Epiphany 2 – January 17, 2021 – 1 Cor. 6:12-20
“CHRISTIAN FREEDOM”
Introduction: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text for this morning is the Epistle Lesson just read, from 1 Cor. 6. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ
- Virtually everyone loves freedom. That is true especially where there is no corresponding responsibility and when there is no chance for adverse consequences.
- However, looking at the larger context of human behavior and social interaction, virtually everyone understands that our freedom must be restricted. People can hurt and harm others – we must have laws and rules. This, because of our sinful and fallen nature.
- We saw that demonstrated a few days ago when a large group of people decided to storm our capital building. Earlier in the summer we became aware that lawless groups were “occupying” areas of major cities in America. There was great hue and cry, especially from those people who businesses and incomes were destroyed. Some people’s so called “freedom” was destroying the freedom of others.
- Freedom is also a key concept when it comes to living out the Christian faith. However, again this instruction from Holy Scripture is nuanced. For example, it is clear that Christ makes us free “from” sin, from guilt and the penalty of death we are deserving. However, it is equally clear that Christ does not make us free “to” sin. To assert we are free to sin is condemned in Scripture as unthinkable!
- So we must remember context as we consider Paul’s assertion in our text that “all things are lawful for me.” It is clear in our text that while:
I. All Things Are Lawful For Us As Christians
A. That Is, Except For What Is Immoral
Text: “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. . . . 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! . . . Flee from sexual immorality.”
B. That Is, Also Except For Anything That Enslaves Us
Text: “All things are lawful for me but I will not be enslaved by anything.”
Statement: This should be quite obvious to all of us! After all, God is love. God is good. Love is good. Immorality and sin is bad! It is selfish. It enslaves people. It hurts people. Therefore there can be no such thing as a “freedom” to do evil. Doing evil is never truly an exercise of freedom, but is rather slavery to sin! It is as Jesus asserted: “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” [John 8:34]
Application: It is important that we know God’s will in this matter. His love has the power, and it is His intent, to free us from evil and free us to love and goodness! Within the context of love, within the definition of love, God’s definition of love, there is nothing but freedom!
Transition: And all of this is not just a matter of the heart, or an issue of “spiritual” health. Rather, our text makes clear that:
II. Our Bodies Matter Greatly To God
A. Our Bodies Are Members Of Christ
Text: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?”
B. Our Bodies Are Temples Of The Holy Spirit
Text: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, Whom you have from God?”
C. Our Bodies Have Been Purchased With A Price – The Suffering And Death Of Christ
Text: “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
D. Our Bodies Are Going To Be Raised In Power – By God
Text: “God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.”
E. We Are Also One Spirit With The Lord
Text: “He who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.”
Statement: You see how important all of this is to the Lord. In that He created us, knitted us together and formed us in our mother’s womb, of course He cherishes our bodies and wants only what is best for them. That is part of Him wanting what is best for us – and so He warns us – “the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
God has joined Himself to us – physically, in our bodies! He has redeemed us, purchased us back from sin, death, and hell, to be His own dear people! And He will surely raise our bodies back to life at the Last Day, and glorify them so that they are without sin and immortal!
Application: All of this is wonderful and marvelous! It enables and empowers true and genuine Christian freedom in us and for us! It insures that nothing will enslave us. It ensures that “all of the things” we are involved in are in fact “lawful.”
And so the encouragement: “So, glorify God in your body.” And that is precisely what real and genuine freedom seeks to do. We remember that “we are not our own,” but we belong to God!
Conclusion: This is what God’s Word teaches about real and genuine freedom, freedom from sin and evil, freedom from enslavement to sin. The principles are equally applicable when it comes to considering real and genuine freedom in political and legal matters. There is never complete freedom to do whatever we want. Given our sinful nature, doing whatever we want would be utter enslavement.
Rather, even in every day life, only that which is truly good is truly free! And this is obviously God’s will for us. It is for this that Christ bought us with the price of His own life. It is in this freedom that we are to stand and remain!
And how the world would improve were all people to receive such an understanding of freedom and good. The world would become a much better place if all were to truly know God and His goodness. In fact, this is what our heavenly home will be like, our eternal home, when this mortal puts on immortality! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.