus!
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.””
Prov. 16:32—“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”
Prov. 25:27-28—“It is not good to eat much honey; So to seek one's own glory is not glory. Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.”
*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 be allowed to control our bodies?...& Why must God’s people be joined to the Lord?
4 distinctions emerge from our being joined to the Lord.
We’ve found previously that When you/we are Joined to the Lord...
1. His MASTERY Emerges(:12)
2. His USE/PURPOSE Emerges(:13-14)
3—When you/we are Joined to the Lord...
His MORALITY Emerges(:15-16)
Explanation:(:15-16)Sexual morality
:15—“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ & make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!”
“Do you not know...”—
—What follows can & should be a shared knowledge among the Corinthian Christians. Likewise, the same knowledge should characterize all Christians.
Christians have no excuse for a lack of biblical knowledge...
Heb. 10:23-25—“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love & good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, & so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
“that your bodies are members of Christ?”
Moral(ity)=“of or relating to principles of right & wrong in behavior.”
Morality is ONLY rightly determined & settled in & thru God...& thus NOT determined of man(politics/majority/mores/traditions/history)! ‘True’ morality flows from one’s relationship with God!...It is never something that can be merely sustained outwardly, because it is decided & maintained thru the heart that is given to God’s heart!
It is obvious that Paul had correctly taught the Corinthian Christians that their bodies were of great consequence to their salvation & continual living in Christ. He had revealed to them that their very “bodies” were “members of Christ.”
As “members of Christ”, our heart’s desire is entirely driven by Christ’s desire. Our body/members must be given over to His use. Thereby, you must know Jesus personally...Know His way(s), His desire.
“Shall I then take the members of Christ & make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!””
The Corinthian Christians were behaving/acting/living as if they had given their “bodies” up to “harlotry”, while being convinced that they were remaining spiritually unscathed in that same “harlotry”!
*Such describes the danger of false teaching & the danger of neglecting God’s available word(written & spoken)...the danger of neglecting personal devotional reading of the Scriptures...the danger of neglecting further knowledge of God thru Christ in fellowship.
The Corinthian Christians had neither the Canon of Scripture nor the availability of it!...
...*What is your excuse for justifying your aberrant belief?
Paul “does not have in mind the prostitute as an individual, but”...“she appears as a symbol of that which is inimical[hostile] to the sanctified status of God’s people.”—NAC(Sec. III, endnote 165)
Paul makes the case in 7:4 that, in the Christian marital relationship, one’s body belongs to the other.—NAC
Therefore it stands to reason that, IF we are joined to Christ in marriage(salvific commitment/born again/bride of Christ(2Cor. 11:2)), then anything that violates that joining/union/commitment is disastrous!
Mk. 10:6-9—“But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male & female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father & mother & be joined to his wife, ‘& the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
2Cor. 11:2—“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
Isa. 62:2-5—“The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the LORD will name. You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God. You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah[“My delight is in her”], & your land Beulah[Married]; For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.”
Hos. 2:19, 20—“I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness & justice, In lovingkindness & mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the LORD.”
Rom. 7:4—“Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”
Eph. 5:25-30—“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church & gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify & cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy & without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes & cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh & of His bones.”
Paul debunks any such thought that would see fit to separate body from spirit from mind, so that one segment could be abused(or edified) without detriment to(or involving) the others. Such belief was/is a tenet of any kind of dualistic thought.
“Our bodies are designed not only to serve in this life but in the life to come.”—MNTC
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.”
1Cor. 12:25-26—“that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
Justifiably then, Paul asks them whether it would be appropriate to “take away” or ‘carry off’ that which is a “member of Christ”(namely “their bodies”) & “make them members of a harlot?”
He answers his own question definitely—“Certainly not!” This he states specifically to enforce the church’s understanding of the biblical principle behind trusting Christ.
If our “bodies” are “taken away” from Christ, for the sake of immorality, then they are necessarily “given” over to “harlotry” or prostitution. It is a picture of faithlessness!
The Christian’s body(individual or Church) should ‘never’ be given over to harlotry, & that for reasons that are delineated in :16-17ff.
“Know”[See :2, 3, 9, 16, 19]—eidw/oida—Perfect Active Indicative 2nd Plural—1) To see—1a) To perceive with the eyes, 1b) To perceive by any of the senses; 2) To know—2a) To know of anything, 2b) To know, i.e. Get knowledge of, understand, perceive—2b1) of any fact, 2b2) the force & meaning of something which has definite meaning. Eidw/oida denotes to see with the mind's eye, signifies a clear & purely mental perception. Strong—a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent optanomai & oraw; properly--To see(literally or figuratively); by implication(in the perfect only)--To know.
