February 21, 2014
IT COST HIM EVERYTHING
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Courtney Todd
Central Truth
When Jesus died on the cross, the penalty for our sins was paid in full. The painful agony Christ endured on the cross was for me. So, if Christ is willing to honor me with His body, is it not only fair that I do the same?
Key Verse | 1 Corinthians 6:20
[F]or you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:20)
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
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 1 6:16 Or who holds fast (compare Genesis 2:24 and Deuteronomy 10:20); also verse 17 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 2 6:18 Or Every 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.
Dive Deeper | 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
I must admit, I was slightly flustered when first assigned a passage about sexual immorality. However, in the end, it encouraged and motivated me in multiple areas.
When we first begin our walk with the Lord and understand the magnificent work Jesus did on the cross, we confess our sins and believe that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). At that moment, he who unites himself with the Lord is bonded with Him forever (1 Corinthians 6:17). From then on, "[neither] height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39)
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 teaches me to question like Paul does. Is not the purpose of my life and the purpose of my body the same? Have I forgotten the price that was paid for me? My life and my body are not my own. They were bought at a high and costly price. My freedom cost Christ everything. I'm learning to be thankful that life isn't fair. I'm learning to delight in the fact that I don't get what I deserve. As a sinner, I deserve death every time I sin. Christ died to change that.
My response should be simple. Loving the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength, and all my mind (Luke 10:27) means surrendering all of my wants, all of my desires, and everything I think I deserve.
You fill in the blank: Honoring the Lord today for me means ___________. For some, this might literally mean fleeing from a situation in order to make purity a priority. For me, this might mean loosening the grip I hold so tightly on my future and trusting God. We do this as a response to the great love He has lavished upon us in calling us His children (1 John 3:1).
Discussion Questions
1. If not sexual immorality, then what? If this is not a specific struggle of yours, what is? What is an area you can identify that you need to flee from or give to the Lord? Try to come up with an action step.
2. List the names of three or four individuals who know you and what sexual immorality looks like in your life. If it's hard to think of anyone's name to list here, I highly encourage you to look into finding a community group. If you're already in one, I encourage you to trust the Lord and have the courage to discuss this with them.
3. The Lord gave us His Son, freely offers us grace, and calls us His children through no merit of our own. What is truly standing in your way of living for Him?