The Cure for Carnality

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NLT)

19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

(19 ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι τὸ σῶμα ὑμῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου πνεύματός ἐστιν, οὗ ἔχετε ἀπὸ θεοῦ; καὶ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἑαυτῶν,

20 ἠγοράσθητε γὰρ τιμῆς· δοξάσατε δὴ τὸν θεὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν.)

Introduction.:

A. The difference in Christians.:

1. Some seem to get more out of their Christian life than others.

a. Some don't know what they possess.

(1) Ron Dunn and the tilt steering.

b. That is the difference between defeat and victory.

B. The Declaration for Christians:

1. There are some things that you need to know as a Christian.

2. There were some things the Christians at Corinth needed to know.

a. Six times in chapter 6, Paul says, “Don't you know?”

b. Paul was trying to cure their carnality.

TS: Note three things Paul says about the cure for carnality.

I. YOU MUST ACCEPT GOD'S POSSESSION OF YOUR BODY. (1 Corinthians 6:20a)

1 Corinthians 6:20a (NLT)

20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

(20 ἠγοράσθητε γὰρ τιμῆς· δοξάσατε δὴ τὸν θεὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν.)

A. The carnal Christian rejects God's possession of his body.

1. What is a carnal Christian?

a) According to our text, a carnal Christian is anyone who still believes that he belongs to himself.

2. What are the manifestations of carnality? ( 1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

1 Corinthians 3:1–3 (NLT)

1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ.

2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,

3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?

B. The carnal Christian must recognize God's laws and claims on his body.

1. God's natural laws are fixed and unchanging.

a) When properly related to them, they are a blessing. If not, they become a curse.

(1) Example: The law of gravity.

2. There are two sets of laws:

a) The laws of provision. (God makes the provision before the need.)

(1) God created air before man.

(2) God created vegetation before he created animals.

(3) God created water before he created fish.

(4) God created the cross before Eden. (Revelation 13:8)

Revelation 13:8 (NLT)

8 And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.

b) The laws of possession. (God reserves certain things in the physical world to demonstrate His possession of all things.)

(1) He taught it with a tree. (Genesis 2:17).

(2) He taught it with a day- the Sabbath. (Exodus 31:15)

(3) He taught it with a city. (Joshua 6: 18-19 ).

(4) He taught it with the land. (Exodus 23:10, 11).

(a) Israel violated this law. (Leviticus 25: 4-5.; 2 Chronicles 36:21).

(5) He taught it with the tithe. (Malachi 3: 8 ).

(a) The ultimate tithe. (Romans 12: 1- 2 ).

Romans 12:1–2 (NLT)

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

II. YOU MUST BE AWARE OF GOD'S PRESENCE IN YOUR BODY. (1 Corinthians 6: 19).

1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT)

19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

(19 ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι τὸ σῶμα ὑμῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου πνεύματός ἐστιν, οὗ ἔχετε ἀπὸ θεοῦ; καὶ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἑαυτῶν,)

A. God's presence is personal.

1. The believers body is the place of God's personal presence.

a) There are two words Translated “Temple”

(1) One refers to the whole temple compound.

(2) The other (used here) refers to it the inner sanctum known as the Holy of Holies.

(John 14: 16-17).

John 14:16–17 (NLT)

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.

17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

B. God's presence is to be remembered.

1. Remembering his presence aids in holy living. (1 Corinthians 6: 15 ).

1 Corinthians 6:15 (NLT)

15 Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never!

a) He is with you at all times. (Psalm 139: 1-12).

Psalm 139:1–12 (NLT)

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.

5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

(1) Some folks are careful around the preacher, but not at other times.

Principle to remember:

If there's anything you wouldn't want to do if Jesus were bodily present, don't do it! He is present in your body.

III. YOU MUST ACCEPT GOD'S PURPOSE FOR YOUR BODY. (1 Corinthians 6: 20.b)

1 Corinthians 6:20 (NLT)

20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

(20 ἠγοράσθητε γὰρ τιμῆς· δοξάσατε δὴ τὸν θεὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν.)

A. The ultimate purpose:

1. To honor Him.

a) The term translated glory means weight, value, worth.

(1) How much does the Lord Jesus Christ mean to you?

(2) God wants to show men what Jesus is really like through our lives.

(a) Jesus. Asked Peter. “Peter, do you love me more than these?”

(b) A very young bands once said of a missionary “There's Jesus, Mama”

B. The urgent purpose.

1. To honor God in the immediate.

a) “Glorify God in your body” means “Already be glorifying God in your body”

(1) There is a sense of urgency in what Paul says.

b) People are dying all around us who do not know Christ.

(1) They are watching you.

Conclusion.:

A. Summary.

YOU MUST ACCEPT GOD'S POSSESSION OF YOUR BODY.

YOU MUST BE AWARE OF GOD'S PRESENCE IN YOUR BODY.

YOU MUST ACCEPT GOD'S PURPOSE FOR YOUR BODY.

B. Illustration.

1. Doctor Walter Wilson., founder of Kansas City Bible Church and Bible Institute.

C. Invitation. (Psalm 139:23-24 ).

Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT)

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.