1 Corinthians 6:12-17 Everything Permissible, Not Beneficial!

1 Corinthians 6:12-17  “Everything is permissible for me” — but not everything is beneficial.  “Everything is permissible for me” — but I will not be mastered by anything.  “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food” — but God will destroy them both.  The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.  By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?  Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute?  Never!  Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body?  For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”  But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Because Christ has paid the price for our redemption and because Christ has set us free from sin and death, EVERYTHING IS PERMISSIBLE FOR US: But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.  (1 Corinthians 6:11)  Because God's plan does not fall short of completing his work in us, we are free.  As Jesus said, So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  (John 8:36)  The harness of the law with it concomitant bit does not have to drop over our heads to direct us for us to please God.  No, we are not governed and guided by the work of the law, but by the work of the cross.  Faith in Christ's work makes us completely pleasing to God.  But Christians must consider who we will serve daily.  Do we allow sin to creep into our daily lives or do we place our lives in the Originator of life, Christ himself?  This is our choice.  As Paul said: Everything is permissible for me.  As with Joshua, we choose God: But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.  (Joshua 24:15)  Christ alone is our complete holiness, our eternal life.  His finished work pleases the Father; allowing us to cry Abba Father, as God's sons and daughters in Christ's image.  Paul expresses this eternal truth of a new creature in Christ by alluding to the body's basic function of eating: Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, but eventually God will destroy them both, for they have no eternal value.  They are only worth something on this earth.  He then implies that even though we are sexual beings, sexual activity will cease, for it has only temporary, earthly value.  However, he warns, illicit, improper sexual activity points to where your heart is as far as serving God.  For example, joining yourself to a prostitute illustrates your lack of commitment to the God who has set you free from the works of sin and death.  Because we are free from sin and death, we should treat our bodies well, exemplifying the one who has freed us, Jesus Christ.  We should not ally ourselves again to what was previously destroying us, the lust of the flesh.  

As part of the body of Christ, our redeemed lives are meant to express God to the world.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God raised Jesus from the dead; he will raise us also.  Paul tells us we should be cognizant that our bodies are members of Christ himself.  Even though we are free because of Christ's completed work, we are obligated not only to appreciate his work in us, but also to dedicate ourselves completely to his authority in our lives.  We read in God's word: And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.  (Romans 8:11)  That life in the Spirit gives us power over sin.  Sexually, we are not to unite ourselves with a prostitute or with any other person outside of marriage for two will become one flesh.  "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name — the name you gave me — so that they may be one as we are one."  (John 17:11)  Unholy sexual activity interferes with the sacred bond of oneness that God has with his people.  This eternal bond, WE IN HIM AND HE IN US, brings resurrection power to these mortal bodies.  In compromising this relationship of oneness, we jeopardize our eternal existence with God.  God has said from the beginning that He has a jealous love for his people: Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.  (Exodus 34:14)  If we look at the children of Israel, we can extend the thought of illicit affairs breaking oneness with God beyond sexual activity.  The Israelites were often charged by God of prostituting themselves by chasing after other gods.  Rather than being content with serving the Creator God, they chose to serve gods of the heathen world.  Of course, our gods in this present age are not idols made of wood, stone, and precious metals: they are the gods of the secular and materialistic world, gods of ideas, activities, special interests, and possessions.  Where do we, followers of Christ, prostitute ourselves, separating ourselves from following God in oneness?  Where do we go to find our prostitutes?  What prostitutes are consuming our thoughts and activities?  If we unite ourselves exclusively with the activities and interests of the world, we unite ourselves with the prostitutes of this world.  We unite ourselves to that which will carry us away from God.  Our fleshly pursuits can eventually carry us away from the oneness we have in Christ.  

