1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Flee from sexual immorality (v18). To understand this sentence, we need to ask what it means to “flee”, and what exactly is “sexual immorality”. The latter has been covered for us clearly during this series. We now know that pure sex is that which is kept in the covenant of marriage between a husband and a wife. That’s it. No extramarital fantasies, no peeking into the images of others in sexually suggestive scenes, no buying into the worldly propaganda “if it feels good to me, it must be good for me”. Purity, by definition, can not co-exist with deviation.
But what does that little word “flee” in this context mean? Its literal definition is to take flight; to make escape. The picture here is of one in a burning building rushing out, forsaking everything the world has sold you, to preserve your body. But, wait a minute, doesn’t this only create psychological problems for us? I mean, don’t all the worldly psychologists tell us that suppressing our sexual desires will leave us with pent-up frustrations and cause us to act out against our community? The school of thought here is that we must do everything that comes naturally to us or we’ll become sociopaths.
We are saved by faith. Each Christian can recite this fact from memory. And, this is where we come to our own moment of truth. Do we have faith? Do we trust God? Would God ask us to do anything that would cause us to harm ourselves or others? The world will tell you that sex is the best thing. The world will tell you that, unless you’re having sex, you’re unfulfilled. God says look beyond the propaganda and find out what He has for you that your neighbors don’t have. Your neighbor may have a yard with a landscape that supports a huge granite boulder. You can try to fit a boulder in your yard, but with your landscape and your unique personality, you may be surprised to find that a waterfall is more suitable for bringing you peace and joy.
Your “landscape”, your body, was made for the Lord. And the Lord for your body (v13). Only in a uniquely individual and pure match will you ever be satisfied. Flee from anything else. We need to listen and follow Paul’s instructions to Timothy, “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” -1 Timothy 6:11 (NIV)
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.-Psalm 37:5-6
