Your Body is Not Your Own: Living Pure in an Impure World (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

1. FREEDOM IS NOT PERMISSION (Verse 12-14)
2. Paul begins by addressing two common slogans used by the Corinthians to justify their casual attitude toward sin.
3. The first slogan (v. 12): "‘Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial.’"
4. Paul uses their own words but places two essential, Christ-centered caveats on Christian freedom:
5. "But not everything is beneficial." 
6. Beneficial: Profitable; Gather together; Bring together
7. Is it beneficial for me?
8. Is it beneficial for the others? THE COMMUNITY
9. "‘Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12, CSB)" 
10. This is the core principle. The freedom Christ purchased for us is meant to keep us from slavery to anything else. 
11. Galatians 5:13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. (Galatians 5:13, CSB)
12. The second slogan (v. 13a): "‘Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food’"
13. The Corinthians were saying sex, like food, is just a temporary, morally neutral biological appetite. Paul replies: "And God will do away with both of them." (v. 13b). The appetite for food and the stomach are temporary.
14. But then, the powerful distinction: "HOWEVER the body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." (v. 13c). 
15. Our body is not a disposable container for temporary pleasure. It has eternal purpose because of its destiny: resurrection 
16. (v. 14). God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
17. THE PROFOUND TRUTH: Union with Christ and the Command to Flee (Verse 15-18)
18. The Sacredness of the Body (v. 15): "Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body? So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! (1 Corinthians 6:15, CSB)
19. When we become Christians, we are not just forgiven sinners; our bodies become physically, mystically united to Christ’s body—the Church. To engage in sexual immorality is to attempt to take a "member of Christ" and join it to something unholy (v. 16). 
20. For Scripture says, 
21. 1 Corinthians 6:16, Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.
22. Sexual sin, therefore, is a profound betrayal of your connection to the Savior.
23. Sexual Sin as a Unique Defilement (v. 18a): "Flee sexual immorality."
24. Why this unique intensity? "Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body." (v. 18b). 
25. Sexual sin is uniquely invasive. 
26. It is not necessarily the worst sin, but it is the only sin that involves the body in a "one flesh" transaction that defiles the whole person and warps the image of God. 
27. It is a spiritual adultery against the Lord who owns you.
28. It is the melding together of two souls through the flesh.
29. THEREFORE FLEE SEXUAL SIN
30. The Greek word is a present-tense imperative: "keep on running; keep on fleeing." 
31. Fleeing Digital Isolation
32. Fleeing Situational Risk
33. Fleeing Idleness
34. When we are FLEEING and running away from our sin, we are not running away into nothingness. We are fleeing into the presence of a God who loves us and the One who freed us to truly LIVE.
35. The Specific Sin: Homosexuality in Context (v. 9-11):
36. The historical context is important:
37. Malakoi originally meant "soft" or "effeminate," but in this context often referred to the passive partner in a same-sex sexual act, particularly in the exploitative pederasty common in the Greco-Roman world.
38. Arsenokoitai is a rare word Paul likely coined by combining the Greek words for "male" (arsen) and "bed" (koite). (A man who beds men)
39. This combination directly echoes the universal prohibitions in the Law of Moses (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13, in the Greek translation, the Septuagint). It refers to the active partner, and in its biblical context, condemns all forms of male same-sex activity because they reject the male-female design for sexuality established at creation.
40. Paul is not just condemning exploitative acts; he is reinforcing the biblical vision that all sexual activity outside of the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman
41. But here is the glorious Gospel pivot, and the hope for every one of us: 
42. "And SOME OF YOU used to be like this. 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 6:11, CSB)
43. The Gospel defines us not by our past sexual sin—whether it was heterosexual lust, adultery, prostitution, or same-sex activity—but by the washing of Christ. In Him, we are new creations.
44. THE ULTIMATE REALITY: THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES IN YOU (Verse 19-20)
45. Paul brings his argument to its final, unanswerable conclusion, confronting the slogan "It’s my body" with two glorious realities: possession and purchase.
46. Your Body is the Temple (v. 19a): "Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?"
47. In the Old Testament, the naos was the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary where God’s presence dwelt. 
48. To use your body for sin is not just a personal error; it is a profound sacrilege. It is impossible to say, "I am spiritual," while defiling the physical vessel where the Spirit of the holy God resides. 
49. Your Body is Not Your Own (v. 19b-20a): "You are not your own, for you were bought at a price."
50. This is the Christian’s final, powerful answer to the claim of autonomy. Your body is not your property.
51. As a follower of Christ, there is no such thing as MY BODY MY CHOICE.
52. You have been purchased out of sin, slavery, and death by the ultimate price: the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). 
53. This ownership is not a burden; it is our deepest joy and security. Our identity, our will, and our body belong to the One who loves us perfectly.
54. Remember, if you are a follower of Christ, you are the one who has responded to the grace and mercy of God and received Jesus as Lord and Savior. This has not been forced upon you.
55. The consequences of your response to Jesus is:
56. Amazing Love, Forgiveness and Acceptance
57. Fullness of Life
58. Order into Chaos
59. Clarity
60. Direction
61. THE CALL TO WORSHIP and PRAISE (v. 20b): "So glorify God with your body."
62. The entire purpose of our redemption and the Spirit’s indwelling is focused on this: using our bodies as instruments of righteousness. 
63. Romans 6:13 And do not offer any partsC of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.
64. Our resurrected, Spirit-filled bodies are to be used for worship, service, and Christ-like action in the world.
65. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US TODAY
66. Let me be practical. What does this passage mean for us living in 2025?
67. If you’re single: God calls you to sexual purity. 
68. If you’re married: Your sexuality is a gift to be stewarded for God’s glory and your spouse’s joy. Faithfulness, servant-hearted love, and the covenant bond of marriage are counter-cultural acts of worship.
69. If you’re struggling with same-sex attraction: 
70. This passage (including verse 9) doesn’t single you out as worse than others. Paul lists sexual sin alongside greed and slander. 
71. The call is the same for all of us—to bring our sexuality under the lordship of Christ. 
72. The gospel offers transformation (“such were some of you”), community, and the power to live in obedience, even when it’s costly. Many faithful Christians experience same-sex attraction and choose celibacy or, in some cases, marriage as their path of discipleship.
73. If you’ve already sinned sexually: Hear the gospel!
74. “And some of you used to be like this. 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.” 
75. There is forgiveness. There is cleansing. There is freedom. You don’t have to be defined by your past. Jesus paid the price for all of it.
76. For all of us: We must cultivate a vision of sexuality that’s higher, not lower, than the culture’s. 

