Glorify God with Your Body
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
International Sunday School Lesson
July 6, 2014
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
Selective sinning, we are all guilty of it from time to time and for some it is a constant struggle. We can ask of someone, “How can they take drugs?” or “How can they drink so much?” But we don’t often hear in the same way, “How can they let their body go?” or “How can they eat so much?”
You and I both know that to God if something is sinful there are not differences between it and another sin in that they are both sin. If sexual immorality which is most in sight with today’s scripture is a sin because our body is now to be a temple to Him than other improper uses of that body are sin to Him also. If we are honest we will admit that some of the things we have “done” with our body are sins we have not acknowledged.
Yes, the following are sins:
Sexual activity of any kind that is not between a man and wife.
Over indulging in eating.
Over indulging in drinking.
Putting anything else into ourselves which creates a negative effect.
Not taking care of our bodies.
I could go on for I have my own excused sins particular to me as do you but just like sinning becomes easier with practice so too does excuse making.
Do you say any of the following:
I’m getting old.
That’s just the way my body is.
It’s all the stress in my life.
It makes me happy.
He/she loves me the way I am.
Again, we could continue and though we each share some of these we also have our own particular excuses but I think they share a common theme and it is one we share with our worship—the lowering of our standards.
High standards are not easy but very few things that are worthy are easy and who do you think is more often going to be pleased when we lower standards, God or satan?
When we lower our standards in worship we bring a casual nature to our worship that eventually reduces our reverential awe and the seriousness that we should hold Him Who Should Be Feared!
Lower one standard and it is easier to lower the next and the next and so on. Holding ourselves to a high standard including with regard to our bodies because of His Spirit that is within us will please Him because as Paul wrote in our last verse it honors Him.
For Discussion:
1. Discuss how views have changed with regard to sexual immorality.
2. Discuss how views have changed with regard to our bodies.
3. Discuss verse 12.
4. Read 1 Corinthians 7:2-5.
5. Discuss why not just the Spirit within us but our bodies are important.
6. Discuss how the Spirit within us can help us with these issues.
Upcoming Lessons
July 13 Love Builds Up or Exercise Freedom with Caution, 1 Corinthians 8
July 20 Overcoming Temptation, 1 Corinthians 10:12-22 or 1 Corinthians 10:6-22
July 27 Seek the Good of Others, 1 Corinthians 14:13-26
August 3 Consolation Granted Through Prayer or Comfort in Times of Trouble, 2 Corinthians 1:3-11
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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