The Divine Purpose for the Body

1 Corinthians 6:12-20
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, October 28, 2001
Copyright © 2001, P. G. Mathew

Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Have you ever heard the statement of St. Augustine, “Love God and do whatever you like”? Saint Paul said, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 6:20). Such statements can be misinterpreted to mean that Christians are free to do anything they want with their bodies. In this study we want to learn God’s purpose for the human body.

Slogans of Antinomianism

In the early church some Corinthian believers also thought they could do anything they wanted with their bodies. They even coined slogans: “Everything is permissible for me,” and “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food” (1 Corinthians 6:12-13).

These Corinthians were declaring that what they did with their bodies by no means affected their spirits. Basing their views on the Greek philosophy that viewed the material body as a temporary prison for the immortal soul, to be abandoned at death, they concluded that what they did with their bodies was irrelevant to spiritual life. Some in the Corinthian church even believed that their physical bodies would not be resurrected: “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection from the dead?” (15:12)

Modern man has come a long way from the Greek view: we are so sophisticated that we do not even believe in the soul anymore! The modern view is that man is matter and death is the end of everything. But the effect is the same: we think we can do whatever we want with our bodies, with no eternal repercussions. Whenever we are hungry, we should eat, and whenever we feel a sexual urge, we should gratify it by whatever means.

Using Paul’s doctrine of justification by grace to justify their stand, some Corinthians embraced this view of sexual liberation. Of course, they were misapprehending Paul’s teaching. Paul rejected antinomian libertinism. He would say, “Certainly Christians are liberated because we are set free by the Son. But our freedom in Christ must be regulated by biblical injunctions, such as ‘Do all things in the name of the Lord’ (Colossians 3:17). We must do all things in terms of God’s revelation to us.”

The Body Is for the Lord: Not for Fornication

But God has a purpose for the body. First, in 1 Corinthians 6:13, we read, “The body is for the Lord.” That means, positively, that our bodies are for the exclusive service of the Lord, and, negatively, the body is not for fornication, which is any illegitimate sexual activity, any sex outside of marriage. The ancient Greeks had sex with mistresses, concubines, wives, cult prostitutes, and young boys. The accepted view in the Greek world, which was adopted by the Romans as well, was that a person could do anything sexually he wanted to with his body. But this is not the Christian view.

Sex should not be seen as the panacea for human emptiness. The only thing that will satisfy our deepest longings is eternal fellowship with God. What we do with our bodies, especially in the area of sexuality, matters. Recently, a Christian theologian: “It should be positively affirmed that virginity is one of the most creative, releasing, purifying and beautiful gifts which can be brought to Christian marriage” (David Prior,The Message of 1 Corinthians: Life in the Local Church [Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985], 102).

I asked a young woman what she thought about this common statement: “I lost my virginity at such and such an age.” She said, “Pastor, the fact that the world says, ‘I lost it,’ means that it still considers virginity as something valuable.” She is totally correct. Losing one’s virginity is like taking a very expensive Ming Dynasty vase and throwing it down. When it shatters, you may experience a feeling of great liberation. But at the same time, in your heart of hearts you will have a creeping feeling that you have just lost something most precious and irreplaceable. Virginity is extremely valuable in the eyes of God.

If a Christian commits sexual immorality, his personality is damaged because, according to Scripture, sexual sin is unlike any other sin: “All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Thus, negatively, the body is not meant for fornication, as Greek philosophy held, and as modern philosophy affirms. It’s a lie! And, positively, the body is for service to the Lord.

The Body Is for the Lord: For the Lord’s Service

As Creator of everything, God already owns our bodies. Additionally, if Christ is our Redeemer, our bodies belong to him alone. The Bible tells us we are not our own but belong to God; therefore, we are to know and do God’s will with our bodies. We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God. We are to eat and drink to please God, not to indulge our bodies. Our bodies have been given to us not for self-gratification, but for God-glorification; thus, we are to please God in with our bodies.

In Romans 6:13 we read, “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.”

