Week of Monday, August 23 – Sunday, August 29
On the Run – Man as a Battle Buddy
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 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, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
—1 Corinthians 6:18-20
I like it when people get right to the point. It’s hard to focus when a buddy takes a while to tell a story and get his point across. You know at least one guy like that. Maybe it’s a coworker and you automatically zone out when he starts talking because you know you’re not going to miss anything important for a few minutes. So, when somebody like that says something straight to the point, it gets your attention, right? You’re expecting a long complex description and wordy sentences, and then he goes and drops a pithy truth bomb on you. Mind. Blown.
Paul was kind of like that guy. He typically used a lot of words to express one thought, but
1 Corinthians 6:18 is not one of those times. Paul led with a short, simple sentence: “Flee from sexual immorality.” He didn’t beat around the bush. He didn’t give a detailed list of how we can get really close to sexual immorality and still be okay. He didn’t tell us to try to ignore it. He simply says: “Run. Flee. Get away as fast as you can!”
I’m not saying anything you don’t already know when I point out that we live in a sex-saturated culture with access to anything and everything from our smart phones, smart TVs, tablets, and computers. This world makes it very hard to flee. But, men, we must. It’s not because sex itself is wrong. It’s not—God gave that to us as a gift and blessing to enjoy in the context of a marriage covenant! What we need to flee is the temptation to fulfill that desire in ways that dishonor God. And just for clarity, cohabitation for a couple who are planning to marry is still a sinful act and part of what Paul is referring to.
What makes this kind of sin any different than, say, lying about how many fish you caught or the size of the antlers on the buck you harvested? The effect. Sexual immorality has a different effect than other sins. It is not only a sin against God, but also a sin against our own bodies. Our bodies are not our own (v. 19)—they belong to and are for the Lord. That is what sets this type of sin apart from many others. Not only is sexual sin—all types of sexual sin—a direct assault on our union with Christ, but it quickly and easily enslaves us. Paul didn’t want to be ruled by anything but Christ (v. 12). Our sexuality is the most personal, intimate part of us, and for that to be commandeered by sin instead of surrendered to God is going to leave us broken.
Now go with me a step further. As a Battle Buddy, we need to be that “right to the point” voice like Paul’s and urge our guy friends to flee from sexual immorality, that it is the blast that doesn’t last, the momentary thrill that kills marriages, and crushes the hearts of our children. Worst of all, we need to sound the warning of the harm it does to our relationship with Holy God. Paul emphasizes that we have been bought with a high price—the precious blood of Christ. So when the temptation to indulge in sexual immorality comes along, and it will, tell your battle buddy to “Run!”
Yet we can’t just run away from sin. We must run toward something—Someone—better. The Lord Jesus knows the reality of temptation, and He understands better than we do about the desires He has given us. He is the One we run to when we flee. The question we must always be asking ourselves and our battle buddies is this: Will we choose to run from sin and run toward Jesus?
On the Run – Man as a Battle Buddy
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 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, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
—1 Corinthians 6:18-20
I like it when people get right to the point. It’s hard to focus when a buddy takes a while to tell a story and get his point across. You know at least one guy like that. Maybe it’s a coworker and you automatically zone out when he starts talking because you know you’re not going to miss anything important for a few minutes. So, when somebody like that says something straight to the point, it gets your attention, right? You’re expecting a long complex description and wordy sentences, and then he goes and drops a pithy truth bomb on you. Mind. Blown.
Paul was kind of like that guy. He typically used a lot of words to express one thought, but
1 Corinthians 6:18 is not one of those times. Paul led with a short, simple sentence: “Flee from sexual immorality.” He didn’t beat around the bush. He didn’t give a detailed list of how we can get really close to sexual immorality and still be okay. He didn’t tell us to try to ignore it. He simply says: “Run. Flee. Get away as fast as you can!”
I’m not saying anything you don’t already know when I point out that we live in a sex-saturated culture with access to anything and everything from our smart phones, smart TVs, tablets, and computers. This world makes it very hard to flee. But, men, we must. It’s not because sex itself is wrong. It’s not—God gave that to us as a gift and blessing to enjoy in the context of a marriage covenant! What we need to flee is the temptation to fulfill that desire in ways that dishonor God. And just for clarity, cohabitation for a couple who are planning to marry is still a sinful act and part of what Paul is referring to.
What makes this kind of sin any different than, say, lying about how many fish you caught or the size of the antlers on the buck you harvested? The effect. Sexual immorality has a different effect than other sins. It is not only a sin against God, but also a sin against our own bodies. Our bodies are not our own (v. 19)—they belong to and are for the Lord. That is what sets this type of sin apart from many others. Not only is sexual sin—all types of sexual sin—a direct assault on our union with Christ, but it quickly and easily enslaves us. Paul didn’t want to be ruled by anything but Christ (v. 12). Our sexuality is the most personal, intimate part of us, and for that to be commandeered by sin instead of surrendered to God is going to leave us broken.
Now go with me a step further. As a Battle Buddy, we need to be that “right to the point” voice like Paul’s and urge our guy friends to flee from sexual immorality, that it is the blast that doesn’t last, the momentary thrill that kills marriages, and crushes the hearts of our children. Worst of all, we need to sound the warning of the harm it does to our relationship with Holy God. Paul emphasizes that we have been bought with a high price—the precious blood of Christ. So when the temptation to indulge in sexual immorality comes along, and it will, tell your battle buddy to “Run!”
Yet we can’t just run away from sin. We must run toward something—Someone—better. The Lord Jesus knows the reality of temptation, and He understands better than we do about the desires He has given us. He is the One we run to when we flee. The question we must always be asking ourselves and our battle buddies is this: Will we choose to run from sin and run toward Jesus?
- Besides your spouse or a family member to whom you confess in general terms, who is that battle buddy you trust to listen to your honest and unedited confession and pray for you? If you have no one in that role, where could you look for such a person?
- Who can you help flee from sexual immorality? If your battle buddy isn’t currently fleeing, what precautions and practices can you help him put into place to avoid circumstances from which he’ll need to flee?
- Thank God for the desires He has given you. Repent of the times you have sought to satisfy them in the wrong ways. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the power to flee sexual sin at every turn. Ask Him to provide you with battle buddies who can help you and whom you can help as well.