We know from studying God's Word that Christ must be our everything. We must not follow after these diversionary temptations, for our redemption is in the Lord.  Jesus said, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  (Matthew 6:21)   Paul fully understood this; therefore, he told the people: But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.  WE ARE FREE, FREE INDEED.  But we must use our freedom to lift up Christ in our daily lives.  Our activities and interests should reflect Christ.  We don't need the harness of the law to make us do right.  We do not require a bit in our mouths to force us to the right or to the left; but we do need the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit actively within us.  We live by the Spirit, not by the law.  Our basic desire should be to serve Christ.  That is why we should be praying constantly, meditating upon him, loving him.  This kind of life is true freedom--free to be all God wants us to be in him.  When we seek God wholeheartedly, when we establish our lives around him, He will come near to us.  We will speak with him, face-to-face.  His voice will become real to us.  He is a good God who wants to comfort and to nurture his children in this alien land.  Turn to him daily dear breakfast companions; open your lives to him.  Know him as he is: He is merciful, even to his enemies.  When we feel we have failed him miserably, turn to him, for He is a God of mercy and grace.  There is not one of us around this breakfast table who does not need his grace and mercy; not one of us can go it alone in our own strength.  We thank you Lord for your completed work in us.  Give us the strength and knowledge to follow you in oneness with you.  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  (Isaiah 40:31)  

1 Corinthians 6:7-11 Washed, Sanctified, Justified!

1 Corinthians 6:7-11  The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already.  Why not rather be wronged?  Why not rather be cheated?  Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.  Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

In the above passage, Paul begins by telling the Corinthians their desire for fair treatment in their interactions with fellow believers has caused them to wrongly seek out justice in the outside community.  Rather than to allow others in the church to take advantage of them, they have brought their complaints to the secular courts to win their cases.  The very fact that they would do this means their hearts are in the wrong place.  Paul says they have been completely defeated already.  Their Christian testimony of love and mercy towards others has been discredited by their actions to seek fairness and justice above all else in these insignificant disputes.  This is wrong.  God is always concerned about our hearts.  When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees who criticized his disciples for eating with unclean hands, He said, You hypocrites!  Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."   Paul asks the Corinthians, Why not rather be cheated?  Regardless of their complaint against another, Paul does not condone their attitude of taking advantage of others in the church.  Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  He categorizes those who are impure or unjust within the church with other more obvious sinners: sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexual offenders, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers.  Taking advantage of others is a sensual sin, a sin of the flesh, a sin of self-will.  This kind of sin is as bad as any other sin, for it fulfills the definition of sin: We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  (Isaiah 53:6)

Paul warns the Corinthians not to have a cavalier attitude toward impure actions within the church, for this attitude of cheating others will creep into their relationship with God.  For the sake of the cross and their Christian testimony within the city of Corinth, Paul instructs fellow Christians to endure injustice, to allow themselves to be cheated or to suffer humiliation from another believer.  However, in the context of eternal life and holiness, they must know they cannot cheat God, for their heavenly Father demands obedience and purity.  They cannot claim to be right with God and go right on practicing behaviors, such as sexual immorality, idolatry, prostitution, thievery, greediness, drunkenness, slandering, and swindling.  God will not allow such actions, for these behaviors do not reveal Christ and his love.  We cannot fool God by pretending holiness while behaving poorly when it counts.  Paul told the Galatians: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.  (Galatians 6:7-10)  A fleshly life reveals darkness, sin, and death to the world.  Jesus came into the world to manifest the light of God in the darkness.  Just as Jesus is the light of the world, we Christians are the light of the world.  When we separate ourselves from God's purity, when we cheat, lie, steal, and the like; we function in the carnal world of the our senses: living life for ourselves, for our own feelings, whatever we think is appropriate.  This kind of sensual life is far removed from God's holiness and perfection.  God will not bless this lifestyle of self, for it is the opposite of servanthood, of our Savior's nature.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!  (Philippians 2:5-7)

We cannot live a life of cheating God and others and expect to please our Father.  We might think we get by with double-mindedness here on Earth.  For unity's sake, God asks us to forgo judgment and retaliation when we are cheated within the church, but in the eternal matters of our soul, unrepentant cheating and impurity of any kind does not lead us on the road to eternal life.  Yet, praise God, Paul concludes this passage with hope, that is what some of you were,  basically sensual in your lives.  You were once cheaters, deceivers, living your lives as you desired, believing God did not notice or care.  But no longer are your souls established that way, for you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.  Your hearts are no longer darkened by sin.  God has made you clean and holy: and his works, not yours, are acceptable to him.  Therefore, when we temporarily fail God and ourselves by our sinful actions, when we have cheated God and ourselves by living wrongly, let us remember our Savior and the price He paid.  He saves us continually from the effects the flesh by his ever-flowing blood.  He has sanctified us, justified us.  John wrote: If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  (1 John 1:6-7)  God promises to accept his Son's life for our lives.  However, we are not to be cheaters.  Our lives of sinful behavior should be our past lives, not our present lives.  If we sometimes fail because of the sensuous nature  of the flesh, let us run quickly to the cross with a contrite heart.  Let us rest in Christ's completed work, while we hate sin.  Whether overt or covert, manifested or hidden, let us hate  it.  Praying: God heal us, heal that which we don't even know exists in us.  Let our lives be a living testimony of your grace and mercy.  Let us rest by faith in the work of the cross, trusting in your great love for us, your sons and daughters.  Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.  (Isaiah 43:1)  