Jesus Christ provided an example for us of how to use our bodies:

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am-it is written about me in the scroll-I have come to do your will, O God'”

Hebrews 10:5

Jesus always did the will of God in his body, as he himself stated in his prayer of John 17. In verse 4 he prayed to God the Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” That was the purpose of Christ’s incarnation: to honor and glorify God by knowing and doing God’s purpose with his body. In John 19:30 we read, “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.'” The work God gave to his Son to do while in the body was finished on the cross.

Christians are going to be judged based on what they have done in their bodies: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14); “For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

So the body is for the Lord, not for our self-interest. Our purpose is to know and do the will of God in our bodies.

The Lord Is for the Body

Second, in 1 Corinthians 6:13 we read, “The Lord is for the body.” This is a very important truth. Because the Lord is for our bodies, the Son became incarnate, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross in our behalf. “[Jesus Christ] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25). Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in our behalf insures the resurrection of our bodies. Some Corinthians did not believe in the resurrection of the body, so they did whatever they wanted with their bodies. But our bodies will be raised up because the Lord Jesus Christ is for the salvation of both soul and body.

“The Lord is for the body” also refers to the truth that our bodies are members of the mystical body of Christ-the bride of Christ. In Ephesians 5:25-27 we find a wonderful statement about the Lord’s care for his church:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

The Lord is for our complete salvation. He is the vine, we are the branches; therefore, his sufficient grace continually flows into us who are the branches. “Of his fullness we receive grace upon grace.” That is why Paul could say, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

When we offer our bodies freely in service to the Lord, he will provide for our bodily needs. Never forget the first in order to claim the second. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus told us, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” My own life is a testimony to this: God has provided me with food, clothing, shelter, health, healing, fellowship, a wife and children. God will never fail us. He provides for our bodies, he protects our bodies, and he saves our bodies. If your body is offered for the exclusive service of God, then you can claim this profound promise: God is for your body!

The Resurrection of the Body

Third, we must realize that our bodies are permanent. Contrary to the view of the Greeks and modern man, there will be a final judgment and resurrection of the body. Modern man claims he can do whatever he wants in his body because there are no eternal consequences. “If it feels good, do it!” is his motto, based on the philosophy that we are no more than animals.

In opposition to Greek philosophy, Christianity exalts the body. Both the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus Christ speak about the importance of the body, which is not a shell to be discarded, but something of eternal significance.

These bodies that tire and wear out, these bodies that get old and weak, these bodies that get sick, these bodies that one day will die and be buried-these bodies will be raised up by the power of God in the same way that he raised up the body of Jesus Christ. This will happen at the second coming of Christ.

We read about the resurrection of the body in several places. Romans 8:11 tells us, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” In 1 Corinthians 15:22-23 we read, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” In Philippians 3:20-21 we read, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

I pray we will not subscribe to wrong views of the body! Our bodies are significant to God, and what we do with them matters. We are not free to do what we want with them.

Our Bodies Are Members of Christ’s Body

In 1 Corinthians 6:15 Paul writes, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” If we are Christians, our bodies are members of the mystical body of Jesus Christ through faith. We are in Christ, joined to him in an eternal, inseparable union.

Some people constantly question their salvation. They should believe this declaration of vital union with Jesus Christ and then do what is pleasing to him. Those who obey God will have assurance of salvation aplenty. Christians are the limbs and organs of the mystical body of Christ. We are his hands and feet, and, as such, our purpose is to serve God with our bodies.

In speaking of this union with Christ, Paul concludes in Romans 8:39 that nothing in all creation is able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Our union with Christ is unbreakable. Remember what Jesus Christ said when he spoke to Saul on the road to Damascus: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 26:14). Because we are members of Christ’s body, persecuting us is persecuting Christ. We are one with Christ, so that whoever touches us touches the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8). That is the type of vital union we experience with God.

We would do well to remember this when we are tempted toward sexual immorality. Fornication violates this vital union with Christ. How unthinkable it would be for Christ to unite himself with a prostitute, or to engage in any unholy sexual activity! “Casual sex” is never casual; in fact, it is anything but. It is a sacrilege, a violent offense against Christ’s body as well as your own. It damages your family, your church, and your self.

