Stewardship of Our Bodies

Here is the transcript of last week's sermon on 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.

As we seek to obey the command to love the Lord our God with all that we are, which includes the body, we are directing our attention to the letter of 1st Corinthians today for at least two reasons:

1- 1st Corinthians is part of the bible – God’s Word.

As followers of Jesus, it is absolutely essential for us to find our instruction in and from the Bible, for in the bible God, in concert with the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, has given us everything we need for life and godliness according to 2 Peter 1.

As followers of Jesus, it is absolutely essential for us to place ourselves under the authority of the Bible, for in the bible we are given our marching orders as citizens of the kingdom of God whose king is Jesus as we live and express that citizenship as aliens and pilgrims and exiles here on this earth.

Though, this ought to be understood without saying, it is invariably stated by many people, “Oh, I believe the Bible” or “I am a Christian” and yet the Bible, in its clear directives, seems to hold no sway over the conduct of their daily lives with regard to the body and its various activities.

A second reason…

2- The church in Corinth was situated in the midst of a culture very much like ours.

It was a pagan culture rampant with over-indulgence and un-restraint.

Liberty had digressed into license without regard to consequences—freedom had digressed to self-indulgent pursuits at any cost—even among many of those who claim to be Christians.

There is evidence that the phrase “all things are permissible” in v. 12 was a popular slogan among the Corinthian people because many had taken their liberty in Jesus spiritually and perverted it in order to indulge themselves in their sinful behaviors and to cloak and hide their immorality as if their behavior in the body did not matter to God.

There was a belief in that day that what was done in the body and by the body had no affect on the soul—there was a strict distinction between body and soul with little interaction or connection between the two.

They had become as the ones in Jude who had taken the grace of God and turned into licentiousness and recklessness and decadence and ungodliness.

They had become as the ones in 2 Timothy who had a form of godliness but denied the power to transform their lives from the inside out.

They are like ones today who claim fire insurance against eternal dwelling in hell, but demonstrate by their lifestyle no intention or desire or disposition toward living a holy life separated unto Jesus because they love him and have experienced his life-transforming power through conversion.

Therefore, the instructions given to the church in Corinth are particularly relevant for us today with regard to our faithful stewardship of our bodies.

Let’s ask a very basic question…

Does our body matter to God?

Of course, the answer is yes—our body matters to God.

The myth, or false assumption, that plagued many in the first century that what is done in the body does not affect the soul, I believe, has infected many people’s thinking today.

It may not be explicitly stated by our words, but it is reflected in the carelessness with which we treat the activities of the physical body.

Many act as if there is no connection between the two.

What is done in the body does affect our soul (heart, mind, will, emotions)…it affects our relationship with God for better or for worse…and what we choose to participate in with the body is also a reflection of the condition of our souls.

Therefore, what we do with, to, put in, put on, or do for the body matters to God, and God has something to say about the physical body for us as Christians.

It is a matter of faithful stewardship for which we will all be held accountable before Jesus.

The overarching theme of this series to love the Lord our God with all that we are has a companion verse that fits well within our framework of discussion this morning…

That is 1 Corinthians 10:31 – Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

No matter what we do, no matter how seemingly mundane or trivial in life, including what we do with our bodies, we have a God-given responsibility to reflect the glory of God—his magnificence, his majesty, his grace, his holiness, his character, his transforming power through the gospel—to a world that desperately needs Jesus.

There is a missional aspect to the faithful stewardship of our bodies…Matthew 5:16—Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

The vehicle through which the light of God’s glory shines from our soul is the body.

Therefore the body matters to God.

In 1 Cor. 6, Paul begins to address some issues within the Corinthian church that deal with the stewardship of the physical body.

Vv. 12-20 form what I would call an introductory paragraph to these issues.

He introduces a general principle in v. 12 along with the two specific issues within the Corinthian church—food and sexual immorality.

He addresses the issue of food in chapter 8 and part of 9 in a more thorough manner.

He begins in this section of chapter 6 to address the issue of sexual immorality.

This discussion carries over into chapter 7 as he brings this teaching to bear in the realm of singleness and marriage.

The general instruction given in v. 12 is a principle of wisdom…look at verse 12…

He quotes the popular slogan of that day with a qualification.

Certainly, there is freedom in Christ…that is why it will not be given today any list of legalistic measures that say “you must do this with your body” and “you must not do this with your body”

A small caveat—there are some things the bible explicitly declares as off limits for believers to participate in—things that are in direct violation of biblical commands—these do not fall into the category of maybe what we would call “gray areas” that we are discussing today

For example—Paul gives the example of sexual immorality—all forms are off limits without exception—fornication, adultery, pornography, etc.

Now back to the qualification Paul asserts to the Corinthian slogan…all things are permissible, but all things are not helpful...

All things are do not confer a benefit…all things are not profitable or useful or advantageous…

Helpful or beneficial to what extent…well, what is the point of this little introductory section…

Look down in v. 20…therefore, glorify God in the body…

The extent to which we should discern the helpfulness or benefit of some activity of the body is the glory of God.

We ask the question—will it further demonstrate and reflect and honor and extol and show off the majesty of God’s glory and character?

