Sexual Immorality
1 Cor. 5:1-13; 6:9-7:7
Introduction
Sexual immorality has been an issue often skirted by many Churches. But in view of the ever increase in new ideas and perceptions of the world among younger generations, and the process of urbanisation and technological advancements, many of the young people have now become more and more exposed to different ideas and world-views. This inevitably led many Christians to liberal ideas that has corrupted many innocent minds. Unknown to their parents or church members, many young people have come to cities for higher education and work, exacerbating the need to be prudent in many areas considered by many churches in northeast India as ‘not needed as we are far isolated from the rest of the world.’
Look at the rest of the world. We see in the television and news papers and e-papers, of the increasingly liberal thoughts and ideas even among Christians in the west. We see sexual immorality and debauchery in movies, writings and other media channels. There are reports of sex scandals in the church as well. We read liberal ideas about pre-marital sex, divorce, adultery, homosexuality and other related sins. Many of them had been accepted in the west.
Instead of ignoring them, it is better to face them head-on and stand on the foundation the Bible had established for us.
What is sexual immorality?
1 Corinthians 5:1 says, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans…”
In order to understand what Paul says, let us start a little farther back.
Corinth
The city of Corinth was a bustling city in Greece, a centre of business with sailors, merchants, businessmen, adventurers and travellers moving in and out all the time. It was a pagan city where the Acropolis in the mount of Acrocorinth is the centre of worship for Aphrodite, the Greek god of love, beauty and pleasure. Because of this, the Corinthians took sexual debauchery and immortality as nothing.
The church at Corinth
During his second missionary journey, Paul had established the church at Corinth. It was during this time that Priscilla and Aquila became believers (Acts 18:1-17). Corinth was inhabited by pagans and Jews and many of them were followers of the teachings of the Gentiles (mostly Gnosticism). Because of this, the believers faced numerous problems of faith and character, including divorce, divisions, sexual immorality, idolatry, moral living and faith in God.
The letter of Paul to the Corinthians
Paul began his letter, telling the Corinthians that they had been sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints. He then taught them because of the divisions in the church (1 Cor. 1-4). He then proceded to talk about sexual immorality in chapters 5 to 7.
Sexual Immorality
Paul started his discourse on sexual immorality because one of them was living with his father’s wife (5:1). Instead of being ashamed and removing him, the church was being arrogant (5:2). Paul, therefore, had to state that this man had to be punished and removed because, “a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough” (5:6). Removing him is paramount not only for the man, but also for all of them as every old yeast must be cleaned (5:7).
Paul, then, began his lecture on how the Christian should live. Paul said, “ I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[c] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people” (1 Cor. 5:9-11). He repeated this in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. 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.” He also said, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body” (1 Cor. 6:18).
We are not trying to give a detailed study of all the chapters here, but what we wanted to put forward is the immorality of debauchery.
Sexual immorality in the present times
Younger generations have become increasingly exposed to sexual innuendos on almost every front – in televisions, in the internet and even magazines and messages. The trend of young generations moving towards big cities, away from their parents and societal control has aggravated this problem. Many of them wanted to ‘experience’ and ‘experiment.’
Instead of taking up good examples of others, we tend to pick up bad words, bad examples, bad characters, bad behaviours and conducts. Our youngsters have overtaken parents and church leaders and pastors by light years. It is indeed time to address these issues.
What does the Bible teach us?
Paul continues, “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!” (1 Cor. 6:13-15).
Society and modern ways of life tells us what we should do with our body. It tells us it is okay to experiment and experience. It tells us that it is okay to use our bodies for pleasure. It tells us to mind our own business. As such, young people say, “It’s my life, I will do what I want with it,” never knowing that it is the LORD’s. They have been misled too much.
At home, many parents do not look much beyond our everyday lives. It is time we look beyond our villages and societal boundaries. It is time we start out and catch up with our new generation and lead them as they grow up.
Let us understand this: “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 Cor. 6:19-20) and “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18).
Conclusion
Like Paul said of the Corinthians, “to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” (1 Cor. 1:2), we are called to be holy. Let us not let a small yeast leaven though the whole dough.
We do not need to move according to what the world dictates. We are called to move in accordance with the word of God.