Our Bodies Are the Temple of the Holy Spirit

Fifth, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Bible describes several ways in which God dwells with his people. First, in 1 Corinthians 3:16 we read about the whole church being the temple of God, the naos, the Most Holy Place where God dwells. Additionally, the Lord Jesus Christ told us that where two or three are gathered together, there he is in their midst.

In 1 Corinthians 6:19 we are told that the individual believer’s body is also the temple of the Holy Spirit. The third Person of the Trinity dwells in individuals just as he does in the church. Have you ever thought of that? Perhaps you were baptized, but then you thought you could do whatever you wanted with your body. But the truth is, your body is the temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells, and you must act accordingly.

When Moses set up the tabernacle, God came down and his glory filled the Most Holy Place (Exodus 40:34): “Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” In the same way, the Holy Spirit comes and indwells the body of a believer in Christ. The greatest difference between a believer and an unbeliever is that God the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer.

What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit dwell in us? If you go to my home and ask who lives there, the answer will be, “Pastor Mathew.” I own and govern my home. In the same way, when we say our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, it means he governs, guides, empowers, and cares for us, body and soul. I hope we will understand this profound truth. Additionally, it means that our bodies are sacred. The Holy Spirit dwelling in us makes us holy. In Romans 12:1 we read, “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” We are the temple of God, the priests of God, and the sacrifices of God, offering our entire lives in service to God.

All sin, but especially sexual sin, is a contradiction of the reality of the Holy Spirit living in us because those who sin sexually are desecrating the temple of God and causing untold spiritual and physical damage to themselves and their loved ones. I am sure people do not think of these things when they sin. But the indwelling Holy Spirit will enable us to resist all temptation and live to please him, if we allow him to do so.

Our Bodies Are Redeemed by Christ

Sixth, our bodies have been redeemed by Jesus Christ himself. Once we were slaves of sin and Satan, but Christ paid the highest price and purchased us from the slave market.

What was the high price of our redemption? Peter tells us, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Jesus Christ came to give his life as a ransom for many. He loved us with everlasting love and paid the highest price imaginable for our salvation. He who created the whole universe by the word of his mouth “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32), redeeming us from the wrath of God and bringing us into the eternal life of his kingdom.

I hope we will be eternally thankful for this great salvation. How unthinkable it is for those who have been redeemed by Christ to yield their bodies to sin, especially to sexual immorality! He who yields to sexual sin thinks his body is his own, to do with what he wants. He has no understanding of this doctrine of redemption.

Our Bodies Belong to a New Owner

Seventh, our bodies belong to a new owner. First Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God in your body.”

Before we were redeemed, we could only serve our old master, Satan. We had no choice in the matter, as Ephesians 2:1-3 tells us:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

When we were unbelievers, we thought we were our own masters. But every unbeliever does exactly what Satan wants him to do, and Satan does not tolerate any disobedience.

Our old master, Satan, was a cruel master. In fact, the Lord Jesus says he comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But now we have been redeemed by a new owner, who became our master when we confessed with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” What a privilege it is to belong to this gracious One! We are now his slaves who do his will. (PGM) The apostle Paul affirmed this new relationship when he introduced himself in Romans 1:1 as “Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus. . . .”

As slaves of Christ we have no rights. So Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “You are not your own; you were bought with a price.” Recall the slogan of the Corinthians: “Everything is permissible for me”? Here Paul brings the whole discussion to an end. He invalidates this slogan because under our new owner we have no rights.

In ancient times slave owners had the right to bind, torture and kill their slaves, because slaves had no rights. Under Christ we have no rights either, but, praise God, our new Master is gracious. He loves us, saves us, and always has our best interest at heart. I would rather be submitted to Jesus Christ than to Satan.

Living as Slaves of Christ

As slaves of Christ, how, then, should we live? First, in 1 Corinthians 6:18 Paul tells us, “Flee from sexual immorality.” In the Greek, “flee” is a present imperative, meaning “keep on running.”