For Christians, whatever we do with, to, put in, put on, or do for the body must have as its primary goal and intended purpose the glory of God.

There is a second aspect to this wisdom principle…v. 12

Another way to put this last part is this… “I will not allow myself to be brought under the authority of something else”

This aspect of the wisdom principle reveals the human tendency toward over-indulgence and addiction and idolatry.

Though certain things have a more addictive nature than others and certainly can exert an influence over us, there is also the element of volitional choice, an act of the will that is indicated in this principle that far too often is passed over or swept under the rug in a way that undermines personal responsibility.

Furthermore, each person because of his/her individual make-up, will have a tendency to over-indulge, be addicted to, and worship other things beside Jesus.

See…I believe, as do others, that the underlying and foundational reality connected to this principle is the answer to the question…who or what do we worship?

Here’s why…because that which we worship is that which holds sway over us and exerts the most influence over us in our decisions and actions.

We are all worshipers…the question is to what or to whom do we give our allegiance.

For the apostle Paul, his allegiance was exclusively Jesus.

This is directly related to a particular aspect of the gospel—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Look in v. 19…you are not your own…you were bought at a price…

You are not your own has the sense of belonging…it can be understood as… “you do not belong to yourself”

When Jesus died on the cross in our place and for our sins, he paid the sin debt and ransomed us and redeemed us from slavery to sin and freed us in order that we might worship him and follow him through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, we do not belong to ourselves anymore, we belong to Jesus.

That’s why the apostle Paul would often refer to himself as a “servant or slave of Jesus Christ”—he understood his redemption.

He had not been redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ—and neither have we.

The stewardship of our physical bodies in this passage is a reflection of what we think of the redemption of Jesus Christ for us—

Paul gladly and joyfully denied himself, took up his cross daily, and followed Jesus because he had been captured by the redeeming grace of God in Jesus.

We do not belong to ourselves—it is not “my body” in terms of ownership, but in terms of stewardship for the glory of God.

If we make decisions concerning our bodies without consulting the owner of the body, we are in violation of the new covenant that has been ratified in Jesus Christ applied to us in particular by faith.

Through faith as a result of regeneration, there is a kind of “rights transfer” to Jesus as our new king and master—we used to be king, we used to call the shots, we used to do whatever we wanted to, we used to be autonomous, we used to be slaves to our sinful nature and its appetites and desires and motivations—but, not any longer…

There is a new king—a good king, a gracious king, a merciful king, a saving king, a glorious king—

This rights transfer is given up gladly—not in the sense of moving from one task master to another, but in the sense of relief and gratitude and joy and the greatest treasure that we have found in life.

It is all centered in the gospel and its transforming effect upon our heart, mind, will, emotions reflected in our faithful stewardship of the body

We gladly give our bodies to Jesus not even regarding “our life” for His glory and His will.

One more phrase we want to examine this morning that has a significant role in our understanding of stewardship of the body…v. 19…

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit…the word for temple here is the word used for the inner sanctuary of the temple…not the outer courts, but the inner dwelling place of God

The temple under the OT covenant was the ordained dwelling place of the presence of God—therefore, the place was set apart and holy to God for God-glorifying purposes with specific consequences for not operating in the prescribed manner

The old covenant relationship was done through sacrifices made in the temple, but these in their relative aspect between man and God have been made obsolete because of Jesus—they foreshadowed Jesus, but are no longer valid or necessary because Jesus has come

Now, God relates to His people not through a place, but through Jesus by the Holy Spirit who now dwells inside every believer—Jesus is the one mediator between God and man

Therefore, under the transfer of the new covenant, God’s house, God’s place of dwelling is no longer a building, no longer a place but his dwelling, his house is now within the souls of men and women through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit

Furthermore, just as the temple in the OT was set apart and holy for specific God-ward purposes, so are we, our bodies, set apart and holy separated unto God for God-ward purposes

In a similar way, just as the temple served to make the glory of God known, so our physical bodies as the new covenant temple of God serves to display the magnificence of God and the treasure of Jesus

If this is the way the bible instructs us concerning the body, how do we respond?

The most biblical and appropriate response is Romans 12:1-2—one that we know so well.

Let’s turn there as we respond to God’s Spirit today—

Faithful stewardship of what we do with, do to, put in, put on, or do for the body is a growing and joyful relinquishment and yielding of those decisions concerning the body away from ourselves to Jesus.

It is growing in sanctification as we yield to the Lordship of Jesus Christ as the good, gracious, merciful, and glorious king of our lives—including our bodies.

Let’s see if we can make this really practical by asking Jesus a few questions…

Jesus, what should I eat? Jesus, how much should I eat?

Jesus, what should I wear? Does this honor you? Does this accentuate my body and draw attention to my body or does it honor the biblical principle of modesty?

Jesus, should I put this is my body? How does this action with my body reflect a love for you as my greatest treasure above the desire of pleasure?

Jesus, should I exercise? Jesus, how much should I exercise?

Jesus, how much sleep should I get?

Jesus, whatever I do may it be for your glory and honor and fame…that is really the bottom-line…Does the way I use my body show that I love Jesus as the greatest treasure of all of life?