All you have to do
is to look at what is going on in our culture and you will quickly see
how absolutely obsessed our society has become with sex. From daytime
soaps to primetime sitcoms, somebody is getting in or out of bed with
someone other than their spouse. This sight has become so common that
most people no longer call cheating on one’s spouse adultery. Instead
they call it having an affair. A nice-sounding, almost inviting word
that hints that what is going on is a relationship, not a sin.
In our text this morning, Paul lets us know that any kind of sex outside
of marriage is wrong. Although Paul is addressing the specific issue
of having sex with a prostitute, the theme of the whole passage is clearly
broader. The Greek word he uses for immorality deals with all kinds
of sexual immorality. So not only is having sex with a prostitute immoral,
but so is adultery, premarital sex, and even viewing pornography.
We begin this morning with a key principle: God has given us the need
for sex that is to be fulfilled only within the confines of marriage.
But Satan has taken our need for sex, and distorted and twisted it so
he can tempt us to fulfill our need in wrong ways and at wrong times.
Satan has worked overtime to promote sexual immorality because he knows
that this kind of sin will destroy one’s life, one’s family, and one’s
witness, like no other sin can.
So he is dressing it up & parading it in front of us as the answer to
all our problems. If you are lonely, he whispers, "Go out and find someone
to sleep with." If your sex life with your spouse is becoming boring,
he whispers, "Go have an affair ."
I believe that the moral decay of this nation is not because of the
increase in violence, or drugs, or alcohol. Our nation’s morals are
failing apart because Satan has been successful in saturating our society
with an unhealthy obsession towards sex. Sexual sins have broken more
marriages, shattered more homes, caused more heartache and disease,
and destroyed more lives than alcohol and drugs combined. So to counteract
Satan’s attack, God wants us to know first of all that our bodies were
not designed for sexual immorality--v. 13.
God did not save us so we could go out into the world and see how many
people we can have sex with. He didn’t save us so we can cheat on our
spouse. He didn’t save us so we can look at pornographic images. And
this is not some soapbox I’m standing on. This is God’s opinion about
the members of his church being involved in any kind of sexual immorality.
I know that the world’s opinion is far different from God’s opinion.
The world boasts about having multiple sex partners. They call you a
prude if you say you’re going to remain a virgin until you’re married.
They say you hold to archaic teachings if you believe that marriage
is to be a monogamous relationship between a husband & wife.
But for Christians, and that is who Paul is talking to here, we know
that any kind of sexual immorality is wrong. There’s not one of you
here this morning, if you’re a Christian, who really believes that your
body was designed for sex outside of marriage. And God has placed within
us defense mechanisms to remind us of this fact.
Psychologically, if we commit any kind of sexual sin, it brings a healthy
shame to us. No Christian wants it to be known he/she is having sex
with someone other than their spouse. You would die from embarrassment
if the word got around youth group that you were having sex with your
boyfriend/girlfriend.
Spiritually, it causes us to shy away from spiritual things. Who wants
to come to a worship service and praise the Lord after they have spent
the night sleeping with someone other than their spouse, or spent the
night sleeping with their boyfriend/girlfriend? Who wants to read their
Bible after they’ve been looking at pornography?
And physically, sexual immorality can actually result in the destruction
of the body. Sexually transmitted diseases are of no threat whatsoever
to a married couple who are faithful to one another, or to someone who
chooses to remain a virgin until they get married. But they are, or
should be, a constant concern to those who are sexually promiscuous.
Don’t kid yourself, even nice people get AIDS, and AIDS can cause death.
The point that Paul makes is that although God has given us needs that
must be met in order to survive, like the need to eat, the need for
immoral sex is a need we must avoid in order to survive. Yes God created
our stomach for food. But our bodies were not created to have sex outside
of marriage. Food sustains life, sexual immorality destroys life. The
body and sexual immorality cannot be compared to the body and food.
The reason for this is because our bodies were designed to serve the
Lord for eternity--v. 14.
