Christian Purity And The Glory of God

An Exposition of 1Cor.6:12-20

The world in which we live today is a very wicked world. Though sin is nothing new to this world, it seems that we have fallen to new and lower levels of immorality than any generation that has gone before us. One of the most prevalent problems today is the problem of sexual sin. It seems that temptation is on every side of us. As we look around us we see that sex is being used in practically everything. It is used to sell products. It is used to make movies. It is used to write books. It is the subject of countless conversations. It is treated both casually and seriously at the same time. It is not held sacred, yet it is venerated as the inviolable right of every person to use it as they please. This article is not an attempt to cry out against specific forms of immorality. This writer wishes rather to apply the word of God to the situation at hand, and give scriptural principles that will apply to the entire realm of Christian purity. By having these Biblical principles, the Christian can then know better how to confront and conquer immorality and impurity in life.

The first thing that is in order is an exposition of the passage at hand. An exposition is writing or speaking that sets forth and explains. There is nothing that is any more important to right living than right understanding of God’s word. Thus, we lay the foundation for Christian purity by explaining God’s word.

First of all, it is important for us to know the type of people who were at Corinth. Corinth was a port city. It was an international city. People from all over the world passed through Corinth. There were many different views of religion and morality in Corinth. Idolatry flourished there. Along with idolatry came prostitution. Many idolatrous religions incorporated immorality in their worship and rituals. The Corinthians were very familiar with all of these things. Many of them had been saved out of this lifestyle. At the same time, old habits die hard. The Corinthians had to live their lives in this culture, and it had its effect on them. The passage before us was written to address this problem.

As we read the book of Corinthians, it becomes immediately clear that there were serious problems in the church. There were divisions over preachers, immorality (a man had taken his father’s wife), and brethren were taking one another to court and cheating one another. Paul asks a question which is very relevant to all of this: “ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1Cor.6:9-11) Unrighteous people, and people who are habitual offenders in the area of sexual sins, do not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul tells the Corinthians that, they were once this sort of people, but God had saved them out of that. Implied in this statement is the fact that the Corinthians should no longer live in that manner. It is at this point that our text begins.

“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” (1 Cor 6:12) Paul states first of all that all things are lawful unto him. This statement is equal to the statement that says, “I’m twenty-one!” In other words, what is implied is that Paul is of age, and has the power to do anything. It probably includes the idea that, since I’m forgiven, I can do as I please. The child of God is at liberty. The child of God is free. Paul is not stating that one can do so, he is confronting the notion that because one has the power to do as he pleases, he can do as he wills. (For further reference see Rom.6:1-23;Gal.5:13-26;1Pet.2:13-16 which teach us that we must limit our liberty.) Paul then states that all things are not expedient. While I have the power to do many things, not everything is profitable, or helpful. The real goal of the child of God is not to do as he pleases, but to be helpful to others. (See 1Cor.10:31-33)

Paul again states that all things are in his right, or power, but now he states that he will not allow anything to have power over him. Nothing has the right to rule his life. Here we find the principle of non-addiction. We should not let any lifestyle or habit rule our lives. While we have liberty and power to do many things, unbridled liberty becomes slavery. (2Pet.2:19;Rom.6:16) When one decides to yield to the lusts of the flesh and steps into sin, one becomes a servant of sin. The ruling principle in that person’s life is the desires of the flesh, not that person, and not God. We must jealously guard the freedom and liberty we have so that we do not become enslaved to lust and bad habits.

“Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.” (1 Cor 6:13) The argument was given by many that, since God made us with certain bodily desires and abilities, we should exercise those abilities and desires to the fullest extent of our power. The idea was that one should pursue their pleasure in the fulfillment of their bodily desires. Since we were made to eat, “let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.” (1Cor.15:32b) This was the philosophy of many people who dwelt at Corinth. It is possible that many in the church still held to this idea. Paul’s reply is simple: God will destroy these fleeting things. Meat and drink do not last forever. Neither do these bodies of ours. In other words, our emphasis should be on more valuable, and longer lasting, treasures and pleasure.

It seems that many not only felt that the body was made for meat, but was also made for physical intimacy – regardless of the circumstances. Paul states that the body was not made for fornication. God has established boundaries for the exercise and fulfillment of this desire. This pleasure is to be exercised only within the bonds of marriage. (See 1Cor.7:1-5) Not only is the negative side mentioned (“The body is not made for fornication”), the positive is also presented (the body is made “for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.”) God has not made us to do according to the desires of the flesh at all times. He has made us for Himself. (See Col.1:15-17;Rom.11:33-36;Rev.4:10,11;Gen.1:26-28) It is for this reason that Paul stated in verse twelve that he would not be brought under the power of any. Man has been given a mandate to have dominion over the world, and to shine forth the image of God. Man is the “image and glory of God.” (1Cor.11:7) Man is not to be dominated by fleshly appetites; he is to have dominion as masters of the creation which God gave him to rule over. Paul then states that the Lord is for the body. God is not against us. That is not why restrictions are placed upon the exercise of our natural desires. God is for us. This is for our benefit.

