1 Corinthians chapter 6, we looked at the first 11 verses last week. So today we pick up with verse number 12. Now in the previous verses, as we will see throughout this book, Paul addresses quite frequently immorality. And he concluded as we broke off last week with verse 11. In verse 10 and nine, he reminded them that they were at one time, many of them immoral people and the lifestyle that they had was anything but godly. And so in verse 11, he says, and such were some of you. How about you? I've underlined that verse of my Bible and I've colored in the word were to remind myself of where God has brought me and what he has saved me out of, that I'm no longer who I used to be. I'm now a child of God because of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. And such were some of you, but ye are washed. Ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. This is almost like a climatic point in this whole chapter. If you don't get anything else, get that. All I've said prior to that is the way you were before this happened. And what I'm about to say after that verse is the way you ought to be since this happened. So we find some people, unfortunately, have taken these verses, verses 12 through 20, out of context. You can take any verse you want, teach anything you want, if you take it out of context. But if you keep it in context, meaning you keep it within the realm in which it was written, you take it in light of the verses before it, the verses after it, who wrote the passage, to whom it was written. When you keep it in context, you must look at scripture for what it teaches, not what you want it to teach. And so we find here some people have, unfortunately, taken these verses out of context and teach something that Paul never intended. In context, Paul has been talking about sexual immorality. And kept in that context, these verses are quite understandable. He doesn't change his thought at verse 12 and go to a new theme because of the verses that we find following verse 12. So he's still in context with the thought in his mind, I'm dealing with this matter of sexual immorality. It seems obvious by the length of teaching Paul is giving concerning a godly and ungodly sexual lifestyle that Paul's making a much needed point about Christian liberty and sexual limitations. It was because of a misunderstanding or a lack of acting on clear biblical teaching that division had entered in the church at Corinth and Paul is writing to correct this misunderstanding or misapplication. You remember back in chapter five, he says, I've gotten a report that there's a man in the church that Obviously from the way it's written was more than likely a believer. And this man's living with his stepmother and he's welcome in the church. She's welcome in the church. Everybody's happy. Look what God's doing. Look how things are going, how the ministry is growing and how we're seeing God's blessing. And all the time, you've got this horrible sin factor in the church that hasn't been addressed. And so in chapter five, Paul says, you've got to address this. You have got to bring about church discipline on this man who is living an immoral lifestyle and you must remove him from your church fellowship. Period. I'm sure to some of them, this was a shock because to some, they believed it was, you know, you can do what you want to do. You're saved. You can, you can live the way you want. And this guy's really not doing anything that bad. Paul says, oh yeah, it's bad. And it's got to be addressed. And so in chapter six, he begins, first of all, by dealing with the matter of judicial misunderstanding and application between believers. And then he goes into sexual misunderstanding and application to believers, telling them that you used to live this way, but God has saved you. You have been changed by the blood of Jesus Christ. You have been justified. And then he says in verse 12, all things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful unto me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise us by his own power. So in 3.1, Paul's talking about Christian liberty versus Christian maturity. We are to grow in Christ. We're to continually see sanctification taking place in our life. The New Testament teaches this. We're to constantly see change taking place. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passing away. Behold, all things are becoming new. We don't arrive in this Christian life. We don't say, okay, I have finally made it to the top of the ladder in Christianity. Now, it's not gonna happen. But we're constantly climbing the ladder to get to the top. Our goal as believers is to become more like Christ every day that we live. And so there's this matter of maturity that is to constantly be taking place in the life of the Christian. The longer I'm saved, the more ignorant I feel about Christianity. Because the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know about a relationship with the Lord. I thank God for what I do know, but there is so much more that I need to learn, and I want to learn it. I want God to change me. I want that maturity. And so we see here, Paul says, all things are legal for me, or lawful. We have been given liberty in Christ. There are some believers that are scared to death of that word liberty in Christ, or that phrase, because they think, well, you know, I'm afraid I'll abuse it. And then there are others that think, well, if you tell somebody they have liberty in Christ, they will abuse it. Let's see what the Bible says. So he says, we have been given liberty in Christ, the first part of the verse 12. B, we must determine by the Holy Spirit's leading how to exercise that liberty. