Lesson 25: Physical Intimacy: a Picture of Christ and the Church
Questions 5 and 6
This struggle of sexual impurity is a common one which has plagued the Church from the beginning. Specifically, the Church in Corinth struggled in this area, and so, Paul wrote to them about it.
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul makes it clear that sexual immorality in the life of the believer is something to be mourned. He goes further and reinforces these truths in chapter 6: “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power…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 6:13b-14; 19-20 Question 5. According to 1 Corinthians 6, for what were our bodies meant?
Our bodies are for the Lord and His glory. And we want to glorify God in our bodies, minds, and marriages. But the question comes - how? Hasn’t sin ruined everything? What should we do? The Corinthians had similar questions, and we read the answers in 1 Corinthians 7.
“Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” 1 Corinthians 7:1-5
Question 6. Because of the temptation toward sexual impurity, what means of grace does 1 Corinthians 7:2 teach?