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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (17-1-1999 Guisborough Evangelical Church)
The Christians at Corinth had just started on the
Christian road. They had so much to unlearn – habits and outlooks that had
formed over many years. They had no background of Christian teaching; it was all
new to them. Their families and old friends had not changed; society had not
changed. They themselves were still in their old bodies, with all its appetites
and urges. So there was great need for after-care pastoral support and further
teaching.
Paul starts with the Christian
use of the body – how to think of it and treat it. He does so in a very
down-to-earth way. This may seem an unusual topic. We are strong on soul and
spirit, but what has the body to do with being a Christian? The body is very
important. The Lord Jesus took a body at the incarnation, His body was raised up
on the third day, He rose to heaven in the body, and He will return in the body.
Our bodies are His now. At death, our bodies will be buried or disintegrate. But
at the second coming we will have new bodies. We will spend eternity in a body.
Our bodies, like our souls, are affected by Salvation. We are warned about misusing our bodies, and then reminded of God’s claims on our body. Then we are told of the proper use of the body.
Paul has to straighten out their
thinking, and answer their false reasoning. “Everything is permissible for
me” (1 Corinthians 6:12) The NIV uses inverted commas, it is probable that
Paul is quoting the phrase, a saying of some of his readers, claiming they are
free as Christians. Paul agrees there is a sense in which we are free, but we
have to be careful here. Not everything is beneficial or helpful, and we must
not be enslaved by anything. We are not free to do what we like with our bodies.
There are lots of things we can
do in theory, but they do not help us or other people who are watching our lives
and taking their cue from us. Be especially careful not to be enslaved by
anything. There is nothing more enslaving than sex. It can be a good servant, or
a terrible master. It can have profound effects if not controlled.
Then he turns to another
specific argument to justify sexual misconduct. Some argue that just as eating
food is a natural function, sex is a natural function. So if it is OK to enjoy
the one whenever you like, it is OK to enjoy the other whenever you like. Paul
points out these two are not the same. The sexual function is far more profound
and far-reaching in effects.
The body is important to God. It
is going to be raised up from the dead one day. It belongs to God. We cannot use
it immorally. Cannot unite with a prostitute (licensed prostitution was the norm
in Corinth). The Greek word kollwmenos
(1 Corinthians 6:16,17) – “glued” – the same word used for being united
with a prostitute as is used to describe our relationship with the Lord – the
Christian should be “glued” to his Lord.
Sexual immorality is sinning
against our own body, grossly misusing it, and desecrating a precious gift.
Eating food does not affect the body in this profound way, nor do other sins
profoundly affect the body. But sex blasts the body, and profoundly affects the
whole personality. So we must “flee” from it - feugete
- make it your habit to run away as far and as hard as you can from it.
Do not argue, ponder, delay, or stay to debate – or else you will certainly
succumb.
Finally Paul gives the
profoundest reason for being pure. Do you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit? (1 Corinthians 6:19). You are indwelt by the third
person of the Godhead. Just as the local church is the temple of the Holy Spirit
(1 Corinthians 3:16), so the individual’s body is the temple place of the
indwelling of the Spirit. We cannot make unholy the temple of the Holy
Spirit. Rather, it must be holy, set apart for the use of the one who lives
within you. C.f. Joseph under temptation to sin with Potiphar’s wife, “How
then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God” (Genesis 39:9).
The Holy Spirit dwells within
each one. This not only shows that He is divine because He must be everywhere,
but it also teaches us what a dignity that gives to our lives and personalities.
How careful we should be to protect our bodies and ensure our faculties are not
misused for sinful purposes.
This principal has practical
bearing when we ask ourselves such thing as should I have the operation, go to
the dentist, take a day off, go on holiday, take risks, take up this or that
habit, neglect or indulge? Remember the importance of the body – God the
Father made it, God’s Son purchased it, and God’s Holy Spirit indwells it.
We need a God-centred attitude to our bodies. It is not enough to look after
them so that we feel fitter and enjoy life more. But our bodies are the Lord’s
– and it is our duty to look after someone else’s property.
