Most everyone was shocked and saddened when they heard that Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was severely damaged during a fire in April of 2019. When we hear that any church or cathedral is damaged or desecrated we are naturally shocked and angered. Imagine nasty graffiti sprayed on the walls of a church sanctuary, paint poured on the altar, the pews, Bibles, and hymn books overturned. Nobody wants to hear that a house of worship has in any way been treated in a disrespectful manner. In our Scripture passage today Paul addresses this in a special and different way. Let’s look at what God’s Word says.
One of the spiritual truths that Paul taught in the various churches that he started, including here in the city of Corinth, was that when anyone accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, not only did they then become a child of God and a part of His family, but also that the Holy Spirit came to indwell them. This was a new concept. Before, God’s Spirit had only dwelt in the Holy of Holies in the Temple at Jerusalem. Now, ever since the Lord Jesus’ death upon the cross and His resurrection, the Holy Spirit indwells each and every true believer. Their bodies in a very real sense become the temple of the Holy Spirit (vs. 19).
Because of this, Paul had a very strong message that he gave the Corinthian believers, which is just as applicable for believers today, as well. A Christian’s body belongs to the Lord (vs. 13), is a member of Christ (vs. 15), and is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, sexual sins that are committed by a believer are in the sanctuary where God dwells. No one would tolerate immoral behavior to be done in any church or cathedral. In like manner, immoral behavior practiced by a Christian should be just as abhorrent.
When faced with such sexual temptation, Paul warns the believer to not stay and linger around trying to fight it, but to flee, to bolt, to run as fast as one can (vs. 18). This is a temptation that not many are able to just ignore and withstand. In the Old Testament we see the example of Joseph. He had been sold into Egypt and ended up working in the household of Pharaoh’s chief general, Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife had eyes for Joseph, and kept trying to get him to sleep with her. Finally, when she had trapped him in the house while all alone, he knew the only way out of this temptation was to flee, to get away (Genesis 39:7-12). Paul warns us to do exactly what Joseph did - Flee!
There were some in the Corinthian church that believed that because their sins were covered by grace that they could now indulge their flesh. We find the same thinking and rationalizing today. There are those today who say we shouldn’t judge what anyone does, that everything is fine to do. Do we not consider the price that was paid for our salvation?! The cost was very expensive, more than silver or gold (vs. 20). Jesus gave His life, His precious Blood, a very high price to pay to make me a part of His family. Illicit relationships are especially reprehensible for believers because they profane Jesus, with whom believers are one (vs. 15 - 17).
Just because Jesus has taken away our sins does not give us the freedom to go on doing what we know is wrong (vs. 12). God expects His children to have high standards and not repeatedly fall back into their old sins again. The One who holds the authority over all of the universe now lives inside each believer. We are walking temples of God. The glory that resided inside the Holy of Holies now resides in us. If God’s presence is inside of us, so is His power to deliver us from the power of the enemy. His power is able to deliver us from any of the devil’s temptations. Satan will do whatever he can to take our attention away from the Lord. The Lord Jesus paid a price to purchase us. We are valuable to Him, and if we trust Him, He will deliver us from temptation.
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