Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20001203.htm

1 CORINTHIANS: MINISTERING TO BELIEVERS WITH DEEP PAGAN BACKGROUNDS
Part X: Drawing The Line On Self-Indulgence
(1 Corinthians 6:9-13)
  1. Introduction
    1. Every person has natural drives to be met: the needs of the body (food, drink, elimination, sex, etc.), of the mind (aesthetic appeal, creativity) and of achievement (job success) need to be met for a prolonged life.
    2. However, 1 John 2:15-16 warns the believer about worldliness, about the lusts of the flesh, the eyes and the pride of this earthly life. Thus, where are we to draw the line on human self-indulgences?
    3. 1 Corinthians 6:9-13 provides God's guidelines on such "gray areas" as follows:
  2. Drawing The Line On Self-Indulgence, 1 Corinthians 6:9-13.
    1. It is a fact that one can sin in indulging to meet personal drives, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10:
      1. Paul stated that unrighteous people will not inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Corinthians 6:9a.
      2. Then, he listed the vices of such people, showing that they involved sins of wrongful indulgences:
        1. Paul listed different types of people who practiced sexual perversion as those typical of those who do not inherit God's kingdom: such folk were (a) fornicators (pornoi, 6:9b; Arndt & Gingrich, Grk.-Engl. Lex., p. 700), (b) adulterers (moixoi, 6:9d; Ibid., 528), (c) catamites, or men and boys who allow themselves to be abused by other males passively as effeminate (malakoi, 6:9e; Ibid., p. 489-490) and (d) homosexuals playing the male, active role (arsenokoitai, 6:9f; Ibid., p. 109). [Note: the sin is in the ORIENTATION as well as the ACT, for Paul lists these vices in NOUN form to mean PEOPLE, not just the ACTS of sin. This counters charges from the gay community that Scripture condemns only the ACTS and NOT the ORIENTATIONS here!]
        2. Paul listed different types of people who practiced perversions of gratifying the mind and soul: (a) idolaters (6:9c), (b) thieves (6:10a), (c) covetous people (6:10b) and (d) extortioners (6:10e) were typical of those who would not inherit God's kingdom.
        3. He noted those who were drunkards (6:10c) were typical of those not inheriting God's kingdom.
        4. He claimed those who verbally abused typified those who do not inherit God's kingdom, 6:10d.
    2. Indeed, it is away from such vices and false orientations that a believer is said to be saved, 1 Cor. 6:11.
    3. Nevertheless, in view of the need for various physical, mental and emotional needs to be met, and that without sinning, Paul provided practical guidance as follows (1 Corinthians 6:12a,b):
      1. The Guideline Of Spiritual Edification: The believer is to meet his natural, human needs within the boundary of that which builds up his and another's spiritual health, 1 Corinthians 6:12a.
      2. The Guideline Of Self-Control: The believer is to meet his natural, human needs within the boundary of allowing him to function with self-controlled, 1 Corinthians 6:12b.
    4. Paul then gave some practical applications regarding these teachings in 1 Corinthians 6:13-14:
      1. Some Corinthian believers apparently felt that one ate when he was hungry, so he should indulge in any kind of sexual behavior whenever his libido indicated a drive, 1 Cor. 6:13 with Bib. Know. Com., N.T., p. 516. Paul clarified that the stomach was not the same as the body, for the body was not only physical, but housed the spiritual part of believers that was intended for union with the Lord.
      2. Thus, the body is not for sinning by immoral expressions of sexual activity as that abuses the spirit of the believer who resides within his body! (Ibid.) Rather, sexual expression must be performed within the confines of a Biblically sanctioned context, within marriage, and that with honor, 1 Thess. 4:3-8.
Lesson: (1) A believer may meet his human needs if he does so (a) in a Biblically-sanctioned, EDIFYING way that (b) allows him to remain self-controlled in the process. (2) If he cannot address these needs righteously, he must abstain, letting God care for his needs in such cases, 1 Peter 4:19.

Illustration: (1) A believer may use a little wine for medicinal purposes (1 Timothy 5:23), but he cannot indulge to become drunk (Eph. 5:18). (2) He may watch the UCONN Huskies play for the national championship, but ONLY if he can control his emotions from expressing egotistical pride or rage! (3) If a human need is INTENSE but NOT meetable by HUMAN effort, one must apply 1 Peter 4:19: he must commit his human soul unto God as a Reliable Creator to accomplish His will in the process!