SINS OF THE BODY "And the very God of peace sanctify (purify, make holy) you wholly. And I pray your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thessalonians 5:23). According to the above scripture, man is composed of body, soul, and spirit, and it is God's will that the whole man (complete man) be purified and made holy. Our whole man belongs to God. Some definitions are needed to fully understand this lesson:
The apostles gave stern warnings against all of the various immoral acts that are in the world today: "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" (I Corinthians 6:19-20). If we defile our body, it could bring God's stern judgment upon us: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (I Corinthians 3:16-17). The apostles gave strong warnings against all of the various immoral acts that are in the world today: "Do you know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled); neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality, Nor cheats--swindlers and thieves; nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God" (I Corinthians 6:9-10, Amplified Bible). "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" (I Corinthians 6:11). According to the above scripture, the church at Corinth was made up of people who had experienced all types of sin, but as a whole they had forsaken that kind of a life style after they had been baptized in Jesus' name and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. However, some of the Corinthians were still guilty of such sins, and it was necessary for Paul to write to them and exhort them to turn from these things, lest the judgment hand of God be upon them. Read Paul's further exhortation to the church at Corinth concerning this matter: I Corinthians 5:1-6, 9-13; 6:15-20; 7:1-9. Paul also wrote to the Ephesians concerning these same sins: "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once be named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them" (Ephesians 5:3-7). Paul had to exhort the church at Thessalonica: "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence (sexual desire), even as the Gentiles which know not God: For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness" (I Thessalonians 4:3-5, 7). Paul informed the Galatians that sexual sins were the works of the flesh: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21). HOMOSEXUALITY AND LESBIANISM HOW CAN WE WIN THE VICTORY OVER FLESHLY APPETITES? |