Don't You Know?
1 Corinthians 6:17-20 NKJV
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
Paul is doubling down on dealing with sexual sins. Anyone thinking that times and culture have changed and it's no big deal would benefit from reading this chapter again. Paul starts with Christians suing one another and has some frank statements about that subject. Then he dives into the lifestyles that directly oppose what has been done in us through Christ. Paul gives a laundry list of sins to avoid and reminds the church that they were once this way but have been washed, separated, and justified in Christ. I can appreciate that Paul calls out sin but does not condemn those who are sinning to hell. He reminds them that their relationship with the Lord should supersede the desires of their flesh.
In our passage for today, Paul is summing up the relationship of the believer to Christ and the reasons that purity is important. He connects our relationship with Jesus with being one spirit with Him. That's a profound statement and deeply spiritual. But it's another reason that we should live sexually pure. To live otherwise is an offense to our own bodies.
And Paul sums up his call to purity by questioning the church. Don't you know your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit? That the Holy Spirit, who is from God, lives in you, and you are not your own. That 'you are not your own' phrase causes people to bristle. Especially in America and especially in independent, big-thinking Texas. The idea that we belong to God should be good news, but some chafe at the thought of belonging to God. Of course, 'no one tells me what to do,' is the cry of our pride-filled flesh. The place of humility is I belong to God and will honor Him in my body because He bought me with the price of His Son. Belonging to God. Being bought at a great price. Being the temple of the Holy Spirit. And joined to the Lord and in union with Him spiritually. These truths should be a deterrent to all kinds of sin, not simply sexual ones.
God is not an austere Father intent on ruining our fun in life. Rather, He is the all-knowing God who knows how we were created and what has been done in us through Christ. Living dominated by sins is living far beneath the elevated life He bought for us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for cleansing and making me right in Your eyes through Jesus. Thank You for purchasing me and making me the temple of the Holy Spirit. I belong to You and will glorify You in my body.