1 Corinthians 6:12-20
What do I do with myself now that I am a Christian? What is the Relationship of the Christian to Sin?
Well, I wanted to start the message today by trying to connect what we’ve done so far in the epistle of first Corinthians to where we are going today. Remember, that we started the letter by pointing out that the church in Corinth had a sin problem. They had come to faith in Jesus Christ, but they were being sucked back into their old lives. And the old lives in Corinth came out of a culture saturated with sin. So, Paul’s overall message in the letter is; Now that you belong to Christ, act like it. And in chapters 15 he points out some areas that they need to address. There are factions or divisions in the church. Some members reclaiming superiority over other members because of the preacher under whose ministry they came to faith. And worse than that Comm There was a man having an intimate relationship with his stepmother and the wasn’t dealing with it. It was a flagrant example of the kind of sexual immorality that came out of their culture, which was sex crazed. Then to add to that some members were taking other members to the public court and suing them before unbelievers. And they were doing so because they were trying to defraud their fellow believers out of money. Paul explicitly calls them wrong doers.
And it is out of all of this wrong doing that Paul makes the excoriating statement from last week, “ Wrongdoers do not inherit the kingdom of heaven.” “Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Now last week I framed the message around the question, How get to heaven? And remember we had three points. Good people go to heaven but there are no good people. Bad people deserve hell and we are all bad. And lastly, Jesus is the only good person. And it is by His paying the penalty for our sin, by God’s grace that we are saved from hell.
But, immediately after that passage we come to our passage for today. “12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not [e]helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of [f]any.”
So how did Paul just from the question of how we go to heaven, to a discussion about what a Christian should do with his body, his relationship to sin?
Well, To start off today, I thought of an illustration. Paul has just said we are washed we are redeemed we are sanctified. In other words we are on our way to heaven. If we are believers heaven is a lock. Our future is secure. So the natural question after coming to that conclusion is, “ What now?”
I became a Christian when I was 8 years old. I had an inheritance in heaven guaranteed from the time that I was eight. But what was I to do with the rest of my life, Until I go there? I thought about it like this. Have you ever thought about what you would do if you inherited$10 million or $20 million?
It would be tempting to just spend the rest of my days doing things for myself. Eat what I want to eat, travel, buy things for my enjoyment. But since I am a Christian, that feels wrong. Doesn’t it? Since it is by God’s Sovereign will that I am rich, I ought to be seeking what He would have me do with my life.
And, that where our Scripture for today comes in. You have been given an inheritance by Grace. Corinthians you are washed, redeemed, and sanctified. Your debt has been paid. You have an inheritance in heaven. I’m no longer worried about keeping rules to get to heaven. So what’s my motivation now for how I am to live?
Well, that’s where verse 20 from our passage today comes in.
20 For you are bought with a price, so glorify God In your body and in your spirit for they are God’s.
Your primary goal After you become a Christian in life becomes glorifying the God who paid for your inheritance. Glorify God in both your body and in your spirit. Paul is saying to these Corinthian believers, quit frittering away your life, playing with sin. Live for God’s glory.
Prayer
The new goal for the believer’s life is to glorify God in your body and in your spirit. So what is today’s passage about? It is Paul stepping back and explaining why the way the Corinthian believers were living in a way that distracted them from that purpose. Yes, they are free from the constraints of the old law. But they were not living up to the potential that God placed in him by being dragged back into old sinful patterns.
For our message today we are going to approach the question of what is the relationship between the Christian and sin. And for anything that we are tempted to do there are four questions that we must answer before we do so. Two of them are negative reasons to stay away from sin and two of them are positive. First, is it profitable? Second, is it damaging? 3rd, does it glorify god? 4th, does it exemplify freedom in Christ?
I. Not everything is profitable; Verse 12 a comma and 18.
12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient:
For every activity that I am faced with in my life.
The question we ask before we get involved in some activity is it profitable? Is it expedient? Not everything is profitable.
So, let’s break this down phrase by phrase. First he says, “all things are lawful for me.” What does it mean that all things are lawful? Is Paul saying that all that sinfulness that he just mentioned is no longer forbidden? All the adultery and theft and extortion et cetera.
No. I think the best interpretation for the phrase all things are lawful for me comes out another translation of Scripture. The NIV says in verse 12, “I have the right to do anything,” you say, “ But not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything,” you say, “But I will not be mastered by anything.” The NIV Phrases it as though Paul is quoting something that some of the Corinthians said. He does it again very shortly when he says food is for the stomach and the stomach for food. He saying something that is true but something that they say.