Paul now affirms the fact that the Lord is for the body by stating, “And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. (1 Cor 6:14) The promise of the resurrection, and the joys which follow, are proof that the Lord is not against us, but is indeed for us. (Php.3:20,21;Rom.8:10-13;1Jn.3:1-3) This is also an incentive to pure living. (See also 1Cor.15:51-58)

As Paul writes the things which we have already considered, he is carefully weaving a thought throughout it all. That thought is the fact that we are intimately connected to Jesus. “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.” (1 Cor 6:15) The text before us shows that we have the following things which make us closely connected to Jesus: His Spirit is active both in our conversion and sanctification (1Cor.6:9-11), we are made by Him and for Him (1Cor.6:13;Col.1:15-17;Prov.16:4;Rom.11:33-36), and He promises to raise us up at the resurrection (1Cor.6:14;Jn.6:40,44). Now, to take these things and strengthen his case too, Paul states that we are the members of Christ – we are very intimately connected to Him – we are one with Him. (See Eph.5:25-33) Our liberation from sin did not loose us from Christ, but joined us to Him. (1Cor.12:13;Eph.2:11-22) We are now members of Christ’s body.

The apostle now gets to the point by asking, “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.” (1 Cor 6:15) Though the body of Christ is not a physical body (it is a group of believers who are united by their faith in Christ), yet it is a reality. It is a horrible thing to think of Christ committing fornication, isn’t it? Yet, when a child of God commits fornication, one of the members of Christ is involved in sin – Christ’s body is involved! When Paul asks, “shall I take the members of Christ…” involved is the fact that the taking of the members of Christ would be a removal of these members from the place they belong. Paul says, “God forbid!”

“What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” (1 Cor 6:16,17) The apostle now incredulously asks, don’t you realize that a person who commits fornication becomes one with the person with whom he/she is sinning? The ignorance and blindness of people in sin is amazing! God stated that two would become one flesh. (Gen.2:17-25) At the same time, God placed this union of two into one within the confines of marriage. At the same time, when one is joined to the Lord, they are one spiritually. To be a child of God and a member of Christ’s body is to be in His bride (Eph.5:25-33). In other words, as Christians, we are members of a body that is very real, and of greater importance than our bodies and our appetites. This body (the body of Christ) is holy and should not be profaned by uniting its members to harlots. To do so is to associate the name of Christ with immorality.

“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” (1 Cor 6:18) The exhortation is to flee – run away, escape – fornication. Every sin a person commits is (in comparison) aside from the body. That is, the effects and damage done by sexual sins are so extensive that all other sins cannot compare to the damage done by fornication. The damage done by fornication remains when the effects of a drunken stupor are forgotten. The damage done by fornication stays with us when the trouble caused by a lie has been many years removed from us. Fornication involves the whole person: body and mind. Two become one in more ways than physically. The two become one intimately: they become vulnerable emotionally and spiritually when they so sin. The sordid memory of immorality is never completely erased, and the human spirit cannot forever bear the guilt and shame: it will do much harm to the mental state of the sinner. Nothing has so much potential to transmit disease as sexual sin. In addition one sins against the body of Christ which is ours by being a member of it. Sexual immorality is a sin, not only against Christ and His church, but against our own bodies! We mistreat ourselves horribly when we commit such sins. (See Ps.32 & 51 which were written after David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba. See also Prov.5:15-23;6:20-35;7:6-27)

Not only are we members of the body of Christ, we are the temple of God. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Cor 6:19) Our bodies are the dwelling place of the Spirit of God. God dwells in us! We are God’s sacred house! (See Eph.2:18-22;1Pet.2:1-5) We don’t belong to ourselves. God has moved in and taken up residence within us. We are now possessed by God. We are under his authority.

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Cor 6:20) The concluding argument for our not sinning is the fact that we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. (See 1Pet.1:17-21;Eph.1:3-7;Rom.3:21-26) God has bought us for Himself. We are His purchased possession (Eph.1:13,14), and were redeemed to be a holy people (Tit.2:11-15). Our redemption was not cheap. Salvation did not come without costing Jesus His life. A great price has been paid. We are not our own. We belong to God. He has bought us for His own. For this cause we are to give God glory.

Our glory to God is to be given both in body and in spirit. We cannot separate the two. It is impossible to glorify God in our spirit without doing the same in the flesh. It is a sin to attempt one without the other (See Ps.50:1-23;Mt.15:7-9;Jn.14:15,21-23;1Jn.5:1-3;Rom.12:1,2)

Finally, we must glorify God because: 1. We are created by and for Him (Isa.43:21;Rom.11:33-36) 2. We are saved for His glory (Eph.1:3-7;Rom.3:21-28;Heb.2:10) 3. We are promised the resurrection for the glory of God (Eph.1:13,14) All we are, and all we ever shall be is for the Lord. Let us give ourselves wholly to Him that He might be seen in all of His glory.