Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from 1 Cor. 6. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- One of the most powerful and pervasive aspects of our fallen sinful nature is the view that we belong to ourselves, that our life is ours to live, that we have freedom to determine for ourselves what we will do in life. This includes a whole host of things, the full gamut of human thinking, desiring, and behaving.
- This is part of feminism as well, that a woman has the right to do whatever she wants with her own body. Confusion accompanies this when it comes to abortion, for what she does in an abortion is more to the body of another, than to her own body. However, the Scripture is clear that our bodies actually belong to the Lord, Who knits us together in our mother’s womb, and forms us as He desires. This should be contemplated as well, not only in regard to a woman’s body, but also in regard to a fetus that one might consider aborting – the work of God that this is destroying.
- This weakness of our fallen nature is certainly noted in Holy Scripture. For example, in this same letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul writes: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
- The Lutheran Confessions describe this as a lack of true and genuine fear, love, and trust in God – an ignorance of God, Who He is, and an ignorance of our proper relationship with God as His creatures.
- Part of our redemption and rebirth as children of God is a renewal of our inner being, so that we grow out of this mode of thinking, this form of self-deification and rejection of God and rebellion against His proper prerogatives in regard to our bodies, our entire being. Paul addresses this in our text, that we are no longer isolated – apart from God in relating to Him, but rather “ONE WITH THE LORD.” He makes clear to us that:
I. Our Bodies Matter To the Lord Who Created Them And Redeemed Them
A. They Have Now Become The Members Of Christ
Text: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?”
B. Our Bodies Have Become The Temple Of The Holy Spirit
Text: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, Whom you have from God?”
C. Our Bodies Are Meant To Be The Lord’s, And He Will Raise Them On The Last Day
Text: “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.”
D. So We Are To Understand That We Are One With The Lord
Text: “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. . . . You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.”
Statement: Even as a young Christian growing up my assumption was that my body remained my own. I was thankful that Christ had redeemed me, that I was forgiven. I realized that I should use my body – and my life – to serve Him. I recognized that I didn’t really want to do this – but I figured there was some worth to God in the little things I did to serve Him, and forgiveness for the rest. Still, I retained possession of my body – it was mine, and I would determine what I would do with it.
Application: My perception was wrong. My perspective was wrong – and I couldn’t even see how skewed it was. This is the real nature of sin’s infection and perversion of our being. It is for all of this that Christ died on the cross, to take away all of this sin and guilt. And we should never doubt God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness – I did get this right!
However, our text makes clear that there is much more blessedness for us in our redemption. It begins with understanding the reality – that we do not own our bodies, God does. We are not separate from God – to relate to Him from a distance; we are “ONE WITH THE LORD.” The practical consequences of this are immense – and Paul deals with some of the general principles that now govern our very being as Christians. First, as we consider the use of our bodies and the living of our lives we need to be aware that:
II. Even In What Is Lawful, Free, And Permissible, Great Caution Must Be Taken
A. We Are Not To Be Enslaved By Anything
1. Not by food – so that we are controlled by gluttony
Text: “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything. Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food – and God will destroy both one and the other.”
2. Likewise, we are not to become enslaved by anything – not drugs, not alcohol, not tobacco, not greed, not self-indulgence and pleasures
Ephesians 5:18 “And do not be drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”
1 Tim. 6:9,10 “ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
3. And Certainly We Are Never Free To Use Our Bodies Or Minds For Unlawful Things – Like Sexual Immorality
Text: “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. . . . 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 prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh.’ But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. Flee from sexual immorality!”
4. Rather, We Have Been Bought With A Price – So We Are To Glorify God In The Use Of Our Body
Text: “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
Statement: The distinction must ever be maintained between what is lawful and therefore good or at the least permissible, versus that which is always unlawful, forbidden by God’s eternal law. Sadly, there are many things which are unlawful – sinful in themselves – that remain highly attractive and addictive to our sinful nature – lust, greed, envy, the idolatry of self-determination, and for these we must always be repentant. However, there are also “lawful” things for us to use with joy and thanksgiving to God, which can also be “addictive” and enslaving – and this becomes a form of idolatry as well, loving these things and abusing our bodies – which belong to the Lord – rather than keeping our bodies free to serve the Lord and glorify God with our bodies.
Application: Most of us have some difficulties with all of this – being soft and self-indulgent when it comes to our own unlawfulness and enslavement to things, while remaining very stern and judgmental toward the weaknesses and addictions of others. This hypocrisy is destructive of repentance and faith, and is a dire danger to our spiritual life. We should heed the apostle: “not all things are helpful . . . I will not be enslaved by anything.” We all have our work cut out for us in putting to death the “old man,” our sinful nature! And we must take great care in our judgments, attitudes, and demeanor toward those caught in such enslavement.
Conclusion: The place to begin, and the only proper starting place, is to come to grips with the reality that we do not belong to ourselves, but to the Lord, and that we are in fact “ONE WITH THE LORD.”
Then the logic is apparent as to how we should use our bodies, and God’s love for us will compel a corresponding love for God. Then we will also be able to remember that our redemption is not just in regard to the final judgment [thank God that His gracious forgiveness and mercy has taken care of this once and for all], but also about the renewal of our being – our mind and body, here and now.
God grant these blessings to each of us, in ever increasing abundance. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.