Stay Sexually Pure

I Corinthians 6:12–20
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In these verses, the apostle once more takes up the question of sexual immorality, a sin that was prevalent in Corinth. The temple of the love goddess, Aphrodite, was there. It employed more than a thousand prostitutes and sex was part of the worship ritual. In other words Corinth was a morally bankrupt city. Paul, who founded the church in Corinth was distressed by this situation and gives six reasons why we must flee from sexual immorality to stay sexually pure:

1. Because our bodies were designed and created for a relationship with the Lord and His Service. "The body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” (v. 13).
2. Because there is a future (resurrection) for these bodies of ours. “And God hath raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by His own power” (v. 14).
3. Because our bodies are members of Christ, and we are one with Him in spirit (vv. 15-17). As ones whose bodies are one with Christ, sexually defiling ourselves is not an option.
4. Because such acts cause us great personal harm. “Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (v. 18).
5. Because our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. “What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you?” (v. 19).
6. Because our body is not our own. “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (v. 20).

Application

I must never think that I can handle in my own strength the temptations that are sure to come my way. I need to have standards in my life that will help build a hedge of protection around me. For instance, when I started out in the youth ministry I promised God that I would never allow myself to be alone in a car or isolated spot with a person of the opposite sex. Lord, hold me to it! I know that better men than me have fallen because they didn’t have a hedge.