We will not go through eternity as some kind of shapeless ghost. We
will have a physical body just like Jesus had after he rose from the
dead. His resurrected body was somewhat like what it was before he died.
He could be hugged by Mary. And he could still eat. But it was also
different it the fact that he could walk through a closed door.
We will look in greater detail at what Paul has to say about our resurrection.
But for right now we just need to remember that our bodies are going
to be the raw material God is going to use to build our new & glorious
bodies. Now this doesn’t mean we should start to worship our body.
But it does mean we should not mistreat them. We should take care of
them just like all the other things that God has placed into our care.
We are to be good stewards of the body God has given us, just like we
are to be good stewards of the money God has given to us.
Don’t you wish you’d have taken better care of some of the things you
had when you were growing up? If you had realized the future value of
them, wouldn’t you have taken better care of them? My first 2 cars were
a 1965 Mustang & a 1966 GTO. I didn’t think that they’d be collectors
items in the future. So I didn’t take care of either one of them. I
wished now I had, for if I had kept those cars, they would each be worth
tens of thousands of dollars.
The truth that Paul is sharing with us is the truth that God used to
convict me to lose weight. In the past year, I’ve lost about 90 lbs.
People ask me if I feel better. The answer is No!, physically, but Yes!
spiritually. Spiritually, I feel great knowing that I am taking care
of the raw materials that God one day is going to reshape into a glorified
body that I’m going to live in for the rest of eternity.
The next truth that God wants us to know is that our bodies are a physical
extension of Jesus Christ--v. 15. The word member here is a very important
word. For we often think of a member as someone who is a part of a team.
But in the Bible, the word member refers to the organic connection that
there is between the different members of a living organism. A leaf
is a member of a tree. A flower is a member of a plant. Your arm or
leg is a member of your body.
They are not optional equipment you decide if you want. Rather, they
are part of the manufacturer’s standard equipment package. And as such,
they are extensions of your body. The point that Paul is making is that
you are just as connected with Jesus Christ as your leg/arm is to the
rest of your body.
Paul repeatedly tells us that once we become Christians, we are in Christ
and Christ is in us. Therefore, there is no way you can separate yourself
from him. Just like there is no way you can separate your lips from
your face when you tell a lie, you can’t tell Jesus to wait outside
while you do something wrong.
Everywhere you go, you take Jesus with you. Everything you do, Jesus
is right there with you as you do it. If you really were aware of the
fact that Jesus is with you, is there really any way you would do some
of the things you do?
Would you invite me over to your house to watch a pornographic movie?
Would you go out and pick up a barfly and bring her home and have sex
with her while your wife was lying next to you? Would you have sex with
your boyfriend/girlfriend in front of your parents? The answer is, of
course not. Look at the last part of v. 15.
These are some of the strongest words Paul ever uses. The most awful
thought in Paul’s mind is the thought of Jesus having to watch as one
of his followers commits some kind of sexual sin. So Paul says, in trying
to help you from sinning sexually, please remember that if you give
into that temptation, you will be sinning in the presence of Jesus.
The next truth God wants us to know is that sexual immorality creates
a lifelong bond--vv. 16-17. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use the
word "unite/joins" in these two verses because it is a word which was
used in his day for gluing two objects together so that they became
inseparable. From God’s perspective, there is no such thing as casual
sex. The sexual act is such an intimate act that it involves and affects
you, physically, emotionally, and spiritually for the rest of your life.
And even if you break up with that person, you will always be a part
of him or her.
Let me explain this statement. Yesterday, these 2 pieces of paper became
one as I glued them together. There is no way, no matter how careful
you are, that you can separate them without destroying the way they
were before they were glued together.
The same is true when you glue yourself together with another person
by engaging in sex outside of marriage. There is no way you can ever
become like what you were before you had sex. There is such a thing
as becoming a spiritual virgin, but there is no way you can ever become
a physical virgin.