“Bodies”[See :13, 16, 18, 19, 20]—swma—Noun Neuter Plural—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.
“Members”3X—melov—Noun Neuter—1)A member or limb--A member of the human body—1a) Of bodies given up to criminal intercourse, because they are as it were members belonging to the harlot's body. Strong—of uncertain affinity; A limb or part of the body.
“Take/Take Away”—airw—Aorist Active Participle Nominative Sing. Masc.—1) To raise up, elevate, lift up; 2) To take upon one's self & carry what has been raised up, to bear; 3) To bear away what has been raised, carry off. Strong—a primary root; To lift up; by implication--To take up or away; figuratively--To raise(the voice), keep in suspense(the mind), specially--To sail away(i.e. weigh anchor); by Hebraism[compare asn[to lift]]--To expiate sin.
“Make”—poiew—Aorist Active Subjunctive 1st Sing.—1) To make—1a) To produce, construct, form, fashion, etc.; 2) To do. Poiew denotes "to do", prassw--“to practice”; poiew--To designate performance, prassw intended, earnest, habitual, performance; poiew--To denote merely productive action, prassw definitely directed action; poiew--To point to the action result, prassw to the scope & character of the result. These words are often used interchangeably. Strong—To make or do(in a very wide application, more or less direct).
“Harlot”[See :17]—pornh—Noun Fem.—1) A woman who sells her body for sexual uses—1a) A prostitute, a harlot, one who yields herself to defilement for the sake of gain, 1b) Any woman indulging in unlawful sexual intercourse, whether for gain or for lust; 2) metaph.--An idolatress—2a) Of "Babylon" i.e. Rome, the chief seat of idolatry. Strong—A strumpet; figuratively--An idolater. Used 12X.?Feminine of pornov[a (male)prostitute(as venal), i.e. by analogy-- debauchee(libertine)].
“Certainly not!/May It Never Be!/Never!”—mh genoito——mh—Particle—1) No, not lest. Strong—a primary particle of qualified negation(whereas ou, ouk, ouc expresses an absolute denial); adverbially--Not, conjunctionally--Lest; also(as an interrogative implying a negative answer[whereas ou expects an affirmative one])--Whether.—&—ginomai—Verb—1)To become, i.e. To come into existence, begin to be, receive being;. Strong—To cause to be(“gen”-erate), i.e. reflexively--To become(come into being), used with great latitude(literal, figurative, intensive, etc.).
:16—“Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.””
When one “joins” himself/herself to a harlot, he changes/melds into “one body” with her. This is true because the Scripture specifically states that “the two will become one flesh.” Such oneness is the basis for leaving one’s parents & striking out on their own(Gen. 2:24-25; Mat. 19:3-6).
Gen. 2:24-25—“Therefore a man shall leave his father & mother & be joined to his wife, & they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man & his wife, & were not ashamed.”
Mat. 19:3-6—“The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, & saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” And He answered & said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male & female,’ “& said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father & mother & be joined to his wife, & the two shall become one flesh’? “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
There is much that is tied to marital oneness. It encompasses every aspect of a couple’s chosen relation to one another—Emotionally, Mentally, Physically, Sexually, Spiritually.
*Body, Soul, & Spirit are mutually consecrated to one another & are consecrated to God thru Christ by your faith.
Some want to suppose that the sexual commitment is inconsequential. They can only do so, if they compartmentalize the sin in order to wrongly justify it, by rejecting the known interaction of Body, Soul, & Spirit.
For either individual in a marriage to “join” him or herself “to a harlot” or ‘whore’, while claiming commitment to God’s kingdom, is reprehensible to the highest degree!
Eph. 5:25-31—“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church & gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify & cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy & without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes & cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh & of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father & mother & be joined to his wife, & the two shall become one flesh.”
“Know”[See :2, 3, 9, 15, 19]—eidw/oida—Perfect Active Indicative 2nd Plural—1) To see—1a) To perceive with the eyes, 1b) To perceive by any of the senses, 1c) To perceive, notice, discern, discover, 1d) To see—1d1) i.e. To turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to anything, 1d2) To pay attention, observe, 1d3) To see about something 1d31) i.e. To ascertain what must be done about it, 1d4) To inspect, examine, 1d5) To look at, behold, 1e) To experience any state or condition, 1f) To see i.e. Have an interview with, to visit; 2) To know—2a) To know of anything, 2b) To know, i.e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive—2b1) of any fact, 2b2) the force & meaning of something which has definite meaning, 2b3) To know how, to be skilled in, 2c) To have regard for one, cherish, pay attention to(1Th 5:12). Eidw/oida denotes to see with the mind's eye, signifies a clear & purely mental perception. Strong—a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent optanomai & oraw; properly--To see(literally or figuratively); by implication (in the perfect only)--To know.