1 Corinthians 6:1-6 Do Justice, Love Kindness!

1 Corinthians 6:1-6  If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?  Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?  And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?  Do you not know that we will judge angels?  How much more the things of this life!  Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!  I say this to shame you.  Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?  But instead, one brother goes to law against another — and this in front of unbelievers! 

Paul clearly expresses that Christians possess the unique wisdom and knowledge to judge the disputes and arguments within the body of believers.  With the indwelling Holy Spirit and his attributes, believers should be able to decide what is right and wrong and to mete out justice within the church.  As we read in God's Word: He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  (Micah 6:8  NRSV)  Of course, serious crimes among believers such as sexual abuse, manslaughter, murder, assaults, and the like must be dealt with in the larger community; and adjudicated by the system of justice within that society.  But, within the above context, Paul is talking about disputes that do not rise to the level of horrific criminal activities.  His ideas could apply to the general conflicts that occur within any organized group of people, regardless of their reason for gathering together.  People are people, and when they interact closely, in a corporate way, there will be conflicts, some rising to the level of having others decide who is right or wrong.  Paul beseeches the Corinthians not to take these basic disputes outside of the church's jurisdiction, for to do so brings disrepute upon the body of Christ.  Rather than being different from the world, the Christians will be criticized for being just like the world without the ability to trust in God to solve their problems.  Their reputation will be tarnished.  They will be seen as hypocrites who claim righteousness, love, peace, and other good qualities because of their belief in Christ while their actions reveal discontent and clamor within the church.   Jesus said for us to solve our problems with others such as before taking an offering to God to go to our brother who has something against us and to settle the problem.  Then He went on to say, Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.  He said do this on the way before you even get to court.  (See Matthew 5:23-26) 

Believers are filled with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit who is able to teach us all things.  We are alive IN CHRIST the risen Savior.  We have the mind of Christ; we are part of his body.  We should have enough of Christ within a body of believers to make right decisions about disputes within our community.  Christ can judge the angels.  Paul says, Do you not know that we will judge angels?  The body of Christ on Earth is made up of many members.  We come from many backgrounds, different experiences in life, and possess differing levels of knowledge and training.  As individuals within the church, we must rely on each other's love in an intimate way.  We must believe that others are looking after our interests as well as their interests.  We want to be able to depend on the servanthood of the believer.  If we are immersed in Christ, our disputes and differences with each other will pale in significance to our love for each other.  Paul gives this picture of the body of Christ: He says we should no longer be unstable infants.  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  (Ephesians 4:15-16)  On the other hand, if we are carnal, we will want our own way, thinking our problems and concerns should rise to the top of any discussion.  This leads to divisions within a church.  People who do not want to seek a compromise or take the role of a servant desire to rule and to control.  When the church is infested with this virus, the world sees our lack of love for others.  Even today, churches split over simple, nonessential reasons, such as how we arrange the pews or how we decorate the church or what the altar should look like or does the pastor wear the right uniform or are we singing the correct songs.  The list goes on and on.   Disputes such as these have hurt Christians throughout the ages, scarring the faith of the believers, and turning away those who are seeking an authentic faith in God.

Paul says they should be able to appoint even the weakest among them, the most uninformed, ill-prepared congregants to judge these disputes and concerns.  Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!  He tells them, I say this to shame you.  Then he sarcastically adds perhaps they do not have anyone in the church wise enough to make decisions in these disputes.  He is trying to wake them up to his main observation: This church has gone astray!  Believers are attacking each other in court, and unbelievers are reaching the conclusion that Christians are no different from the world.  He knows that people who represent Christ within the community should have the understanding that their testimony to the world should be of the love of Christ, the mercy of Christ.  Jesus said, By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.  (John 13:35) Even the weakest believers among them know love should identify them; therefore, they would judge these conflicts rightly if they were full of the knowledge of Christ.  Of course, adjudicating any conflict within the church depends, relies upon, the Holy Spirit's demeanor, which is his fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  (Galatians 5:22-23)  Any other attitude within the courtroom of opinions will bring division; described in the Bible as the acts of the sinful nature.  (See Galatians 5:19-20)  Paul asks the church to BE THE CHURCH, to reflect Christ in all situations, to allow his authority to enter into all its disputes and conflicts.  If Christians do so, we will be known as the light of the world for we will be reflecting THE LIGHT, Christ Jesus, Savior of the world.  Jesus said, I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.  (John 8:12)  Yes, Good News comes to the world when we reflect the Light of the World in all situations.    