On the tragic day of September 11, 2001, we saw people by the thousands running away from the World Trade Center, knowing they would be in great danger if they stayed nearby. That is what Paul says we should do when we find ourselves in a situation where sexual immorality is possible: Run for our lives!

Suppose you travel for business. If you are tempted to fall into sexual sin when you are away from home, recognize the signs of danger and flee! Don’t stop, don’t argue, don’t negotiate, because you are facing great danger! Know that if you succumb to temptation, you will ruin yourself, your wife, your children, and your church, and God’s name will be blasphemed among the unbelievers because of you. So keep running until you are out! Otherwise, you will be enveloped by the flames of sexual immorality.

When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his family were supposed to flee to the mountains and be safe. Because Mrs. Lot loved Sodom, she was destroyed. Jesus spoke of this, saying, “Remember Lot’s wife!” But Lot and his daughters fled and were saved from destruction. In the same way, Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife when she tried to seduce him, and he was saved.

We must flee sexual immorality! Job said, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl” (Job 31:1). Jesus said if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has committed adultery. In 2 Timothy 2:22, Paul tells the young Timothy, “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord with a pure heart.” We are to run away from all sexual immorality and run toward righteousness.

So, negatively, Paul tells us, “Do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Romans 13:14). Positively, he says, “Honor,” or “Glorify God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20). In the Greek text there is a two-letter word, dê, which adds the meaning, “Do it right away.” So Paul is telling the Corinthians, “Flee sexual immorality, glorify God with all zeal, and do it right now.”

Are you looking for happiness and pleasure in this world? The world cannot make us happy. True happiness is found only in God; therefore, only serving God with our bodies will make us happy. The servants of God are happy in this life and the next. Just as a bride offers her body exclusively to her husband, and the husband offers his body to his wife, as believers we are to serve God exclusively, as Jesus Christ did. When we do so, we will be happy.

The Divine Purpose of the Body

The body of a Christian is for the Lord’s service, not fornication, and if we are using our bodies for the Lord, the Lord will take care of them and save them. But the first must be right for the second to be right. The body is permanent, redeemed at the high cost of the death of Christ, and it belongs to Christ. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit; what we do with them matters.

True happiness will never be found in sexuality or in creation, for worship of creation is idolatry. Our hearts will be restless until they find rest in God. God has created us fearfully and wonderfully for the purpose of serving him. Everything else is nothing.

Maybe you have been abusing your body. Maybe you have said, “I’ll do what I want to do when I want to do it. Who are you to tell me anything?” I plead with you today to forsake such rebellion and offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. Only when you serve God will you discover true, everlasting happiness, both here and hereafter.

May God have mercy upon us and forgive our sinful misuse of our bodies! May he help us to understand this doctrine and serve his interests in this world, that we may find true happiness.

Practical Application: Living a Spirit-Controlled Life

Imagine what would happen if young boys and girls consecrated themselves to live as virgins for Jesus Christ! Imagine a young person making a decision today to consecrate his or her life, saying, “I want to live a holy life for God.” It is impossible to imagine the blessings that person would reap. Such young people will be filled with wisdom and will make God-honoring choices in all that they do. Every decision will be made through wisdom. They will give the treasure of virginity to the ones they marry. The Spirit of the living God shall be upon them with power, and they will be able to resist the temptations of this world.

We deal with temptation in the power of the Holy Spirit; thus, we must never ignore or treat the Holy Spirit with contempt. The Bible warns us, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit comes to rule us in behalf of Jesus Christ.

I am well aware of the powerful temptations we face every day. But I am also aware of the presence of the Spirit of the living God in the life of a Christian. As we come under his lordship, he will take charge of our minds, our will, our emotions, our money, our gifts, our talents-everything-and help us defeat sin. What a blessing it is to be governed by the Holy Spirit!

The Spirit of Truth and Enlightenment

As we are governed by the Holy Spirit, we will see certain changes in our lives. First, because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, we will speak truth and stand for it. When someone claims to be a Christian but does not tell the truth, that person has welcomed evil into his life and given himself over to a lie. Such a person will be in great trouble unless he repents.

