In his new book, Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel, Russell Moore tells the story of a conversation he had with a lesbian activist. Although she was an atheist, she was interested in the sociological aspects of evangelical Christianity and engaged Moore in a conversation about Christian beliefs–particularly sexual ethics. As the conversation went on, she laughed and told Moore that he was the first person she had ever talked to who believed sexual expression should only take place within marriage or who believed marriage could only exist between a man and woman. “Do you see how strange what you’re saying sounds to those of us out here in normal America?” she asked.
“Yes, I do,” Moore said. “It sounds strange to me too. But what you should know is, we believe even stranger things than that. We believe a previously dead man is going to show up in the sky, on a horse.”
Our Christian sexual ethic sounds strange to the outside world. We might as well own that. To the culture around us, our sexual boundaries sound quaint, archaic, and downright weird. That’s why we need to know not just what the Bible teaches about sex, but what the principles are that support those boundaries. One of the foundational principles that undergirds our sexual ethic is the truth that we are called to honor God with our bodies.
Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 6.
I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
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 6:12-20).
In 1 Corinthians Paul was writing to a church that had issues. They were dividing into factions, battling over spiritual gifts, and hauling each other into court. They were boasting about the fact that a man was sleeping with his father’s wife, and they were apparently using slogans to justify men in the church visiting prostitutes.
Paul pushed back against their bumper-sticker theology with four main points:
- We are meant for more than sexual immorality. We sometimes talk as if the important thing about faith is that our souls are destined for heaven. That’s true. But God didn’t just redeem our souls–he redeemed all of us. We are whole people: body, mind, and soul. Our physical and spiritual health are inexorably linked. We know that anger, grief, and depression can cause physical symptoms, and we also know that physical problems can lead to spiritual struggles. We cannot sin with our bodies and pretend it doesn’t affect our spirits. Our bodies are not destined for corruption but resurrection.
- Members of Christ should not become partners with sin. I think that’s what Paul is getting at when he says that sexual sin is a sin against our own bodies. When we accepted Christ, we became members of the body of Christ. Sexual sin removes us from that unity with Christ and makes us physical partners with sin–something that should never be. We are meant to be one with God in our spirits, not separated from God by sin.
- We were bought with a price. Christ’s blood bought us body and soul. Following Jesus as Lord means that he has to be Lord. It’s not just lip service. We don’t get to pick and choose: “Okay God, you can have my kitchen, den, and Sunday morning. I’m keeping my T.V., bedroom, and Saturday night.” Following Jesus as Lord means submitting to his leadership in every area of our lives–including our sexuality.
- Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We’ve all got stories about obnoxious cell phone users. Yet even as oblivious as we can all sometimes be about our phones, most people recognize that there are places where phones need to be set aside. A Pew Research study found that 96% of Americans agree that cell phones should not be used in church or worship services. Most mature Christians recognize that church is the people, not the buildings. Yet we still understand our sanctuaries are special places and are meant to be treated with honor because that is where people go to meet with God. If we treat our church buildings with honor and set boundaries around who can use them and for what purpose, how much more should we honor our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit of Christ indwells those who follow Jesus as Lord. As temples of the Spirit, our bodies are intended for worship. We are meant to honor God with our bodies.
Our God who designed and redeemed our bodies meant us for more than sexual immorality. We are created by God, bought by Christ’s blood, indwelled by the Spirit, and destined for resurrection. Let’s not cheapen that by becoming partners with sin.
Q: What do you think it means to honor God with your body?