The Big Lie***

1 Corinthians 6:12–17 NIV

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

The Big Lie is not that Donald Trump had the election stolen from him; The Big Lie is the saints can have indifferent sex. Furthermore, we can abuse our freedom in Christ without consequence.

The Hermenia Commentary points out First Corinthians chapters 6-10 deal with misusing our freedom, which includes eating meat offered to idols and sexual immorality (porneia).

Food for the body and the body for food.

1 Corinthians 6:13 NIV

13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

I can separate myself from the food I eat. I cannot separate sexual actions from my heart.

Matthew 15:17–19 NIV

17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Freedom cannot cancel itself by making me unfree.

10 10 The passive of ἐξουσάζειν, “dominate,” appears to be a pointed ad hoc construction on Paul’s part.

1 Conzelmann, H. (1975). 1 Corinthians: a commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians (p. 109). Fortress Press.

Freedom should not cancel itself out and lead to bondage. Drinking is lawful, but I will be an alcoholic. Sex is lawful, but I will be living in lust.

My freedom does not derive from things. It has its place, namely, the church1

12 12 That is, by “practice,” in the sense of “independent action.”

1 Conzelmann, H. (1975). 1 Corinthians: a commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians (pp. 109–110). Fortress Press.

Freedom is not my identity; it is my right through Jesus Christ. He set me free by enlightening me to the truth. Should I use my insight to convince myself sin is tolerated? I am not only free if I am free as Christ is free. I am not only free if my freedom is for his glory! My freedom does not derive from my faith; it derives from my relationship with Jesus Christ. I lose the freedom if I set outside of life in him.

Sex can never be a matter of indifference.

This is the Big Lie. You are not neutral when you lay down with a prostitute.

You can never have a sexual relationship without committing yourself to the person- becoming one with the prostitute. You become one with whomever you have sex with outside of God’s covenant.

Having sex outside of God’s will dehumanizes both parties.

It is to treat sex like food which is discarded.

Sexual immorality is deliberate separation from the body of Christ.

If the members of my body are given over to sexual immorality, individual, then I have cut myself off from the rest of the body of Christ, collective.

Since the body will be raised, it must not be treated if it is only dust.

Food is for the body, to be returned to the ground by digestion; God is for the body, to be returned to the One who made it who is in heaven. I see how man shall not live by bread alone. The body and soul are for the Lord whether I like it or not.