I recently had a trip to the doctor just before we started our preaching series on human fragility. You have to know that I'm not a "doctor going" guy. In fact, you may be surprised to know just how long it's been between visits for me. I'm thankful that the doctor wanted to blitz me with tests and at this moment there are no serious problems (Thanking God!) - but he did indicate a couple of early warning signs (Also thanking God!). It was exactly what this pastor, who thinks his body can take whatever I dish out, needed to hear. Things have changed a bit around the Ham home lately. I've actually had to come to a greater realization that my body that God has given me is truly important and truly fragile - I'm getting older. As a result, it may not be a surprise to you that I have especially been preaching to myself throughout our Fragility series.
This week Ryan Liebert is going to consider our body and soul together as we finish our series. 1 and 2 Corinthians mentions human weakness more than any other book in the New Testament. One of those passages have been particularly helpful to me as I consider that my body is truly an important and treasured gift from God.
The letter of 1 Corinthians is a tough read. Paul rebukes Corinth for a number of sins within the body of Christ. They are affecting their unity and their holiness and witness as God's people. He has dealt with factions, sexual misconduct, and even legal disputes. Immediately after reminding this church that they have been saved FROM sin (Such were some of you), he then returns to stipulate how this New Covenant church should think about sexual misconduct. Let's step through this argument with him and think about what he is saying about our bodies in the context of the New Covenant church.
1. As Christians, we might not be bound by written law, but in Christ we are not to neglect the appropriate stewardship of our bodies and not be controlled by our fleshly passions.
1 Corinthians 6:12 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything.
2. We might think that our fleshly bodies are unimportant, but their importance is found in the fact that they are given to us in order that we might use them to glorify God. Our bodies are for the Lord.
1 Corinthians 6:13 "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"--and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
3. We are always going to have bodies and the Lord cares so much for our bodies that Jesus was bodily raised. Because of that, God is going to renew our bodies. We should live with the highest degree of respect in mind.
1 Corinthians 6:14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
4. The fact that we become members of Christ through faith should mean that we are not willing to join our bodies to sinful lusts. It's like taking Jesus with us into sin.
1 Corinthians 6:15 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!
5. This next thought has got to impact every aspect of our lives - surely!
1 Corinthians 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
6. Because of the intimate use of our bodies, sexual sin is especially hurtful. Surely this would mean that we should not want to treat our bodies with any sinful abandon.
1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
7. Our bodies do not belong to us. They belong to God, and they are to be used as worshipful vessels in honor of the fact that Jesus broke his own body to purchase us.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
The lesson that I am learning most is that my Savior went to the cross to save me - all of me. He died for me and rose for me and because of his great and awesome work I want to respond in better stewardship for the whole me he has saved. Learn this lesson with me. Let's help each other glorify God in our bodies.