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 Come to God; He Will Come to You!

1 Corinthians 5:12-13  What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?  Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Paul asks the Corinthians to deal with the sin within their congregation rather than to be so concerned about the world around them.  God will judge those outside the church.  He wants them to realize how they must look to the people of Corinth who knew this sin existed within the church.  By allowing the sin of incest within their congregation, they compromised their testimony of a Christian life of righteousness and purity to those who did not know Christ.  Paul was concerned especially about this open practice of incest within the church because of its deviation from even the secular community's sexual mores and acceptable behaviors.  Even the pagans of Corinth were uncomfortable with this kind of sexual activity: It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.  (1 Corinthians 5:1).  Paul wanted the church to judge this behavior within the church, knowing it is irreparably wrong and, consequently, must be dealt with by removing the people who practice this sexual deviation from their community.  Expel the wicked man from among you.  However, Paul is also concerned about other sinful practices tolerated within the church: But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.  With such a man do not even eat.  (1 Corinthians 5:11)  He wants the Corinthian church to realize they should be light in the world, salt to a sinful people.  If they are like the unbelieving Corinthians in their behavior and attitude, they cannot be light or salt to them.  They cannot bring life to the dead souls of the lost, for they will be viewed by the unbelievers as just another way of thinking and living and not as the only way to everlasting life.

Of course, we find numerous scriptures in the New Testament telling us to put off the sinful nature and to resist the old way of living.  Paul clearly asked the church at Colossia to turn from the wicked ways of their former lives: Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.  But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  (Colossians 3:5-8)  The Word is strong and clear here.  You put to death the sins from your carnal nature, and you get rid of all the things that keep you from showing forth the light of Christ in your life.  Of course, Paul is writing to believers, and he knows they have the Holy Spirit within them to empower them to walk by faith and to overcome the evil one.  Yet he expects them to seek God earnestly and to reject sin wholeheartedly in their lives.  As James said: Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  (James 4:7-8)  Again, James is asking something from the believer.  He is asking submission and yielding to God, not a part-time faith.  We will find this message throughout God's Word, where people of faith are exhorted to turn away from the things of the world and towards God.  Peter wrote a message similar to what we read from Paul when he said: Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.  (1 Peter 2:1-3)  These men of God knew that it was important for believers to rid themselves of the old sinful nature of man that is prone to give in to temptation and is easily led astray.  They encouraged the church to hold fast to their faith and to keep their eyes upon Jesus.  This is our goal: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)

Paul not only reminds the church they must remove such open sin from their congregation, but he tells them they must leave judgment of the rest of the world to God: God will judge those outside.  Sometimes when we see so much open sin around us, we want to begin to judge everything, but that is not our job.  We read in the Bible: For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  (Hebrew 10:30-31)  As this scripture says, it is a terrible thing to fall into God's hands.  We can trust God to mete out fair judgment.  If it were up to us, we would not be impartial, consistent, or capable of judging correctly, for we do not have the mind of the Lord.  In addition, God has asked us to love and to forgive.  That would be difficult if we simultaneously were judging people.  Jesus said, But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.  If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  (Luke 6:27-31)  Jesus goes on in this passage to tell us to do good to others, expecting nothing in return.  He says be merciful as God is merciful and to forgive as we have been forgiven.  This is the nature of Jesus.  He is the One who is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to eternal life in him.  Remember, the reason Paul wants the people who are openly glorying in their sin pushed out of the church is that their souls might be saved.  Whatever we do, whatever we say, our motivation should be for the glory of God and his kingdom.  As we close this breakfast today, we ask the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, to renew our first love, to make our lights shine brightly for Jesus wherever we go.  Bless you dear brothers and sisters.