“Joined”[See :17]—kollaw—Present Passive Participle Nominative Sing. Masc.—1) To glue, to glue together, cement, fasten together; 2) To join or fasten firmly together; 3) To join one's self to, cleave to. Strong—from kolla("glue"); To glue, i.e. passively or reflexively--To stick(figuratively). Used 11X.
“Harlot/Prostitute”[See :15]—pornh—Noun Fem.—1) A woman who sells her body for sexual uses—1a) A prostitute, a harlot, one who yields herself to defilement for the sake of gain, 1b) Any woman indulging in unlawful sexual intercourse, whether for gain or for lust; 2) metaph.--An idolatress—2a) Of "Babylon" i.e. Rome, the chief seat of idolatry. Strong—A strumpet; figuratively--An idolater. Used 12X.
Feminine of pornov[a (male)prostitute (as venal), i.e. by analogy-- debauchee(libertine)].
“One”2X[See :17]—eiv—Numeral—1) One. Strong—(including the neuter[etc.] en); a primary numeral; One.
“Body”[See :13, 15, 18, 19, 20]—swma—Noun Neuter Plural—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.
“For”—gar—Conjunction—1) For. Strong—a primary particle; properly--Assigning a reason(used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles).
“Two”—duo—Noun Indeclinable(no inflections)—1) The two, the twain. Strong—a primary numeral; “Two.”
“Shall Become”—esomai—Future X(no voice stated) Indicative 3rd Plural—1) future first person singular of “to be.” Strong—future of eimi[I exist(used only when emphatic)]; Will be.
“Flesh”—Noun Fem.—1) Flesh(the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones & is permeated with blood) of both man & beasts; 2) The body; 3) A living creature(because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast; 4) The flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, & therefore prone to sin & opposed to God. Strong—Flesh(as stripped of the skin), i.e. strictly--The meat of an animal(as food), or by extension--The body(as opposed to the soul [or spirit], or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or by implication--Human nature(with its frailties [physically or morally] & passions), or specifically--A human being(as such).
Argumentation:
Php. 4:6-9—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned & received & heard & saw in me, these do, & the God of peace will be with you.”
Col. 3:12-15—“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy & beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, & forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; & be thankful.”
2Tim. 1:8-14— “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us & called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose & grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death & brought life & immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, & a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed & am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith & love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.”
Heb. 13:20, 21—“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever & ever. Amen.”
1Pet. 2:9-12—“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners & pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
2Pet. 1:2-8—“Grace & peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God & of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life & godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory & virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great & precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, & to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours & abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
"Virtue"--English definition=“behavior showing high moral standards.”
Illustration:
There was a church member whom I had formerly pastored/He asked me thru social media, very pointedly about whether particular sexual acts(& named them) were admissible or right & wrong in marriage—At the time He was seriously considering marriage/Obviously he had been involved with pornography/Knowing he was a Christian, & typically instead of getting into specifics, I distilled his burden down to the real question & placed the burden upon his relationship with Jesus/I said something to the effect of, “Every Christian should be able to take Jesus into the bedroom.”—Jesus has granted that sex(His creation) be pleasurable as well as functional. With what you are describing, can you honestly say Jesus would approve of the sexual situations you describe?” OR—“Can you invite Jesus into the bedroom, if you implement the things you are considering?
If you cannot take Jesus into the bedroom with you, then there is something wrong in the bedroom to begin with!
I have seen vehicles with—Decals-Crosses-License tags-Bumper stickers—proclaiming Jesus’ name—That is well & good!/BUT when those vehicles(with their Jesus decals) are frequently & regularly parked in front of bars, & liquor stores, & houses of ill-repute...it gives cause to wonder about the sincerity of the person’s commitment to Christ/The Word tells us to be so Joined to the Lord that...His MORALITY emerges!
Application:
?Is God’s MORALITY(thru Christ) Emergent in you?
?Are you Joined to the Lord?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Pitiful pilots—A short runway, but look how wide they made it!
Action:
When you/we are Joined to the Lord...
3. His MORALITY Emerges(:15-16)
1. His MASTERY Emerges(:12)
2. His USE/PURPOSE Emerges(:13-14)
Pt.#3 only! presented 02/18/2018am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
