July 19, 2020
Over the next 16 days we will be reading through the book of 1 Corinthians together. The church in Corinth was an absolute mess! They were plagued by serious issues of arrogance, division, sexual immorality, and confusion concerning doctrine as well as the particulars of their moral living under the gospel. This church needed a wake-up call, a call to repentance and purity, to renewed devotion to Christ, to love and unity, and to zeal for the gospel. The church has changed little over the last 2,000 years, but praise God that there is abundant grace for the mess! Each of us needs this same call to humility faithfulness, unity, and fervor today as much as they needed it then. Let’s heed this call which God gave the church at Corinth through the apostle Paul and let it shape the way we live as Christ’s body!
In this chapter Paul addresses two issues going on in the Corinthian church. The first is that the Corinthians are wronging each other, but instead of dealing with their interpersonal sins within the church, as is fitting for believers, they are taking each other before the pagan courts. Paul rebukes them for this kind of shameful treatment of their fellow believers!
As those who have been redeemed and made part of Christ’s body, our treatment of one another must reflect the love of Christ which we share! The love we have for one another is what identifies us as true disciples of Jesus (John 13:), and Paul says it would be better for us to allow ourselves to be harmed or defrauded rather than allowing those outside the church to judge those within the church!
The second issue is that some of the Corinthians had been using prostitutes, believing that what they did with their bodies was inconsequential. Paul warns them strongly here that their bodies have been united to Christ and His body, that their bodies have been made temples of the Holy Spirit who dwells in them, and that therefore the way in which they use their bodies is of utmost importance!
Our bodies have been united to Christ and made temples of the Holy Spirit as well. This means that whatever we do with our bodies, it is as if Christ himself were doing so; we cannot take shameful, sinful physical acts so lightly, because when we do so we take lightly the fact of our union with Christ and the indwelling presence of the Spirit.
We no longer belong to ourselves, because we have been purchased by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ! So we must be careful to honor God in every way in the way we use our bodies.
1 Corinthians 6
Lawsuits Against Believers
6 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. 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.
Flee Sexual Immorality
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. 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. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 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! 16 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.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.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. 19 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 Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- How does the fact that your body is a member of Christ as well as a temple of the Holy Spirit motivate you to change the way in which you use it?
Gracias padre amado porque tú nos lavaste con tu sangre y nos purificaste de la inmundicias donde nos sacaste gracias por tu amor, por gracias somos salvos ayúdanos cada día a serte fiel y seguir tus pasos para no caer en tentación líbranos del mal y de todo pecado, que podamos serte siempre fiel en nombre y por amor de tu hijo amado amén ?
Dear Heavenly Father,
When I accepted Jesus, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in my heart. In so doing, my body became a temple where Your Spirit resides. Knowing this, I want to clear away anything unbecoming and make my body a living testament to You. I know the only way to truly glorify You is to be a good example . When we present ourselves in an acceptable way, we show others the way a Christian follower of Christ lives. Please help me to always be mindful of my responsibility to live a life pleasing to You. The way to lead others to you is by showing characteristics of You through us. May I always be a light for You in this dark, dark world. Help me by casting out any thought or action that would be a stumbling block for this purpose. Restore in me a clean spirit, oh LORD I pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
11 And such were some of you. 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.
Paul is admonishing the people of the church, but I love this part. No matter what we have done, once we accept Jesus we are washed clean. He is our complete and perfect sacrifice. Redemption is the main theme of the Bible and this passage. Thank you Lord Jesus. Even when we have committed every sin in the Bible, your gift of salvation redeems us into your favor. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mil gracias!❤?
Father, you netted me together in my mother’s womb. You know my thoughts before I speak them. You write down all that I do…so: help me avert my eyes and my thoughts away from evil. Help me to avoid temptations. Help me to run from the devil. Father, give me strength to always run into you outstretched arms. Amen
AMEN and HALLELUJAh!! Lord keep me away from the devil. Help to stay away from all wrong doing in my life. You know everything about me. I want my thoughts to be of you and you only. I say get thee behind me Satan. I have changed my life because of you Lord, and I thank you with all my of heart. I have done things in my life that I’m not proud of but because of you my life is so much better. Knowing you has changed me forever. Thank you Lord. I ask the things in Jesus name Amen
My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, which I have from God, I am not my own. I have been bought with a price, I will glorify God in my body.
Thank you Holy Spirit when I was saved my body became the temple of God. I ask you to help me to continue to always do what is right to take care of it so that I can serve you and brings others to you.
Dear Lord, only by your power residing in us that we can have victory over the flesh. When I am tempted dear Lord to sin, remind me of today’s scripture, for you have provided already a way out for every temptation we might face in life. So dear heavenly Father, for all the times you opened the door for me to flee.
I have found also that praising you, singing songs of deliverance makes the enemy flee.
for he is unable to stand in the face of our heartfelt praise and worship of you. Thank you Lord!!! for your sacrifice of your sinless body so that ours sinful ones can be saved. We therefore indeed owe you worship by holy living.
I love Lauren Daigle’s songs, especially for standing your ground,
her song “I Am Yours” from her famous Album , ” How Can It Be”.
I AM YOURS LYRICS
I see Your fingerprints
The work of Your hands
It’s all in Your hands
I see the evidence
Leaving nothing to chance
The world’s in Your hands
So I rest in Your promises
Now I am sure of this
I’m Yours
Let the waters rise
I will stand as the oceans roar
Let the earth shake beneath me
Let the mountains fall
You are God over the storm
And I am Yours
I hear the voice of love
Calling me home
To where I belong
It cripples every fear
And the ones who will kneel
Walk away healed
So I rest in Your promises
Now I am sure of this
I’m Yours
No power is strong enough
To separate me from Your love
I’m Yours
So let the waters rise
I will stand as the oceans roar
Let the earth shake beneath me
Let the mountains fall
You are God over the storm
And I am Yours
Even the thunder and the wind…
Source: LyricFind
Father, I thank you for another day to live to the glory of your name in this land of the living. I thank you for your wisdom which you have so generously given to me/us. Father, my pray always is that in your mercy and grace, you will continue to draw me closer and closer to you, that you will continue to open my spiritual eyes to know you more, to be obedient to your word, and thereby live in full identity of who you say I am-A Saint, A Soldier, A Soul-Winner. Father help me to live above reproach, so I can truly be who you say I am. Please Father remove the sin of self righteousness and let me hear you, surrender to you, and live in joyful expectation of your plans for me/us. It is in Jesus name I come. Amen!
We have been constantly bombarded with the sin of homosexuality such that we have normalized it, even made it a guaranteed right. But God says that it is an abomination to Him, i.e. He really hates it. God hates it so much that He requires capital punishment as in Leviticus. Who has changed in the acceptance of homosexuality? God does not change. It is the unsaved and backslidden Christian’s who have changed. We need the mind of Christ.
Amen!
Thank you Lord for the Body of Christ, our community, where we can resolve conflict with one another. Help us be a community of peace, that we will not avoid, or provoke peace, or passively keep it, but that we would assertively, with boldness, make peace with you, each other and the world that is watching us. Help us maintain our purity. That your forgiveness, your indwelling spirit, would transform us so, that the desires of our hurt would reflect your glory. That sin would make us sick and that we would find comfort and healing in you.