I want you young people to listen to what I’m saying. Don’t tune me
out by thinking that since Paul is talking about paying a prostitute
for sexual favors, he’s not talking about having a sexual relationship
with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Don’t think that since there’s no love
involved in having sex with a prostitute that Paul must be talking about
lust.
From God’s point of view, there is no difference between having a one-night
stand with a prostitute and having sex with a steady date. Sin is still
sin. Paul could have easily had said that you know it is wrong to have
sex with your boyfriend, or girlfriend, or commit adultery with a co-worker.
He just used the prostitute because that was one of the problems going
on in the Corinthian church. But the overall problem was that the people
were having sexual intimacy without any intentions of getting married.
I am downright angry at our former President for his brazen contention
that he did not have sexual relations with that woman. His statement
has encouraged young people to experiment with behavior many of them
would never have dreamed of. And he has caused a lot of kids to believe
they are not guilty of sexual immorality if all they do is what he did
with that woman.
Young people, don’t buy into that lie. In your heart and conscience
you know when the line is crossed. And don’t let anyone, not even the
President of the United States, tell you otherwise.
I love what Paul does next. After he identifies the problem, he gives
us the answer for how to successfully handle sexual temptations. And
let me add, it is the only way to successfully avoid sexual immorality.
For no person who heeds Paul’s advice will ever give in to sexual immorality.
Paul doesn’t tell you to pray to God when you’re tempted. He doesn’t
tell you to look in your Bible for a verse to give you strength. He
doesn’t tell you to call your accountability partner. Instead, he says
we are to run as fast as we can from sexual immorality--v. 18.
The word flee is a present imperative and should be translated, "Make
it your habit to flee!" Let me add that you should keep running until
the danger is completely out of sight. Then you should to pray to God,
thanking him for keeping you from the temptation. Then you should look
in your Bible for a verse that will give you the strength to run away
again the next time.
Then you should call your accountability partner so he/she can challenge
you as to how you got yourself in that predicament. Doing these things
aftey you’ve run from the temptation doesn’t mean you’re not spiritual.
Rather, it shows that your spirituality is grounded in sensible reality.
In the book of Genesis, we how Joseph handled the sexual advances of
his boss’ wife. The Bible tells us that: "Joseph was well-built and
handsome, and about this time, Potiphar's wife began to desire him and
invited him to sleep with her. But he refused and said to his master’s
wife, ‘Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with
anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.
No one here has more authority than I do! He has held back nothing from
me except you, because you are his wife. How could I ever do such a
wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.’ She kept putting
pressure on him day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and
he kept out of her way as much as possible.’" (Genesis
39:6-10)
Joseph didn’t flirt with her. He didn’t have a friendly lunch with her.
He didn’t ask her about her day. He made it a point not to spend anytime
with her, once he realized she was sexually interested in him. How we
need to take Joseph’s actions to heart.
We need to be careful about eating lunch with someone of the opposite
sex. We need to be careful about carpooling with someone of the opposite
sex. We need to be careful about the way we hug someone of the opposite
sex. And when we find ourselves in situations that might cause us to
commit sexual immorality, we need to heed the advice given to Forrest
Gump: Run, Forrest, run!
This may mean putting a moral filter on your computer. It may mean getting
rid of the premium channels from you cable/satellite TV. It may even
mean changing jobs to flee a person who you are feeling sexually attractive
towards.
Once a man came to talk to me about an unhealthy relationship his wife
was having with one of her co-workers. I talked to the woman about this
relationship. She said there was nothing going on. She promised me she
could handle it if the other man started to show signs that he was attracted
towards her. And she said that her husband was just being paranoid.
Sadly, she left her husband, and married the other man.
Why should a person flee sexual immorality? The answer is because sexual
immorality is a unique sin--v. 18(b). While it is true that all sins
are serious. If you cheated on your taxes, or you cheat on your spouse,
both sins will break your fellowship with God. But Paul wants us to
understand that sexual sins cause a greater damage than any other kind
of sin.