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. And C, under one, we must be sure that the all things, the phrase all things does not replace the control of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We cannot, as maturing believers, draw the conclusion from scripture that I have liberty to do anything I want and it's okay. Because after all, I'm a Christian. I'm going to go to heaven when I die. It's all taken care of. Not according to what the Bible says can we ever come to that mentality. We must have the mindset, I'm at liberty to do what I choose, but it may not be expedient for me to do it. I'm at liberty to get in my car and on my way home drive a hundred miles an hour if my car will go that fast. I'm at liberty to do it. I have control of the gas pedal. It's my foot that pushes the gas pedal down, but it's not expedient for me to do that. I may have an accident, kill myself or kill someone else or kill us both. Or I may be stopped by the police and, and locked up in jail for excessive speeding. It's not expedient. So as a maturing adult, realizing the 10, 20 miles over the speed limit is not worth the $200 fine. I decide to stay within the confines of the speed limit as a maturing adult. I don't want to quickly give up my money just for my momentary excessive speed. And as a believer, there is maturity that develops in us as we grow in Christ. And if we don't grow in Christ and we don't mature in Christ, it's not God's fault. It's your fault as we will see. So first of all, Paul says, let's address this matter, Christian liberty versus Christian maturity. The second thing in verse number 13, he says, there are certain things that God intends to go together. When God created us and create the universe, there are certain things that God said, these go together. Verse 13, meats for the belly and the belly for meats. So the stomach and food naturally go together because God created it to be so. That's why we enjoy eating. That's why when our stomach goes like some of yours is doing right now, you know, I'm embarrassed when I don't eat breakfast before I come to church. I mean, I can eat breakfast before I come to church and still have the, and I'm looking around. Oh, I hope nobody's saying my wife will look at me and she'll kind of grin. You know, my stomach, I'm not, it's just my stomach saying I want food. Why? Because God made them to go together. I'm still trying to figure out how, after I eat the food, to get my stomach to separate from the food. You know what I mean? I'm well-balanced. My bubble is becoming in the middle. And I'm a well-balanced personality. It's not that that's what I want, but God has created the stomach and the food to be together. There will be a time when the stomach and the food will not have, and get this, an eternal value. Look at verse 13, meat for the belly and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them. There will come a time when the belly will not have any eternal value and the food will not have any eternal value. Notice something else. Point three. There are certain things that God did not intend to go together. Verse 13, the last part through verse 14. He says now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. Now the first part of the verse says meets for the belly, the belly for meats. The second part of the verse says the body for the Lord and the Lord for the body. Period. Don't go be bringing in immorality. Don't go bringing in fornication. No. That's not what God created the body for. Verse 14, and God hath both raised up the Lord and will raise up us by his own power. In verse 13, God's going to destroy both the belly and the food. But in verse 14, God's going to raise up the body. Point three, there are certain things that God did not intend to go together. A, the human body and sexual relationship outside of marriage. Period. B, God's intended relationship is for the human body under the control of Christ and used for the cause of Christ. C, there will never be a time when our human body will lose its eternal value. When God created the human body, it became an eternally existing item. In the same way that God raised Jesus from the dead, so the Father will raise our human body from the dead. So Paul says, okay, first of all, let me say up front here, I can do whatever I want to do. I'm at liberty to do whatever I want to do in Christ. I have that freedom, but It's just not in my best interest to do everything I want to do because as God created the belly for taking in food and food taking in into the belly, that's a natural process. But as I look at it, Paul says it has no eternal value. But how I use my human body does indeed have human value. And in light of what he's talking about already, he says it's not to my advantage to take my body as a believer and use it for sexual immorality. Period. Verse 15, know you not that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. Now notice the phrase that he uses three times in these verses, these short verses, no, ye not. So point four, as maturing believers, we are to understand that we belong to Christ. And