Sinning Against His Own Body
Why is sexual immorality considered to be “sinning against one’s own body?”
Mainly because the Bible declares it to be in I Cor 6. However, just exactly what does that term signify? What sets this act apart from others? While the consumption of drugs or alcohol (and other various sins) “harms one’s body” then it becomes apparent that what is meant in I Cor 6:18 is not so much about “physical harm” to one’s body (either by disease or etc) but “sinning against his body” is delving into deeper waters of meaning.
First it is important to read the context regarding this subject:
I Cor 6:12-20
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them.”
“Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.”
“What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication.”
“Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
While sexual immorality is wrong for all men we notice that Paul’s writings in this situation is focusing on the christian. “Fornication” in its usage in I Cor 6, I think, is used in its larger umbrella term meaning any sexual sin and is not aimed entirely at the married but also at the single.
The subject at hand is “ownership” of the christian. We often fail to realize that we “have been bought with a price and are not our own.” Paul is reminding the Corithians that their smug attitude of “all things are lawful for me” is contrary to what being a christian is all about.
Paul illustrates “Christ’s ownership” by making the case against sexual immorality and how the use of the body to engage in such an act is “sinning against one’s body.” To illustrate this in another way is to describe how a credit card (which in reality belongs to the company who acknowledges its rightful use) could indeed be MISUSED in oder to jimmy a door lock in order to rob a house. It can do that BUT that was NOT its intended purpose for which it was designed. Therefore, to jimmy a lock with the card would be in a sense to “sin against the card,” or to use the card for a purpose against its design.
When a person fornicates they are using their body for a purpose for which God did not design it. When one does that It’s like using a credit card to jimmy a door lock. When any one uses their body for sexual purpose outside of what God designed it (in the sanctified marriage) then we use it for what it wasn’t designed. Sexual sin is never satisfied but over time becomes more perverse but the fact remains that the body BELONGS to God and to use it for illegal sexual gratification is taking God’s belongings to use in sin! This is why it is “sinning against his own body.”
God meant for marriage to be a binding covenant between a man and a woman—a blood covenant. In the act of having sex, there is a mingling of the blood of the man and woman. This forms what was know as in the Old Testament as a blood covenant. Blood covenants meant all that I have is yours and all that you have is mine. Part of you will always be with that person as you join with them—“the two shall be one flesh.” “What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication.”
-jlg-