1Dare any of you, having a matter against his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2Don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3Don’t you know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4If then you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly? 5I say this to move you to shame. Isn’t there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers? 6But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers! 7Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8No, but you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and that against your brothers.
9Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom. 11Some of you were such, but you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.
12“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are expedient. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything. 13“Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods,” but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14Now God raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by his power. 15Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16Or don’t you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, “The two”, he says, “will become one flesh.” 17But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 18Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
The Temple of the Holy Spirit
16 Or don’t you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, “The two”, he says, “will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
God gave men and women the most amazing gift of being able to pleasure one another. The gift of sexual pleasure was designed by God not only to populate the earth but also for the sheer joy of sharing intense intimacy with another human being. But like so many of the gifts that He gives us, mankind can turn those gifts into an idol. When we become obsessed with sexual pleasure, it becomes an idol. When we participate in the sex act with a partner outside of the bond and commitment of marriage, we are violating boundaries that He established. He set these boundaries for our own good. They are not to repress us or torture us. They are for our protection and benefit. These boundaries apply to both married and unmarried persons.
I once had an unmarried woman tell me that she wasn’t doing anything wrong because she didn’t have sex with married men. I guess she doesn’t know the definition of fornication, which is condemned right along with adultery. At this point, you might be thinking, “Well, I’m not a prostitute nor would I go to a prostitute”. Paul is saying, “Don’t couple up with someone outside of the bounds that God prescribed. Don’t use your body to dishonor yourself and to dishonor God.” And then he adds that the believing man or woman has a unique body. It is the very temple of the Holy Spirit. It is God’s property. It is not yours. He lives in your body, so don’t couple it up with someone else in a sinful way. You dishonor yourself, and you dishonor Him in doing so. Doing the right thing is often not the easy thing to do. However, when you do it God’s way, it is pleasing to Him and brings great rewards.