Called to Be His Temple

1Corinthians 6:12-20

1/17/09

Rev. Michael A. Trask

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Did you notice the commonality between the three scripture readings for today? I’m sure you noticed some similarity. In the Gospel lesson, we see Jesus calling Philip and then Nathanael to be his disciples. In the old Testament lesson we read how the Boy Samuel was first called to be a prophet. I think you probably did notice this commonality. And it would make sense, since we have the calling of a prophet, and also the calling of a disciple, that the remaining lesson for today would be a practical application of our calling as Christians. Wouldn’t it? But that lesson, 1Corinthians 6:12-20, seems to have missed the mark completely: “Flee from sexual immorality” it thunders, but goes on to say absolutely nothing about our calling as Christians, or so it would seem.

Let’s look a second time! What is Paul’s rationale for telling us to flee sexual immorality? “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?” This has our calling written all over it! We are called to be the temple, the holy place, the place where God dwells in his Spirit. We are called to be the residence of God in a world that so often seeks to send him packing. When people look at us; when people talk to us, they should not only see us, but they should also see Him! We, and specifically our bodies, are called to be his temple and his holy sanctuary. And of course, the temple is trashed or desecrated when it is used to harbor sexual immorality of any form. Paul makes it clear that what you do to your body is important and has great significance to your spiritual well being.

This he said originally, to the Christians in Corinth. Corinth had a reputation, in those days, for its sexual sins. But everything that happened there, is not so different from what happens here. The immorality that was practiced and condoned in Corinth is practiced and condoned here too. One of the chief complaints of muslim nations toward the United States has always been that we embrace perversity. Rarely do I ever side with the muslims on anything, but I think they’re right on this one. Looking at us from the outside, they see our movies and our TV and much of our pop culture as being salacious and they, of course, are absolutely right! There is constant pressure applied by our culture to condone and also practice and dwell upon all manner of sexually impure things.

Most marriages in the United States are preceded by repeated acts of fornication. What I’m talking about is living together and sleeping together before marriage. God calls sex outside of the bonds of marriage the sin of fornication, but for some reason, it is not considered a sin any more by vast numbers of Christians. I’m guessing that parents who were part of the free-love seventy’s don’t feel they have any right to tell their kids to be sexually pure. So they stand by and watch their children desecrate themselves.

And then there’s adultery, which is a direct broadside against the institution of marriage. Whether it be actual or imagined, according to Jesus, it is a sin against God’s holy command. So that would include pornography in all of his forms. This would also include fantasizing about someone who is not your spouse

Now the Corinthians had an interesting way of responding to Paul’s injunctions to live in purity. Paul quotes them, in the text. They were saying “Everything is permissible for me.” The Corinthians said this because they thought they had a right to do whatever they pleased and it really wouldn’t really hurt them. We have the same thing in our day with the added self-righteous appeal to our supposed rights as citizens of this country to do whatever we please in private. It would appear that “everything is permissible” also in America.

But in response, Paul says “Sure, everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial, and sure, everything is permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything. In other words, your hurting yourselves guys! You are becoming a slave: a pitiful slave to your own base desires.

You weren’t meant to live like that! In the verses just preceding this text Paul says “Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals will inherit the kingdom of heaven.” (1Cor. 6:9) . Does that sound like sexual sins can hurt you? I’m sure that hell hurts a whole lot. In sexual sins, Satan ties into one of our most powerful god-given urges, gives it a sinful twist and hooks us with the goal of ultimately pulling us away from all that is good and right and true and godly. And in many cases he is successful. Vast numbers of people now suffer the consequences of their own and/or someone else’s loose and fast approach to sexuality.

The Corinthians had another saying (they liked their sayings apparently they thought they were philosphers or something) “Food for the Stomach and the Stomach for Food” It may not be apparent, but they’re putting their sexual urges on par with the urge to eat or to drink or to breath. As if sex is some sort of basic need like food and water that you can’t live without! Those who think like this, make themselves out to be animals . And in so doing, Satan has scored yet another coupe. He has taken a human beings, beings who were meant to bear the image of God, and diminished them to the level of mere animals chasing after their urges. Paul says to them, “Yeah the stomach was meant for food, but the body was not meant for sexual immorality.”

There is a proper place to use the body God has given you in a sexual way. But it requires commitment, love, and life-long dedication; it’s called marriage. It is this context and only this context that sexual expression has been designed for. Why do you suppose God set it up like this? One practical reason was for the emotional well being of the children that are born into this world. Think about it....he has said that the only acceptable place to do the thing that makes babies is within the bonds of marriage...a loving committed relationship between a man and a woman.

No matter how much various groups might try to denigrate the traditional family, A man and woman living together in love raising children remains the very best environment to bring children into the world. Far too many children are being brought into this world under less than optimum conditions as a result of out of sexuality being used outside of this context of marriage. Far too many children grow up without fathers and suffer the consequences sometimes for the rest of their lives. Society also suffers the consequences as these kids grow up to take out their hard life out on us.

The whole point of the text is that we were called to be something different and better than this. We are not free to do whatever we please but rather what pleases God. We are not animals, living on instinct, we are children of God. And now, Paul teaches us that each of us are his holy Temple. Our lives and how we live them are therefore of the utmost importance.

So what you got going on in your temple? Is everything right as rain? Or is there some stuff that needs be rethought and perhaps cleaned up? The text says “you were bought with a price” and of course, that price was the price was the price of Christ’s blood shed for you. That’s how you became his temple in the first place, but that’s how you can remain his temple and become a better temple. For it is through the blood of Christ that we are redeemed....which means we are bought out of slavery. And sexual sin is indeed slavery of a most powerful kind! But, even from this, jesus can redeem you!

Do you remember when Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem? He made a whip out of cords and drove out the money changers. He was actually quite zealous about it. But now that you are the Temple of the living God....he’s every bit as zealous. What I’m saying is that when it comes to cleaning up your life, you are not by your lonesome. Jesus want’s you to succeed in cleaning up your temple. He’s given you everything you need to overcome what sins might now be troubling you; everything you need to purify and cleanse. Confess your impurities right now! Confess them when you go up to communion. Receive the price paid to redeem your soul. Take hold of it and say “Lord, let’s go! Let’s make some changes!” With his love and his help, you will do it. And your temple will begin to reflect the truly high order of your calling. AMEN