#5 in the Created and Called Series
There are two ways to drive a rented car.
The first way is: Very Carefully. Someone told me when you rent a car, before you even get into it, take your phone and record a video as you walk around the vehicle. Look for scrapes and dents that are already there. That way the rental company cannot charge you for damage already done. When you drive the car, especially in a foreign country, be as alert to other drivers as you can. Avoid accidents.
The second way: Have you seen the movie where these guys do stupid things just to see how it feels? Like shooting themselves with a beanbag gun? One of these geniuses rents a car and drives the snot out of it, hitting everything he can, slamming into curbs, and returning the car in a heap. It’s a rented car; who cares? The idea was to see what the rental company would do when a customer trashed the car.
Your body is not a disposable rental you can trash before returning it. According to Paul, your body belongs to God. So, it’s like driving a friend’s car. How you treat the car matters all the more. You wouldn’t eat greasy food in your friend’s car; you wouldn’t drive like a maniac; you would be as careful with it as if it were your own, or more so.
One of the great deceptions of our generation is that our bodies belong completely to us. “My body, my choice,” is used not only by pregnant women, but by all who desire the freedom to do with their bodies as they wish. But in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Paul says the exact opposite, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.”
As followers of Jesus, we emphasize that our souls and spirits are saved through his death and resurrection. What we fail to grasp is that Jesus died for our bodies as well. As we look at today’s passage, we will ask, “What does redemption mean for our bodies?” Do our bodies matter? The gospel tells us that we are not rescued from our bodies, but our bodies are redeemed for the glory of God.
1. Your Body Belongs to the Lord (6:12-14)
The Corinthians had a popular saying too, “All things are lawful for me.” Or as the NIV 2010 puts it, “I have the right to do anything.” There is a perception among these Christians that salvation through Jesus saved the soul, but that the body was a decaying vehicle for the soul, so it didn’t matter. If the body didn’t matter, then one could do anything they wanted with it. This is how they understood “freedom in Christ.”
Paul responded with an acknowledgement of their perspective but added two caveats. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.” Yes, you have freedom, but there are consequences to your “freedom.”
First, some things are doable but are not helpful. And some things are actually harmful. Have you watched these food challenges on Instagram? People pay to sit down to an enormous meal in a timed segment. Can you eat 30 burgers in 30 minutes? You can, but is it good for you?
Second, doing whatever you want can lead to addiction. Paul is not talking about substance abuse as much as to the consequences of sexual freedom. What seems like freedom sexually isn’t freedom at all. Men’s Health magazine listed the harmful effects of viewing porn: It’s progressive. It creates unrealistic expectations. It counterfeits intimacy. It wrecks your relationship with your spouse…
You are free to do most things, but you might be mastered by those things. Anything that “masters you” is essentially a “lord” in your life.
The Corinthians’ argument for indulging themselves emphasized natural appetites. They would say, “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food.” In other words, if I have an appetite for something, it must be God-given. Burgers are meant to be eaten, and I have a desire for burgers. It is as natural as that. If we apply this to sex, like the Corinthians did, you will obey your urges in the same way hunger signals it is time to eat. You eat when you are hungry, and you have sex when you have urges. It is natural, they say. In this way, the Corinthians used this natural appetite theory to justify sleeping with prostitutes. Can you imagine?
We can’t. But our culture preaches sexual freedom and indulging the appetites. Our culture treats sexual expression as sacred and restraint as oppressive. To question someone’s attractions and preferences is to question their personhood and dehumanize them (it is said).
Paul challenged this thinking on “freedom” saying, “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” Why? Because of this: “And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.” (14). Just before these verses, Paul talked about who is going to inherit the kingdom of God (9-11) and how we were brought out of that “old life” and transformed. Now, Paul argues, these bodies are not meant for the “old life,” those practices, anymore, because we belong to the Lord. These bodies matter and what we do with these bodies matter. Why? Because God resurrected Jesus’ body from the grave and he will raise our bodies too. He’s not done with these bodies. So, don’t drive these “rentals” into the ground.
2. Your Body is One with Christ (15-17)
What we do with our physical bodies has spiritual significance. Even and especially sex.