with that ownership comes certain responsibilities and restrictions. He says point a, no, you not, or are you not aware? like hello is there anybody home the lights on do you not get this are you that carnal as he calls them that you don't understand this it's sarcasm it's saying wake up people this is something you need to understand no you not Are you not aware? One, something you should be knowledgeable of. And two, and to your shame, you are not knowledgeable. It's to their shame because they have allowed this man in the church living in this sinful way to be a welcomed member of the body. And Paul's already said, Hey, that's got to go. Now he's explaining why that has to go. So are you not aware, B, that your bodies are the members of Christ? Your body is actually part of Christ. And as such, he is the one in charge of how the body is to be used. You say, preacher, I don't quite understand that. How can I actually be part of Christ? The Bible teaches me that Christ became flesh. He has his own body. He is seated at the right hand of the father in his body. How can I be the body of Christ? Well, I'll tell you what, here's my answer. Ask God when you get to heaven, how both can be. I don't understand it myself, but I know what the Bible teaches and therefore I accept it. I don't have to understand it. I just have to believe it. And when I get to the point, I have to understand everything about scripture or else I'm not going to hold to it. I'm on dangerous ground. So God tells us here that our bodies are actually part of Christ, and therefore, as such, he is the one in charge of the body, how it is to be used, one and to be. Therefore, it does not make sense to take Christ's body and join it with a prostitute. Verse 15. So I take Christ's body and this is how we need to look at ourselves. I'm Christ's body. And how I use my body is how I'm using Christ. So can I take my body and join it in immorality and say, that's okay. I have liberty. No, you have stupidity. You have immaturity. You're ignorant of truth. You have blinded your eyes to the truth of God's word and you're either totally disobedient and God's going to deal with you or you're lost and on your way to hell. You cannot, as a believer, a new creature in Christ, having a regenerated heart, live in ungodliness and not be convicted by the Holy Spirit about it. Stay with me. So he says, Do I take Christ's body and join it to a prostitute? Point A. Two, God forbid, or may God never allow it to be so. May it never happen. Oh, don't even think such a thing. Don't even let that thought enter your mind and dabble with it. If that thought comes in your mind, kick it out. Don't dwell on it. May it never happen. That's strong. Then we find that bold statement is backed up. Verse 16. What? Know you not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? For two saith he shall be one flesh. So point C is the reasoning for such a bold statement as found in verse 15. We find in verse 16, here's what it is. Point one. Here's that phrase again. What? No, you're not. Or what don't you understand? Don't you understand? Are you not aware to God has stated that the joining of a man and a woman sexually makes them one in the eyes of the Lord. That's found in Genesis 2 and Ephesians 5. God stated it about Adam and Eve before they fell into sin. And then Paul repeats it over in Ephesians where he's talking about submission. And the last part of chapter 5 of Ephesians is talking about submission of the husband and the wife to each other. And so we find here that he says, God, when he looks at this situation, we may look at it like a, well, it's just a one time fling. No, it's sin. It's not how God looks at it. Well, but this is how I look at it. Well, you better change how you look at things. If you're God's child, you better start looking at God's things, the way that God says they look. If God says it looks this way to him, that better be your viewpoint. And so God says, when I see this occur, I see it as a man and a woman becoming one. So, point three, as believers, we have been joined unto Christ as one. Verse 15, know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ. People who have been born again have been joined together with Christ. And therefore, believing that and acting on that, we can not draw the conclusion, it's okay for me to experience a little immorality. Or a whole lot of immorality. Because as Christians, that's not how we live or how we think. So Paul says, verse number 16, what? Know you not that he which is joined to a harlot is one for two saith he shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. So as believers, we've been joined unto Christ as one. Then Paul says in verse 18, flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he that commits fornication sins against his own body. So point D, since being joined to Christ through the new birth, we are not at liberty to be sexually active outside the bond of marriage. One, we are not even to be around or to participate in sexual immorality. Flee fornication. Run from it. If it's around, get away from it. Don't think about it. Don't play with the thoughts in your mind. Flee it. Flee it. Flee it. Don't bring things into your life that will tempt you to go down the path of fornication. Stay away from pornography. Stay away from dirty jokes. Stay away from dirty literature. Stay away from things of Hollywood that will promote that kind of lifestyle. Stay away from it. Flee it. Flee it. Flee it. Flee it. Run from it like it's the plague. Flee fornication. Then we see, he also says point two, the sin of sexual immorality is more than just a sin against our body. It is a sin with our body. We use our body to commit this sin and therefore is absolutely inconsistent with the behavior that Christ would have us use our body for. Then verse 19, what? