Is Your Body The Lord's?

  1. INTRODUCTION:
  1. SCRIPTURE READING:

      I Corinthians 6:12-20 = "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that commiteth fornication sinneth against his own body. [19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

  1. THIS PASSAGE DEALS WITH A PARTICULAR SIN, NAMELY – FORNICATION.

      1. In plain terms the apostle rebukes fornication – "Flee fornication" (I Corinthians 6:18).
      2. However, the apostle lays down an emphasis on the sacredness of body and how it should be used.

  1. IN THIS PARTICULAR STUDY WE WILL CONCENTRATE ON VERSES 
    I Corinthians 6:19-20    . = "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

  1. DISCUSSION:
  1. YE ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE [I Corinthians 6:20]
    Comment: This calls attention to two questions:
    Who is bought?
    What was the price?
      1. The ones purchased – "Ye"
        1. Specifically the Corinthians Christians to whom Paul was writing.
        2. Generally the Christians all over the world.
      2. The purchased price – "with a price"
        1. A great price.
          1. God gave His Son.

            2. John 3:16 = "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

          2. The Son gave himself.

          Acts 20:28 = "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."

          Revelation 5:9 = "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"

        2. In the price we see the Lord as:
          1. The ransom.

            2. 1 Timothy 2:6 = "Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."

          2. The ransomer.

          Titus 2:14 = "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

        3. The great price reveals to us:
          1. God’s divine estimate of man.
          2. The love of God for man.

            3. Romans 5:6-8 = "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

          3. The awfulness of the sin or transgression from God.
    1. THE RESULT OF THE PURCHASE: "YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN" [I Corinthians 6:19]

      2. Romans 14:7-9 = "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living."

      Comment: The ones purchased belong to the purchaser, and the divine ownership involves two things.

      1. Responsibility.
        1. Your body is not your own to injure, to abuse, or waste in shameful living.

          2. Illustration: The prodigal son who wasted his substance with riotous living 
          [Luke 15:13].

        2. Your are not your own to hire out to another master.

        Matthew 6:24 = "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

        1 Corinthians 7:23 = "Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men."

      2. Blessing:
        1. You are not your own savior – Jesus is.

          2. 2 Timothy 1:12 = "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

        2. You are not your own provider – we are fed by the Shepherd..

          3. Psalms 23:1 = "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

        3. You are not your own guide – We are led by the Word of God.

          4. Psalms 119:105 = "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

          John 8:12 = "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

        4. You are not your own protector – God is

          5. Psalms 46:1 = "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

        5. You are not your own rewarder – God is

    Romans 6:23 = "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

  1. CONCLUSION: "GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY"

    2. Note: We are to pay honor, reverence and dignity to whom and how.

    1. THE OBJECT WE ARE TO GLORIFY – "God"
      1. The omnipotent God – unlimited power, ability and authority.
      2. The omnipresent God – present everywhere at once.
      3. The omniscient God – universal knowledge, and infinitely wise.
      4. The loving Father – He gave us His Son.
    2. THE INSTRUMENT TO BE USED TO GLORIFY GOD – "IN YOUR BODY"
      1. Glorify God in an obedient body.

        2. Colossians 3:17 = "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

        1 Peter 1:13-15 = "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;"

      2. Glorify God in a working body.

        3. Philippians 2:12 = "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

        2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 = "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work."

      3. Glorify God in a dedicated body.

        4. Romans 12:1 = "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

        Matthew 16:24 = "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

      4. Glorify God in a well-controlled (this is temperance) body.
        1. We are to add this to knowledge according to 2 Peter 1:6 = "And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;"
        2. This was discussed with Felix by Paul in Acts 24:25 = "And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."
    3. THE BODY IS A TEMPLE OF THE SPIRIT:

      4. I Corinthians 1:19 = "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

      1. For this reason we should keep it clean and beautiful and ready for service.
      2. For this reason we should keep it without spot, wrinkle or any blemish.

        3. Ephesians 5:27 = "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish"

        Consider:

        1. You cannot glory God in your spirit without glorifying God in your body.
        2. You cannot glory God in your body without glorifying God in your spirit.

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