Paul uses the expression “do you not know” three times in this text; two of them are in this section. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” This is the first use. We teach that when Christ died on the cross, we were joined with him in his death through baptism. A person may be tempted to take this metaphorically, and I think we all do to an extent. However, Romans 6:3-4 does not allow us to take this merely figuratively. Paul wants us to understand that this is a real spiritual union, not symbolic. We are joined through baptism into his death and life. If one is figurative, so is the other. But our resurrection is not figurative, it is a real thing for which we hope. Therefore, we must take this seriously that we are joined to Christ with our bodies.
Paul then takes on the Corinthian view that sex is meaningless since it is only a bodily function. No, Paul says,“Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?” That’s the second use of this expression. This argument for sexual oneness goes back to Genesis 2:24. There, we saw that God’s vision for marriage was that sex united a man and a woman, not only physically, but spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and mentally. It is the communion of the covenant of marriage. And it reflects the union we now have with Christ, to whom we are joined spirit and body.
There are two lies that are taught in this generation and the Corinthian situation. In fact, we can see that nothing has changed. The first lie: Sex is everything. This is the belief that our sexuality is the most important thing about us. We can include gender in this also. Some would say that sexual freedom is the only way to find inner peace and identity. So, remove the constraints and let the people be free to explore. The second lie: Sex is nothing. It seems contradictory when sex is everything and our identity is wrapped up in it. But this lie promotes the idea that sex is a harmless activity; it means nothing. It is an appetite and nothing more.
The Truth is that Sex is a gift given for expression in the context of covenant. And if God owns your body through the cross of Christ, your body matters. What you do with it matters. Even sexually. You are not free to do whatever you want with it because he redeemed it. He bought it.
3. Your Body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit (18-20)
Your body matters. Redemption has transformed your body into a sacred space. What does that mean for us?
It means that our bodies matter to God. Paul cuts no corners and hits the point straight on: “Flee from sexual immorality.” The picture you probably get is of Joseph when he worked for Potiphar in Egypt (Gen. 39). One day when Potiphar was not around, Potiphar’s wife comes on to Joseph. His reaction to this temptation was to run leaving his coat behind. When you are tempted – run!! Leave what you are doing and run. With this imagery, Paul ups the ante on sexual sin over most other sins. This is serious stuff for the Christian. And here’s why.
Here is the third “do you not know,” “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (19). Can you fathom this? The God of the Universe who called all things into being by the breath of his mouth, who holds all things together by his word, literally lives in you! You are a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Your body is a sacred space for God. A temple is where God’s presence is found. Formerly, he dwelled in the temple in Jerusalem, but through Christ a new temple was established. A temple is where spiritual acts of worship are performed. Just as this building represents our Christian values, what is done in it ought to reflect who we are as a community of Christ. The same with our bodies; these bodies reflect the one who is worshiped in it. A temple is where holiness is encountered and practiced. It is a place that reminds us to act with care and in keeping with the commandments of God. This is your body. That’s you!
God wants your body. Paul invited the Roman Christians to consider this, “I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship…” (Rom. 12:1). Did you catch that? Your “bodies” are a living sacrifice. Not just your spirit – your bodies!
Let’s not make the error of misapplying this text. It has been used to decry the practice of smoking, overeating, and various other habits that we should be mindful of as stewards of our bodies. But Paul is not focusing on those habits. He was addressing the most critical issue of that time and our own: sex and the body.
If we take seriously that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, we will value them in many ways. But the most significant challenge of our day is to appreciate God’s purposes for our sexual identity. What we do with our bodies is a form of worship.
A preacher once spoke to a youth group with the sole purpose of getting them to see the dangers of sleeping around. He spoke negatively of sex. As an object lesson, he passed around a single rose through the crowd of a thousand teens. Everyone handled and smelled the rose. Can you imagine what shape it was in at the end? This beautiful rose was broken, drooping, and losing petals.
The preacher then said, “Now who in the world would want this? Who would want this rose now? Would you be proud of this rose? Is this rose lovely?” The message was brutal. If you have been broken and experienced hurt or failure sexually – and many of us carry deep wounds, regret, or confusion – you would have felt worthless and unworthy.
The preacher missed something crucial in his presentation. Jesus wants the rose! You may be asking yourself, “Am I a dirty rose?” Jesus has bought you with a price – his shed blood – and you belong to him. We are much more than our failures and hurts. Jesus wants your body, soul, and spirit. He does not despise our bodies since he had one himself.
Our bodies are not worthless. The gospel of Jesus does not free us from our bodies; it teaches us how to glorify God in our bodies. These bodies are not disposable shells on their way to eternity. They are redeemed places where the glory of God now dwells.
AMEN
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