Reflection & Application Questions

1. Paul argues that not all lawful things are "helpful" (beneficial). In what area of your life (e.g., social media usage, entertainment, work habits) do you need to apply this principle of not just what you can do, but what is helpful?
2. How does constantly being told "It's my body, I can do what I want" affect your daily thinking and how you view the physical body? How does Paul's truth ("You are not your own") serve as a powerful counter-slogan?
3. Paul contrasts the temporary nature of food with the eternal destiny of the body (resurrection). How does consciously remembering your future resurrection body change the way you view and treat your body today?
4. Why is the unique command for sexual sin to "Flee" - keep on running rather than just "resist"?
5. What concrete, modern steps are part of "fleeing sexual immorality" in your life (e.g., technology boundaries, avoiding specific situations, time management)? Be specific.
6. The body is a "member of Christ." How does this idea elevate sexual sin from a private offense to a public betrayal of your union with the Savior?
7. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 again. How does the phrase "And such were some of you" demonstrate both the severity of sin and the radical, transforming power of the Gospel for all people?
8. If your body is the "temple of the Holy Spirit," how does that reality affect your view of purity—not just sexual purity, but purity in your words, thoughts, and attitudes?
9. "You were bought with a price." Reflect on what that price was. How should the sheer cost of your redemption motivate you to live for God's glory instead of your own immediate desires?
10. The ultimate command is to "glorify God in your body." Practically speaking, what is one way this week that you can use your body (your hands, your voice, your energy) in a specific act of service or worship to bring glory to God?

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHILE READING SCRIPTURE

What does this reveal about God?

What does this reveal about you in relation to God?

What do you need to do about it?