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God and you are not your own? Point E, we as believers are the present dwelling place of the Holy Spirit on this earth. When I think about that, that scares me. It's a sobering thought that God lives in me. And some of the things that I've exposed God to in my past, it's a very sobering thought. And it makes me want to repent of any sin that I've ever committed against the Lord and say, God, I'm sorry. Please forgive me for dragging you into this mess. What? There's that phrase again. Do you not understand? Are you not aware? Point one. Two, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God and you're not your own. Two, A, our body, our human body is the sanctuary, the shrine, the dwelling place of God, the Holy Spirit. Again, that's one of those things. I don't understand it, but I believe it because the Bible says it's so. B, God lives inside the human body of a believer. God lives in me as a believer. Notice he says, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God, you're not your own. He says, which you have of God. So that statement tells us that this is a supernatural act of God. People don't do this. People say, well, you know, I'm just going to change my mind. I'm going to turn over a new leaf. I'm going to go in a different direction. I'm going to be a better person. I'm going to change the way I live. It takes a supernatural act of God for change to take place. And it can only happen through the new birth. It's a supernatural act. It's God living in us. And he says, point four, and you're not your own because of this supernatural act of God and the reality of it. We no longer belong to ourselves. Now note, we gave up that ownership when we asked God to be our savior and Lord. We said, God, by the way I live my life, by the way I'm doing, I know that I'm going to go to hell. But I know that Jesus died for me. And I know that you offer me new life in Christ, new life in Christ. And I know that you offer me eternal life. Therefore, I ask you to forgive me of my sin, come into my heart and be my savior, my deliverer. We may not have understood it at the moment, but as we grow in Christ, we recognize that Christ is not only a savior. He is to be our master, my Lord. And when I asked Jesus to save me, I gave up ownership of myself. I said, God, I don't want to go the way I'm going. I want to go the way you want me to go. I don't want to continue being what I have been. I want to be what you want me to be. And I turned to Christ and he saved me and he became my master, my owner, because I received his gift of eternal life. So we see that we are not our own. We gave up that ownership when we trusted Christ to save you. Verse 20, for you're bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Point F, our liberty goes only as far as our owner will allow. One, for you're bought with a price. We are the purchased possession of another. Someone paid the price for us. Two, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit. We have an obligation to allow God, the Holy Spirit, to control our life and thereby bring glory to God through obedience to him and his word. And notice he says, for you're bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's, which are God's. That's the owner. God is the owner. God owns me. If you're a believer, God owns you. And it do you well to start thinking like that. I belong to the Lord. I must obey my master. I must do what my master tells me to do. And he'll always lead you in light of what's taught in his master plan. The Bible. You see, my liberty is determined and controlled by God who owns me as his child. That is true of all believers, whether willing to live that way or not. Food for thought. Paul makes it real clear to these people and to you and me. We do not have any grounds or any license to live immorally. I don't care what the world says. I don't care what the world thinks. I don't care what kind of condemnation you come under for living a moral life. You don't have any choice as a Christian. You have no choice as a Christian. And if you choose to go against your owner, you will be dealt with by him and you will not like the outcome. So please take this to heart. Let's pray. Father, I thank you for your word. I thank you for the clearness of it, Lord. These are not my thoughts. These are yours. Help me to live by them. Help me to think accordingly. Help me to obey you. Help me to walk in obedience to you. Help me to do what you want me to do. Say what you want me to say. Help me, Lord, to be a light in a dark world, an example of Christianity. Help me, Lord, to promote your truth. Help me, Lord, to promote your standards. Help each one of us here, Father, to walk in the light of Christ, remembering that we are his body and he is the head. We thank you for what you do in our lives. We thank you for the changes you make in us. And we ask, Lord, that you will help us to ever look to you.