Bible Reading Challenge #13
1 Corinthians 6:9–20
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. 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.
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Reflection
In this passage, Paul speaks clearly: sin has no place among God’s people. That’s easy to “amen” in a church service, but it’s harder when we look honestly at our own lives. We are all prone to greed, idolatry, and sexual sin. We are all tempted to push the limits of desire.
In verse 12 Paul makes a striking point: “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Freedom in Christ was never meant to be an excuse for reckless living. Yet many in the church today, in reaction against the strictness of past generations, swing to the opposite extreme—brashly indulging in language, substances, or lifestyle choices under the banner of “freedom.” But this isn’t true freedom—it’s abuse of freedom.
The goal of our life is not to test the boundaries of grace, but to live in grateful response to the washing, sanctification, and justification we’ve received in Christ. We were not saved so we could enlarge our sin debt. Salvation leads us to desire a different kind of life. Our bodies are not toys for indulgence—they are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought with the blood of Christ.
Paul ends this chapter with a charge that remains just as powerful today: “So glorify God in your body!”
A Question to Carry
What would it look like for you—this week, in your words, habits, and desires—to glorify God in your body?
