January 27th
“Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.” 1 Corinthians 6:13-14 NKJV
It’s easy to forget our body’s purpose in a world culture that exalts every form of self-indulgence available. Movies, television and the internet incessantly promote indulgence of every kind. Paul reveals a totally radical concept that all Christians desperately need to reckon with: the body is for the Lord and the Lord is for the body.
Acknowledging God’s ownership is an important step in beginning the addiction recovery process. God is “for the body,” and will provide exactly what our bodies need to be content, at exactly the right time. The moment we make ourselves the provider, we are headed for trouble.
For example, pornography offers us instant gratification of sexual urges. On the surface, porn can seem like a harmless way to spice up the marital sex life, or a safe way to enjoy sex as a single, or an acceptable alternative to premarital sex for a teen. If we buy into these lies and feed our minds with the porn, our sexual urges are likely to become unmanageable. Like adding fuel to a fire, porn makes the temptations to commit other sexual sin even that much stronger. The consequences of turning to porn as our provision can also include unbridled lust, desensitization to sin, separation from God, shame, and slavery to sin.
The secret to lasting sexual fulfillment is found in God’s provision for sexuality through heterosexual marriage based on love, as the Bible teaches (1 Corinthians 7:2). In that context, two persons have the opportunity to develop the love, intimacy, ecstasy and contentment that are impossible through pursuit of lust.
Paul reveals the key to freedom from slavery to lust in verse 14 (above): God will raise us up by his power. The Holy Spirit will help us resist temptations and look to God for provision for every need and want. The Spirit’s power is the key to truly living in victory over evil. Once we start to walk by the Spirit, we can join God in his work most effectively in the situations around us. That’s God’s ultimate purpose for our body.
Questions for further thought:
What are some of the ways we can give our bodies to sexual immorality?
Why does sexual immorality in particular interfere with God’s purpose for our body? (in addition to it being sinful)
What happens when you put diesel fuel into a car engine that normally uses gasoline? What analogy from this can you make with the body, sexual sin and God’s provision?
Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, thank you for creating me with a special purpose. Thank you that my body is for you and that you are for my body. Please forgive me for giving my body in any way to sexual immorality in thought, word or deed. Please wash me in your blood and cleanse my conscience from my sin. I offer my body to you today as an instrument for your purposes. Please guide me and help me to make good decisions about how I use my body. Thank you, Jesus! Amen.”