Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 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; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Leon Morris, a New Testament scholar, once said: “There is no point in accepting Christian teaching if we refuse to let it shape our lives.” The writer of the book of James is more direct. He says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (James 1:22).” And yet believers around the world have turned their backs on doing the word. Instead of letting God’s word shape our lives, we have allowed the influences of our world to shape us. We have adopted the standards of those who live in the land (Leviticus 18:3). As it is written in Romans 3:10-12, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good. No even one.” We are all sinners and therefore we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). The key word is “work.” We must be deliberate.
Why is sexual immorality (fornication, adultery, lust, impurity, debauchery etc….(2 Corinthians 12:20) so egregious? As Paul indicates to the Corinthians, sexual immorality is a violation of our bodies, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds the Corinthians, and consequently you and I, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies (1 Corinthians 6: 19b-20).” Satan knows that if he can corrupt the temple of the Holy Spirit, you and I will never reach our ultimate destiny in Christ. We will never achieve the level of spiritual greatness that God has in store for us.
God designed us for an intimate relationship with him, but we cannot achieve that level of intimacy if we are in union with darkness. His word reminds us in 1 Peter 1:16: “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Yes, it all matters to God. It matters what we allow our eyes to view. How we think and speak, matters; how we behave, matters. It all matters, for we are the Body of Christ. Therefore, commit to holiness and purity. Commit to God’s standards rather than the world’s standards. Commit to HIS light, rather than darkness. He is coming for a bride who is “ without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27).”
Lord Almighty, I commit to holiness and purity today. I have no more excuses. I repent of all the sins of my past and present. Cleanse me by the blood of Jesus and make me new and fit for your service. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.