When Paul wrote the letter of 1Corinthians he had many things to address needing correction in the Corinthian church. In today’s text Paul addresses the loose morality of the Christians in Corinth. They had run too far with their liberties. They boasted in their freedom from the Jewish dietary laws and customs. So they adapted a saying that was properly applied to those things and began to improperly apply that saying to their sexual behavior. Their saying was, “All things are lawful“. They then went further to claim that whatever body appetites they had could be rightfully satisfied without restrain. That is why Paul wrote the way he did in the following text. Take note of how Paul corrects them.

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 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.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 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? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

1 Corinthians 6:12-20, NKJV.

It all comes down to, Who’s body are you living in? Who do you belong to? If your body is yours, then do what you want to do and live how you want to live. But if you belong to the Lord then He owns you; body, soul and spirit. Thus, you should live for Him and glorify God with your body.

If you belong to Christ, live like it!

Pastor Mike