Not only is the Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth, but he is also the Spirit of enlightenment. Suppose you are not very bright or very educated. Don’t worry: If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit will enlighten your mind and teach you spiritual truths. The Bible calls it “having the eyes of your understanding enlightened.” He will fill you with the spirit of wisdom and truth, so that you will be able read the Bible and understand it. You may be young or old; it makes no difference. The Spirit of God will work so powerfully in you that when you open your mouth, you will speak wonderful truths out of God’s word, and people will wonder, “Where did he get such words?” When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, he will lead you into truth and you will be enlightened.

The Spirit of Guidance

The Holy Spirit guides his people. Romans 8:14 tells us, in essence, “As many as are being led by the Spirit of God, they and they alone are sons of God.” The Holy Spirit came to govern and guide God’s people.

A child of God need not walk about in darkness. If you are a Christian, indwelt by the Spirit of God, you will know which way to go because the unique ministry of the Spirit of God is to guide you. You will hear a small and still voice from behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

We need God’s guidance to live as Christians. We may look to the world for wisdom, but we cannot find it there. But if you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit will come into you and guide you.

The Spirit of Power

I have often heard young people say to me, “But the power of evil is so strong!” I say the Holy Spirit can give you power to deal with whatever comes your way. In Acts 1:8 Jesus told his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Thus, on the one hand, the Holy Spirit gives us power to resist all temptation. The Bible says, “Resist the devil and he shall flee from you.” On the other hand, he gives us power to everything God wants us to do.

Throughout history Christians have been persecuted for the sake of their faith. We recently heard of some Christians, including a pastor, who were killed as they worshiped together in a church in Pakistan. That is the price we may pay for taking the name of Jesus Christ. But if God calls us to be killed for him, he will also give us the power to die in faith.

The Spirit of Assurance

The Holy Spirit gives us assurance of salvation. Sometimes people tell me, “I just do not know whether I am saved or not.” In Romans 8:16 we read, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” If we do not enjoy assurance, the reason may be sin.

If we love God and believe in him, the Holy Spirit will give us assurance of salvation. That is one of his many functions. There is an assurance that comes to us not only from outside of us, from the Scripture but also from within. When the Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit, he says, “You are my son.” It is like a hug given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Jonathan Edwards experienced this assurance, as have many others. I myself have experienced it. I have great assurance that if I die today, I will be with Christ; thus, I can say with Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

The Spirit of Self-Control

The Holy Spirit also gives us self-control. Perhaps you say, “The power of evil is so strong!” The truth is, not only are our bodies the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit also will enable us to exercise a wonderful characteristic called self-control to keep us out of sin.

We all need self-control, and so it is listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. The Holy Spirit lives in us to control and guide us in every aspect of life, even in the area of eating and drinking. So Paul exhorts us, “[W]hether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

The Spirit of Holiness

The Holy Spirit enables us to be holy. In 2 Corinthians 6:17 the Lord tells us, “Come out from them and be separate.” Holiness is being separate from the world. In Romans 1:4 the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of holiness, meaning the Holy Spirit will enable us to be holy.

The Spirit of Prayer

The Holy Spirit helps us pray. If we want to receive anything from God, we must pray, and in Jude 20 we are exhorted to “pray in the Holy Spirit.” In Romans 8:26 we read that we do not know what or how to pray, but “the Spirit helps us in our weakness,” working in us, prompting us to pray.

The Bible says the Spirit himself intercedes in groans that cannot be uttered. That is a unique ministry of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us we will “pray in the Holy Spirit.” When we do so, God will hear our prayers.

God’s Purpose for the Body

God has given us the Holy Spirit so that we can live in this world for him. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of enlightenment, the Spirit of guidance, the Spirit of power, the Spirit of self-control, the Spirit of holiness, and the Spirit of prayer. Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Cor. 6:19). This is the distinguishing mark between an unbeliever and a believer: the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer!

May God have mercy upon us and help us to resist the devil. May he flee from us, and may we, especially young people, flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness. May we shine as light in this world of darkness, whether at school, at work, or at home, living holy, consecrated, separated lives and being in the world but not of the world. May we do all that we do to the glory of God. Amen.