Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

 1 Corinthians 6

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - unaided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.  Here the focus of the text is sexual immorality - partially defined in v9 as homosexuality, but also to include sex outside marriage based on text found throughout scripture.  Reinforcing v9, Paul is explicit in today's text in how sexual immorality is not God's intent.  Although He created sex, He has intended it for the enjoyment of man and woman inside the union of marriage.  He reminds the church in Corinth how their bodies belong to Christ and are intended for His glory not for our own gratification.  By extension, pursuit of sexual immorality is described by Paul as "a sin against [our] own bod[ies]."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the institution of marriage and for the blessing of Lisa my wife of 25 years!  I am not deserving of such a blessing.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Leviticus 18

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter sixteen - Law, Grace, and Sexuality - covering Leviticus 18:1-30, looking specifically at the third theme for the chapter - Gods People Serve God in Humility.  Here, the commentary starts by urging us, as we attempt to understand Israel's sin, to not forget our own sin.  The commentary states that 700 years after God gave the Israelites the laws as described in Leviticus 18, "God's people did fall into the same sins, and they experienced the same punishment....[T]he land spewed Israel out when the Assyrians took the northern kingdom of Israel into exile, and 150 years after Israel's fall, the Babylonians took the southern kingdom of Judah into exile.  God knew His people were just as vulnerable to temptation and sin as the Canaanites.  God knows that we are vulnerable to temptation and sin too." In light of our own sin, the commentary then encourage us to: 

• confess our weaknesses and with more compassion relate to others in sin - Galatians 6:1 
• conform our service to scripture, including sharing the gospel of Christ, supporting laws that define morality Biblically, cultivating and maintaining friends that are different, helping others that are struggling with sexual identity, and supporting those hurt by sexual sin
  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of compassion and mercies for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such compassion and mercies - my sin continues....worry, harshness towards others, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Leviticus 18

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter sixteen - Law, Grace, and Sexuality - covering Leviticus 18:1-30, looking specifically at the second theme for the chapter - Gods People Separate from the World's Iniquity. Here, the commentary focuses on how, here in Leviticus 18, God's people were about to enter the promised land, but the Canaanites occupied this land, and God judged the sin of the Canaanites, specifically their sexual sin, including incest (v6-18), adultery (v20), child sacrifice (v21), homosexuality (v22), and bestiality (v23).  God sought for the Israelites to be set apart from such sin.  Many will argue that the Old Testament laws on homosexuality no longer apply, as part of how Jesus abolished ceremonial laws.  However, the commentary points out how New Testament scripture also defines homosexuality as sin in Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and 1 Timothy 1:10.  The commentary then pivots to how God seeks believers to separate from sin:

1. Separation starts with salvation - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
2. Separation progresses by God's Spirit (sanctification) - 1 Corinthians 6:11
3. Separation culminates in love - Matthew 22:34-40     
   

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who save me, sanctifies me, and brings about obedience in me, including loving You, and loving others. Thank You Jesus!  Yet I know I am undeserving because of my sin, including how I often fall short in loving You and loving others, and other sins such as worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Leviticus 18

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, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting chapter sixteen - Law, Grace, and Sexuality - covering Leviticus 18:1-30, looking specifically at the first theme for the chapter - Gods People Submit to God's Authority. The commentary for the first theme, starts by examining how people establish authority.  One way via personal opinion - individuals, reflecting modern culture, decide what is right and wrong for themselves. Another way is via opinion of the majority or law, and Nazi Germany in the 1940s as used as an example, of course an example that we can all agree was destructive.  Of course both ways are destructive and for believers - God is our "transcendent authority"  as stated by the commentary - it is "transcends societal changes and personal changes" and is "settled".  Believers can understand why God's has authority over all things, and specifically sexuality, because:

• He created us and He created sex - Genesis 2:24
• He owns us - Psalm 24:1, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• God's Word is true, powerful and effective - Hebrews 4:12

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and mercy for me - thank You Jesus!  Yet I am undeserving.  My sins of harshness and worry continue, as well as many other sins.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.