Good morning my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Have you ever struggled to break a bad habit, or maybe control a harmful but powerful urge you have? Have you battled with a sweet tooth, and you struggle to control your sugar intake or maybe it’s an emotional thing like controlling your anger? Join me again, with the apostle Paul, in the sixth chapter of his first letter which he’s writing to the Christians in the wild city of Corinth, Greece in about 55ad.
Yesterday we looked at this powerful statement Paul wrote: “I have the right to DO anything, you say – but not everything is beneficial.” (1 Cor. 6:12) And that’s why developing mature discernment and self control is so important, right? Now today, let’s add another statement from Paul, found in the very same verse: “I have the right to do anything’ – but I will not be mastered by anything.” Do you know anyone who struggles with habits or attitudes or temptations that they have a very, very hard time controlling?
In fact, do you know anyone who excuses their succumbing to something they know is detrimental to them or others, by simply saying, ‘I know I shouldn’t but…’? Or ‘It’s only a little and I can control it’? Or ‘hey, that’s simply my cross to bear’? Oh my, we can rationalize or make excuses for almost anything, can’t we? Even things that we know are harmful to our health, or our relationships, or our reputation.
In this part of Paul’s sixth chapter and this statement of not being ‘mastered by anything’, Paul was dealing with a very specific problem in Corinth, that has been a problem for many Christians ever since. It’s the problem of lust, even out of control sexual lust. Paul wrote: “The human body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord… Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ Himself?” (1 Cor. 6:13-15)
This is a very important spiritual and physical truth, my friends. For those of us who have trusted Jesus Christ to be our Savior, and the Holy Spirit lives within us, and the Holy Spirit has brought us into union with Jesus Christ Himself, that means whatever we do with our physical bodies engages God in that very same act! Oh my that’s a staggering thought, isn’t it?
The Holy Spirit is NOT only in me when I’m in a worship service or reading my Bible or praying. The Holy Spirit is within me, seeking to accomplish God honoring work in me, even when I’m mowing the lawn or driving my car or walking on the beach on vacation or working at my job. And yes, the Holy Spirit is within a Christian if they are sitting in a bar having a drink, or in a Casino gambling at blackjack, or on a business trip, alone in their hotel room, watching pornography. Or as Paul said, even if a Christian is uniting themself with a prostitute! (1 Cor.6:15)
Yes, because of this miracle, of the Holy Spirit of God living within each Christian, we engage God with us in EVERYTHING we do, good or bad, holy or wicked, right or wrong. We take God with us wherever we go! Oh my that’s serious isn’t it, my friends?
So, Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to write one of his most powerful paragraphs: “Flee from sexual immorality…Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Cor. 6:18-20) What price was paid? By whom, when and how, to purchase you and me, that would lead Paul to say: “You are not your own; you were bought at a price”?
The PRICE paid was the horrific crucifixion of Jesus Christ, God the Son, on the cross. Why? Because “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” and “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 3:23; 6:23) Only eternal, sinless, holy, Jesus, God incarnate, could therefore pay the sin debt for every human being, ALL humanity!
But this terrible price was paid BOTH by Jesus, God the Son, as HE died on the cross; and also God the Father who sent His Son Jesus to pay that full price. God the Father devised this redemption plan and God the Father was willing to sacrifice His own Son for the redemption of all humanity! That’s the powerful truth of John 3:16 & Isaiah 53:4-7,10-12.
Yes, as we fully trust God to save us from our rebellion and sin condemnation, we are forgiven of our rebellion, and we are adopted into God’s family as His son or daughter, and God’s Holy Spirit is placed WITHIN us to cleanse us, sanctify us, nurture our spiritual growth, unite us with Christ, and guide us in living God honoring lives.
Do you see, therefore my friends, how horrific a mockery of Jesus, a defilement of God’s holiness, a rejection of God’s grace and mercy it is when we, Christians, with the Holy Spirit within us, engage ourselves and the Spirit within us in activity which is evil and abhorrent to Holy God?
We need to pause right here and invite the Holy Spirit to convict us of minimizing the trauma we have caused God by taking the Holy Spirit with us into our thinking, our words, our attitudes, our actions which are dark kingdom, evil and offensive to God… sin. We need to gain a whole new understanding of the holy privilege we have of the Spirit of God living within us, and dramatically raise our standards to HONOR the Holy Spirit at all times, in whatever we are doing!
So, I urge you to read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 several times my friends and perhaps put today’s date in the margin of your Bible right there as a reminder of this moment.
Spend some important time with Jesus and the “lessons learned” notes at the link below, and then the worship song, and I’ll be waiting here for you tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Cor. 6:12-20
Choose below to read or listen.
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Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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