And they were misinterpreting his own teaching.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Across Paul’s letters, “all things are lawful for me” is best read as a claim about the believer’s freedom in Christ, not as a blank check for behavior. Paul teaches that Christians are no longer under the Mosaic law as the means of justification or under sin’s condemning dominion; they have been set free by grace through union with Christ.
Galatians 5:1 Stand[a] fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
That freedom from the law has a purpose: it releases believers from slavery to sin, ritual boundary-markers, and self-justification so that they may belong to Christ and serve others in love—not so that they may serve their desires. Thus, in Galatians 5:13 Paul explicitly says that liberty must not become an “opportunity for the flesh,” and in Romans 6 he rejects the conclusion that grace permits continued sinning.
You are free from the law. But That doesn’t mean that you are free to do whatever your heart fancies. all things are not profitable.
The word translated “profitable,” “beneficial,” or “expedient” in 1 Corinthians 6:12 is sympherei (συμφέρει), from sympherō (συμφέρω). Literally, it carries the idea of “bringing together,” Harmonizing. and by extension, “contributing to a good result.” Paul’s point is therefore stronger than mere practicality: an action may not be explicitly forbidden, yet still fail to promote a believer’s true good, spiritual maturity, or faithful service to Christ. In 1 Corinthians 10:23 he repeats the same word and adds the parallel test, “does it build up?” Thus sympherei moves the question beyond “Can I do this?” to “Does this genuinely help—does it advance godliness and the good of others?”
And in Verse 18 he illustrates what he means with the particular sin of fornication. He uses that sin as an illustration in all of this passage.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
Now, Remember that we defined fornication last week. the word for fornication is porneia in Greek. It has to do with any sexual immorality In mind and body.
It is a general word that encompasses sexual sin across the board. And he is saying here that you might say that all things are lawful but everything is not profitable . In fact not only should you avoid sexual immorality but you should flee it. It is so unprofitable that if you encounter a temptation, or a pathway headed in that direction Just get out of there. If it is a person enticing you, run. If it is a place that you go, get out of there. If it takes place in your mind, redirect your mind elsewhere. Why? Well, he tells us. It is because, “Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. It is not only not profitable, it is destructive.
You see, sexual immorality has a uniquely self-involving character: it is can not only exploit another person according to 1 Thessalonians 4:3–6, it not only violates God’s moral will, but a sin that directly implicates and dishonors one’s own body. Had a very basic understanding he may have had in mind disease that comes as a result of sexual immorality. But also points out several ways that sexual immorality destroys more than other sins. It often involves Another person. It burns in the mind and captivates the thoughts. It destroys Marriage sometimes even before a marriage begins. It destroys finances. Talk to any man who is paying alimony and child support because of his indiscretions. It destroys trust and can provoke lasting relational wounds
Sin against your own body. What does that mean. You are hurting yourself, and often other people, it is a devastating sin. This sin has a unique way of destroying multiple people.
So his point is that it is far from profitable?
II. Some things are enslaving versus 12 B through 13 a.
The question you must ask is, is it damaging? Is it enslaving?
12 B I will not be brought under the power of any. I will not let anything get control over me.
Under the power.. Some things may not hurt you, but they are addictive. They get you to enslavement. Think about this question, “What is a slave?”
Definition: A slave is a person who is controlled by another person or power and lacks the freedom to govern their own actions. In Paul’s imagery, to be a “slave” to sin, desire, or a habit means that it has gained mastery over a person—shaping their choices and controlling them instead of being governed by Christ.
A slave is someone who has to obey. They are compelled by force and ownership. And there are many sins that enslave. Some were in the sermon from last week. Drunkeness and substance abuse can enslave. Covetousness can enslave. But again sexual immorality is the illustration.
Proverbs 7:6–27 tells of a man watching from his window and seeing “a young man void of understanding” walking near an immoral woman’s corner “in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night.” She meets him boldly, with seductive speech and a prepared invitation, assuring him that her husband is away. Through “the flattering of her lips” she persuades him, and he follows her without recognizing the danger—“as an ox goeth to the slaughter” and “as a bird hasteth to the snare.” The man ends with an urgent warning: do not let your heart “decline to her ways,” because many—even “strong men”—have fallen, and her house leads toward death.
Some sin leads to enslavement. But despite the fact that we are from the we are warned,
Romans 6:12 — “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Sin becomes a master when its desires rule and are obeyed.
But notice. Let not Comm You don’t have to let sin reign in your mortal body.