Our body and our instincts must not master us, but with the aid of the indwelling Holy Spirit we are to master it. Not to satisfy lust, but to honour God.
We are already indwelt by the
Holy Spirit. He now makes more explicit the Lord’s claim on us by saying You
are not your own; you were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19,20). You do
not belong to yourself. You have no right to treat your body as you think you
will. You cannot take another person’s property and use it as you want.
Straight to the Cross of
Calvary. Reminder of several meanings of the Cross – not only forgiveness of
sin but also His death was the price He paid for us to belong to Him. Very heavy
price – the death of the spotless Son of God. He gave His body to take
possession of your body, and everything to do with it – limbs, eyes, ears,
organs, tongue, faculties, possessions, hands. He purchased your redemption and
He purchased you. We may talk about our rights – our right to this and that,
in home, business, church, relationships etc – but the fact is that if we
understand the Cross aright, we have no rights.
This is at the root of
discipleship. Many are frustrated and making little progress because they have
forgotten the basic fundamental, that they are His. Alas, we do not always
possess what we purchase (e.g. we lend books and never get them back). We do not
make any more spiritual progress till we remember whose we are. The running of
your life and making decisions and use of your body is not a joint enterprise
between you and the Lord. He has total monopoly. He owns all the shares and all
the voting rights. You do not belong to men, church, family, self – but to
Christ.
So often we feel it is not safe to trust the Lord. We let Him take control, but we always want to keep our foot on the brakes. Someone once said, “He who is his own master has fool and tyrant to be his lord. Self is a cruel slave driver and terrible oppressor.” If only we believed He loved us better than we love ourselves. If only we trusted ourselves less and the Lord more. Do not rob the Lord of what is rightly His.
Therefore honour God with
your body (1 Corinthians 6:20). We must put ourselves at the Lord’s
disposal every day of our lives. Do not think of our rights but instead, think
of our debts. Use our body to bring glory to Him. So whether you eat or drink
or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Bishop Taylor Smith said, “Lord, this bed is your altar. This body is the
sacrifice. I am yours for another day.” Ask God to take this body, mind,
imagination, will, affections, possessions, and show you how to use them
according to His will and for His purpose.
You are not here for your honour,
to satisfy yourself and increase your wealth and position. You must glorify God
by honest hard work, keeping pure, acting honourably and speaking truth, looking
after your body and health, not taking unnecessary risks, not neglecting or
over-indulging. Allow the Lord to express Himself, to speak to others and care
for others through you. Not self-expression, but Christ-expression.
How important it is to glorify Him and be His when tempted. These eyes can be the gateway to evil when they stray in the wrong direction. What damage this tongue can do if self takes over and not the Lord. Our hands are his also. There were once three gamblers sitting together in a railway compartment. They got their cards and money out to play, but they needed a fourth player. A gentleman sitting in the corner of the compartment was invited to join the game. He replied, “I cannot – I have no hands –they belong to someone else.”
How do we see our Christian lives? Are we doing our best
to be decent Christians? Not taking things too far, but hoping we will pass? Or
are we remembering that we are not our own, but His? It is a tragedy when self
gets in the way – we are proud of our possessions, full of our own importance,
and determined that others should know it. So there is this hindrance, and our
lives are spoiled. We wonder why we are dissatisfied and miserable and guilty.
Rather, we should be the Lord’s, totally His, and at
His disposal. We may be afraid of many things, but prepared to trust. Do you
want to be fully possessed by your purchaser? Give Him what is His? You have
Christ. Does He have you? You possess Him. Does He possess you? What blessing
could be poured into life if only we gave self over to Him. He would fill us and
take possession of us by His Holy Spirit. Then what rejoicing, what peace, and
what usefulness it would bring to our lives.
“My
glorious victor, prince divine,
Clasp
these surrendered hands in Thine.
At
length my will is all Thine own,
Glad
vessel of a Saviour’s throne.”
I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1).
