Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Dec 1st, 2024 Stay Pure

Today’s Passages – 1 Corinthians 6 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Joshua 1:8

Read the “1201 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Stumblingblocks,” “Property of Jesus,” and “Settling Disputes Within the Church.“

“9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 12 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. 13 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. 14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. 15 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. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 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? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-20)

The words, “fornication” (πορνεία – porneia) or “fornicators” (πόρνοι from πόρνος – pornos) is found four times within today’s reading passage (1 Corinthians 6 – 9). Fornication is a more general term than adultery, which specifically involves at least one person who is married; or homosexuality, which involves people of the same sex. Fornication has been defined as “illicit sexual intercourse in general.”^[1] So, adultery and homosexuality are types of fornication, but fornication is not necessarily adultery or homosexuality; it may just be sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons. 

Fornication has always been a problem. This church in Corinth certainly had people within it who were guilty of it. In fact, according to Paul, it was quite common within the church:

“1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.” (1 Corinthians 5:1 )

What is worse is that the church did not seem to be troubled about it. Paul rebuked them for being proud about it (“puffed up” – verse 2), instead of mourning because of it. It is not much different in American churches today. Fornication is very common; yet it does not seem to be getting the attention from the pulpit, or from the parents, as it should. It is almost like believers today just turn their heads and pretend like it is not happening. Or, they somehow think that God has become OK with fornication; that He does not think it’s that big of a deal. However, that could not be further from the truth. God hates sin of any kind, including sexual sins. Just because the culture in America has become completely accepting of all kinds of sexual impurity does not mean that God has changed His mind about it. 

Thoughts About Sexual Purity:

• Sexual impurity begins in the heart:

“19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:” (Matthew 15:19)

• The heart is affected by what the eyes see, and what the mind thinks about:

“51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.” (Lamentations 3:51)

• Believers need to be careful about what they look at, and what they allow their minds to think about:

“8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

“7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” (Proverbs 23:7)

There is more porn available today than ever before. The average twelve year old has a XXX-rated book store in his pocket via his smart phone.

• Adult believers need to voluntarily put accountability fences up in their lives that will help them stay pure:

“1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” (1 Corinthians 7:1)

People criticized Mike Pence because he stated that he tried not to be alone for any length of time with any woman except his wife or members of his family, but he was merely putting up accountability fences to protect him from sinning and also protect him from accusations. 

• Parents need to help their children stay pure by ensuring that those accountability fences are in place.

Make sure that dating couples are chaperoned. 

• Young unmarried couples need to get married if they feel like they will not be able to keep from committing fornication:

“2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” (1 Corinthians 7:2)

• Married couples need to work hard to make sure their marriages are sexually healthy:

“3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.” (1 Corinthians 7:3-5)

• Strengthen your relationship with God:

“16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

• Develop some godly character and willpower regarding your flesh:

“24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

• If you have fallen in the area of purity, as many of us have, remember there is grace from the Lord.

“10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11)

^[1] Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti (New York: Harper & Brothers., 1889), 532.