Romans 6:16 — “To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, In Christ you are not sin’s slave . You do not have to yield his servants ye are to whom ye obey.” Paul makes the principle plain: repeated obedience reveals one’s master—either sin leading to death or obedience leading to righteousness.
Is it damaging? Is it enslaving? The two negative reasons. Now two positive reasons.
The positive question before any action. Will this bring glory to God?
III. The body is for the Lord’s glory versus 13B through 16.
But before Paul says that he says,
13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”
“Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food” appears in 1 Corinthians 6:13 and was likely a Corinthian slogan that Paul quotes in order to correct it. The saying expresses a simple biological logic: This is the same logic used today . It came back in the 60s with the sexual revolution, and has not gone away. food exists to satisfy hunger, and the stomach exists to receive food; therefore, bodily appetites should be treated as natural and morally neutral. There’s nothing wrong with eating if you are hungry. Some Corinthians apparently extended that logic to sex—reasoning that sexual desire, like hunger, merely requires satisfaction. If you have a desire, fulfill it . Find a willing partner, Paul rejects the analogy: food and digestion are temporary,
Jesus himself that nothing that enters the, such as food corrupts the body because it is temporary it just passes through.
but the body is not made for sexual immorality; it is “for the Lord,” and the Lord is for the body. He therefore refuses to treat sex as a morally indifferent appetite, because the believer’s body belongs to Christ and has an eternal significance in light of resurrection. They ignore the fact that meat and the body will be destroyed. It is spiritually damaging. Your body is for God’s glory.
The question we must ask is does it glorify God? The body is for the Lord and the Lord for the body. There are two phrases here. “The body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” The body is for the Lord means that a Christian’s physical body is not separate from spiritual life or available merely for personal appetite; it belongs to Christ and is meant to serve, honor, and glorify him.
Romans 12:1 — Believers are called to present their bodies as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,” which Paul calls their spiritual worship. Bible Hub
Philippians 1:20 — Paul’s desire is that “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.” The body becomes a means through which Christ is honored.
The second phrase is, The Lord is “for the body.” What does that mean? The Lord is for your body. He is concerned about it. It’s health, physically and spiritually. Think of this; Christ redeemed your body, 1 Corinthians 6:19–20: “Ye are not your own… ye are bought with a price,
He cares for your body, Ephesians 5:29: Christ “nourishes and cherishes” the church. Since believers are his body, this describes his tender care for them,
and He will ultimately resurrect it, Philippians 3:21: He “will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.”
14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.
Your body is more than a physical thing.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”[b
Again, he uses the sin of sexuality to illustrate that we should, will it bring glory to God
In 1 Corinthians 6:15–16, Paul argues that sexual union is never merely physical or private. Because believers’ bodies are “members of Christ,” what a Christian does with the body involves the Lord. Paul then appeals to Genesis 2:24—“the two will become one flesh”—to show that sexual intimacy creates a real bodily union, even when it occurs outside marriage.
C.S. Lewis said this about the intimacy formed with sex.
“What you have is an eternal, spiritual bond, either to be eternally enjoyed or eternally endured.”
His question is deliberately shocking: how could one take what belongs to Christ and join it to immorality? How can you drag Christ into a sexual, immoral situation? That is the opposite of glorifying God. The passage does not demean the one-flesh union of marriage, which Scripture treats as good and sacred; rather, it exposes the contradiction of using a body united to Christ in a sexual union that defies Christ’s design. Paul’s conclusion, developed in the following verses, is that believers should flee sexual immorality because their bodies belong to the Lord.
Therefore, the body is not to be used for sexual immorality but offered to God as an instrument of righteousness.
Is it damaging? Is it enslaving? Does it glorify God?
IV. Christ redeemed the body verse 17, and 19 through 20
The question we must ask is does it exemplify The quote MacArthur uses is:
“What you have is an eternal, spiritual bond, either to be eternally enjoyed or eternally endured.” the freedom we have received in Christ?
Verse 17: “Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit” teaches that salvation joins a believer to Christ in a real spiritual union. The Christian does not belong to Christ only by outward profession; Christ’s life and lordship now shape the believer’s identity. That union gives the body a holy purpose, because what believers do physically is connected to the One with whom they are spiritually joined. He bought you out of slavery Do you now return to it?
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Two reasons not to to the sin of fornication. First, you are God’s temple
Verses 19–20: Paul then explains why the body must be honored: it is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and the believer is not self-owned.
Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit
We have become accustomed in the church to referring to our bodies as God’s temple. But, I think that must have been an especially significant and compelling idea for believers in that day. Remember that there were believers in the Corinthian church who came both from a Jewish and Gentile background. And what did they think was God’s temple?
For Jewish believers, “God’s temple” would first have meant the temple in Jerusalem—the unique, holy place where God had chosen to make his covenant presence known among Israel. The temple was the place marked out for God’s dwelling, worship, sacrifice, forgiveness, and access to him. When the ark was brought into Solomon’s temple, the cloud of God’s glory filled the house so powerfully that the priests could not remain to minister. The Most Holy Place was not some casual space: access was guarded, holiness was required, and the high priest entered only once a year under the appointed conditions. And violating those conditions meant death. For a Jew, then, the temple represented the awesome nearness and holiness of God—not simply a religious building.
That is why Paul’s statement would have landed with such force in Corinth: he tells ordinary believers—Jew and Gentile alike—not merely that they should visit God’s temple, but that God’s Spirit now dwells in them as His temple. For the Jewish Christian, this meant that the holiness once associated with Jerusalem’s sanctuary now bore directly on one’s own embodied life. For Gentile Christians, surrounded by a world filled with pagan temples, Paul declares that the true God does not dwell in a shrine made by people or authorize worship shaped by sexual immorality; he dwells in the people redeemed by Christ. Therefore, to use the body for sin is not a private matter. It is to treat this body as common when God has made his dwelling place.
Second, you were bought with a price.
God has purchased his people “at a price,” referring to Christ’s redeeming work. When Paul says that believers were “bought at a price,” he is using the language of redemption: Christ paid what was necessary to rescue his people from sin, guilt, death, and slavery to selfish desires. The price was not money or material wealth, but Christ’s own sacrificial death. Because believers have been purchased by him, they are no longer their own ultimate authority; they belong to the One who loved them and gave himself for them. This truth is not meant to diminish their worth, but to establish it: they are so precious to God that Christ gave himself to redeem them. Therefore, Paul concludes, they should glorify God with their bodies and with every part of their lives. Therefore, the body is not available merely for personal appetite or self-expression; it is God’s possession and is to be used in ways that honor him.
In conclusion
Let’s go back to the illustration I started with; Our financial retirement plan. If you knew that a trust fund had been set up for you. There is 10 million dollars in the bank, or some secure account. And you can’t touch the principal, but you get an allowance that doesn’t impact your investment, say, 20,000 a month. You no longer need to work. The house is paid for, you food is secure, the bills are taken care of. What would you do with yourself for the rest of your life?
Many people would say, “I’m going to spend the rest of my life enjoying myself. I will eat the food I want to eat, I will visit all the places I want to see. I will buy the gadgets and toys I want to have. I will hire people to do the jobs I don’t want to do.” All the stuff about me.
Some people, Seemingly more noble wood build financial plans around the idea of being remembered and loved. Andrew Carnegie is a clear example. After amassing enormous wealth in the steel industry, he chose to direct much of it toward institutions that would outlast him—especially free public libraries. Carnegie believed wealth should be used to create opportunities for people to improve their own lives, so he funded libraries, schools, concert halls, and foundations. The result is that his name is still attached to thousands of buildings and institutions more than a century after his death: Carnegie libraries, Carnegie Hall, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Carnegie Corporation. Some, more noble than others, would say I would help the people that I love.
So, what would the life of a Christian look like if they had that same arrangement?
For you are bought with a price, so glorify God In your body and in your spirit for they are God’s.
If a Christian truly understands that his future is secure in Christ, he is freed from spending the present life trying to secure himself, indulge himself, or preserve his own name. He no longer needs to treat money, pleasure, comfort, recognition, or personal legacy as his ultimate treasure, because he has already been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. His life becomes an opportunity to use his body, time, resources, work, and relationships for the glory of the One who purchased him. The question is no longer, “How can I make the most of life for me?” or even, “How can people remember my name after I am gone?” but, “How can Christ be honored through the life he has given me?” Since believers are bought with a price and belong to God, their security does not lead to self-indulgence; it produces grateful, joyful service for God’s purposes.
They would view such an endowment as an opportunity to make their lives bring ultimate glory to God. To make their lives count for the kingdom of God.
So, that’s really what Paul is saying. Don’t fritter away the precious seconds, minutes, hours and days you have on self-indulgent sin. If something in your life is not profitable for the Kingdom, cut it out. If something is damaging to yourself or others, quit it. Measure everything by whether it brings glory to God, and bears witness to your redemption And status as God’s dwelling place.