Other sins require that we engage our body with an external source.
For example, just thinking about having a glass of wine or a bottle
of beer isn’t a sin. Drinking turns into the sin of drunkenness only
when you drink an excessive amount of alcohol. Walking by the dessert
bar at Ryan’s, and stopping there for several hours so you can smell
all the goodies, isn’t a sin. Eating only turns into the sin of gluttony
when you eat an excessive amount of food.
But sexual immorality doesn’t require any interaction with an external
source. You commit a sin if you lust after a person. And it doesn’t
matter whether or not you ever act upon the thought. Jesus talked about
this when he said: "Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew
5:28)
The reason Jesus told us this is because he knows that we will commit
adultery in our mind long before we actually sleep with the person.
King David is a prime example of this. The sight of seeing Bathsheeba
bathing produced within him lustful thoughts. Instead of fleeing from
his lust, he embraced them. And eventually the lust of his heart turned
into a sin with his body.
The other reason why sexual immorality is so unique is that when we
give into it, it affects our body, mind, and spirit like no other sin.
If you get drunk you may get a hangover. But eventually you will feel
better. If you overeat, you may gain a couple of pounds. But you can
lose those pounds.
But if you commit a sexual sin, those images you saw, and those feelings
you got by the other person’s flattering words & gentle touches, can
come back to haunt you for the rest of your life. Men, Satan will use
those images of those other women to cause you to start thinking sexually
about other women. And women, Satan will bring back to your mind the
way you felt when those other men put their arms around you, or held
your hand, and told you how pretty you looked, and you too will start
to look for someone who will treat you like those men did.
The bottom line is that although Satan promises pleasure and satisfaction
through sexual immorality, it never delivers what he promises. All it
will give you is a lifetime of shame & regret. I’m sure many of you
here this morning wish you had heard this truth earlier. Or perhaps
you did hear it and wish you had obeyed it. I am keenly aware that a
message like this can bring painful memories to the surface. So it is
very possible that some of you right now are experiencing a great deal
of guilt.
Well, I don’t want you to go home feeling defeated. I want you to go
home knowing that no matter what you’ve done, you’re still the apple
of God’s eye. So let me give you a couple of practical steps to follow
if you’ve already blown it.
First of all, confess the sin. The Bible promises us that "If we confess
our sins, God is able and willing to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteouness." (1
John 1:9) When David finally came to grips of his sexual sin with
Bathsheeba, he wrote, "Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned and done
this evil in Thy sight." (Psalm
51:4)
Then after you confess the sin, repent of the sin. Repent means to turn
away from something towards something. So purpose in your heart to quit
sinning and instead start serving the Lord more.
Satan would love for you to think that since you’re already guilty,
since you’ve already blown it, that one more act of fornication isn’t
going to make any difference. Don’t kid yourself. Sexual sin is cumulative
in its damaging effects.
Continual acts of immorality will only compound the problem. The only
way to deal with any kind of sexual sin is to immediately turn from
it, and run as fast and hard as you can towards God. Ask God to give
you strength of his Spirit to never let it happen again. And it also
wouldn’t hurt to become accountable to someone.
In conclusion let me say that I imagine that right now some of you are
thinking about having sex for the first time with your boyfriend/girlfriend.
I imagine that right now some of you are contemplating committing adultery.
I imagine that right now some of you are in bondage to pornography.
And I imagine that right now some of you are living a fantasy sex life
through soap operas or romance novels.
If that is you, let me tell you the only thing you can do. Confess those
thoughts and those sins to God, and then flee from the temptations.
Almost sounds too simple, doesn’t it? But I don’t know of any other
method that will work other than confession & repentance.
I want us to take a few moments this morning and individually do business
with God. No one knows your heart but you and God. I’m not going to
ask for any visible action this morning, the subject is too personal.
But if you are involved in some kind of sexual immorality, and you know
you need to flee that person, or that situation, now is the time to
make a commitment to do exactly that.
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