1 Corinthians 6: 18

18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other 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.

Recap from Last Message

Paul the Apostle was writing to the Christians in Corinth, the number one sex capital of the first century world in Asia Minor. The world was influencing the Christians in their sexual sought and behaviors, and Paul says, "You have no right to be living this way anymore". He gave them 4 reasons that they should live a holy life but not to misuse and abuse the bodies:

1) The redemption reason - Christ died for the body

2) The resurrection reason - Christ rose for the body

3) The creation reason - our bodies are precious because they are created by God and now redeemed by Christ.

4) The sanctification reason

How can we Obey God in Sexual Purity?

1) Sinner Coping Mechanism for Sexual Sin "HDB"

Many of us have our own coping mechanism for sexual sin. Our coping mechanism for sexual sin can be remembered in a short form and acronym of "HDB" (Hide - Deny - Blame). 

Whenever we come to sin, especially sexual sin, our first response is always to HIDE.  This pattern of "HDB" as a coping mechanism began with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, that after Eve and Adam rebelled against God, their first response was hiding from the presence of God. 

So let me ask you: is there anything that you are hiding in terms of your sexual compromise, your sexual weakness, your sexual temptation and/or your sexual sin? One major area of temptation for us now is our phones, our computers, our gadgets and so; a lot of us watch the wrong things on our gadgets. What did you look at and what did you read? If you cannot leave your hand phone for anybody else to look at, beginning with your children, or your husband or your wife, in all likelihood, we are perhaps hiding something from them on our phones, our computers and our gadgets. 

The second way we deal with sin is to DENY.  We deny that we are indulging in this; and the third way is to BLAME others for it. And so I ask of myself as ask of you: is this how you are dealing with some shape and form of your sexual weakness, of your sexual compromise, of your sexual sin, even as you listen to this: you are hiding, you are denying and you are blaming others for this?

2) God Confronting Us

God is confronting you as you listen to this that you and I must not resort to our own self-sufficiency to deal with sexual sin, which is really distorting your mind; destroying your relationships; and dishonoring to God. 

A Christian friend truly repented from his drug and crime background, in thought, in words, in deed, he made a promise to God that he will never use his computer and gadget in a wrong way. He put a sign on top of his computer screen at the office: "As for me and my mouse, we will serve the Lord". What a way to dedicate ourselves, to devote ourselves to godliness and holiness!  Can you say that: "As for you and your phone, you will serve the Lord with whatever God has given to you?

3) Watch Our Weaknesses - Don't think too highly about ourselves; don't think too lowly of sin

In the world that we are living, many people are walking around with low-grade dissatisfaction with our married spouses. We are looking ways for an excuse to be more excited with somebody else. There is a half-truth and out-right lie out there which is : our husband and wife doesn't have to be our best friend; our best friend doesn't have to be our husband and wife. I am trying to find the biblical basis for this because marriage is such a sacred institution. I think as God's people, we should prayerfully attempt to make our God-given husband and wife our best friend, and share the deepest secrets and deepest sexual intimacy with them. If we cannot share our deepest longing and our deepest sexual needs and preferences with our God-given wife and husband, who can we share with then? He/she is surely not the boss, surely not a friend in school, surely not a colleague at work or a partner in business. In the moment of weakness, our low-grade dissatisfaction with our God-given spouses might possibility open the door to adultery. 

4) Glorify God with Our Bodies

Paul goes on to say in 1 Corinthians Chapter 7 that this is how we are to glorify God with our bodies by being available to our spouses, to fulfill our marital duty to them in terms of our sexual intimacy. The question we need to ask ourselves is: if we are married, are we doing that? Are we doing that willingly? If marriage brings with it, marital ministry and marital duties, our husband's body does not belong to him alone; our wife's body does not belong to her alone, but we are to use our bodies to fulfill each other's God-given needs and appetites in this area. Are we doing that? If this is true, then there is no such thing as celibate marriages. We do not get married to be celibate.

Secondly, be a giver, don't be a beggar in marriage. Offer your bodies to your God-given spouses; don't make them wait and beg for something that rightly belongs to them. So often in our ministries as pastors and counselors, we encounter so many people with pain, brokenness, rejection and tears because sexual rejection is arguably the most painful rejection because it's the rejection of the whole person. 

Summary & Reflection

In so many different ways, we can FLEE sexual immorality and learn to glorify God with our bodies. Very importantly, we realize that we are living in a world in which people are getting divorced, not simply after 3 to 5 years of marriage, but they are swung to the other end of the spectrum where people are getting divorced after 25, 30, 40 years of marriage. If we cannot be confident after 20 years of marriage, cannot be secured after 30 years of marriage, what confidence do we have at all? This is the mad world that we live in where fidelity is very much a despicable value, while experimentation and personal happiness is the greatest virtue. As God's people, we have no right to live this way.

When we have made a commitment with God to marry, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, and by God's grace, we keep those vows and promises. Whenever we keep a promise, we create an island of security in a sea of insecurity. Are you doing that for your love one? 

Without God, living sexually pure life as single, married or widowed is impossible. But, with Jesus as our savior and our Lord, this way of living is totally possible. Jesus is waiting to enter your heart and your life. The Spirit is there to empower us to live a life that will glorify God. 

May we listen and live God's way. Amen !