1 Corinthians 6:12-7:40
“What’s Your Price?”

I. The Religion of Eroticism
1. Perhaps the main competitor of Christianity today in this country is eroticism.
2. The “sexual revolution” over-threw an order of restraint of uninhibited pursuit of sexual pleasure.
3. Pornography is common. We have a culture soaked in sex. But no wisdom about it.
4. We are paying the price. The “sexual revolution” is responsible many divorces and lonely young people.
5. Eroticism is an opponent Christianity has fought before and defeated. Corinth was sex-soaked too.
6. Many Christians had fallen for either the cheap grace of anything goes, or the rigorous over-reaction.
II. Flee to be Free, (6:12-20)
1. They took “All things are lawful for me!” and applied it to sex. Guess what the genitals are for!
2. He is saying it is an invalid comparison. Our bodies were not made for sexual immorality.
3. The word for “sexual immorality” is pornea, a general word for any sex outside of a proper marriage.
4. “The Lord is for the body.” God is pro-body. Our bodies that are members of Christ (6:15).
5. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. In immorality we desecrate that temple.
6. We have been bought with a price, the price of the literal body of Jesus being beaten and crucified.
7. “Flee” implies that sexual immorality is pursuing us so we have to run away from it, like from a bear.
8. Avoiding sexual immorality requires positive action.
9. Pursue purity with a passion not because you’re afraid of being caught but because you’ve been bought.

III. Marry to be Moral (7:1-16)
A. Our Bodies Don’t Belong to Us (7:1-9)
1. Marriage is a dam against the flood of immorality. Healthy, happy marriages hold it back.
2. Because most don’t have the “gift” of celibacy (7:7) then they should marry.
3. Wedding Vows: Marriage “was ordained for a remedy against sin, and to avoid fornication.”
4. Marriage is a dam against immorality by having sex as often as the neediest spouse needs.
B. Marriage Under Attack (7:10-16)
1. Whenever possible, marriages should stay together. Jesus commands that we don’t divorce.
2. Even if one is an unbeliever, they should not separate. Whenever possible, marriage is held together.
3. If the unbeliever leaves, the abandoned believer is not bound. He or she is free to be remarried.
IV. Stay to Serve (7:17-24)
1. He begins with marriage but then he goes to every area of life. Be content as single.
2. Some think they’ll serve the Lord after they have a lot of money or gotten married.
3. Serve the Lord in the condition you are in, even if single.
V. Dedicate to Devotion
A. Living Between Resurrections
1. He highly extols the advantages of staying to serve because singles can have an undivided devotion.
2. The present form of this world is passing away. So be prepared to live with an undivided devotion.
3. The specific case of a betrothal, is foreign to us. But the over-riding principles are as relevant to us.

B. Seven Suggestions for Dating After the Sexual Revolution
1. Do not over-emphasize marriage. Don't suggest people aren’t complete until they are married.
2. Those not yet able to marry (like children) don’t need to be pressured to have a boy- or girl-friend.
3. Dating is for a greater purpose than just having fun. It’s to find the one who will help me glorify God.
So dating relationships shouldn’t go on for very long. If they can’t decide to marry, then break up.
4. Christian couples need to decide on their physical limits before they’re alone.
5. Pace yourself like a distance race. Start slow. Don’t quickly jump to the conclusion that this is the one.
a. Dating is a process of finding out whether this person is the one you should marry. Pace yourself.
b. Don’t ignore all your friends, spend all your time together; move to be closer to each other, etc.
c. You aren’t engaged until you are engaged, with a ring on your finger and a wedding date set.
6. Avoid prolonged proximity to the opposite sex, living near them or protracted engagements.
a. Sharing houses or apartments with non-family members of the opposite sex is foolish.
b. Once you cross that line into engagement speed up and sprint to the finish line at the wedding altar.
c. Engagements should only be as long as it is necessary to plan a wedding and to live together after.
7. We can marry only in the Lord (7:39). Christians should only marry other Christians.
a. If they’re married to a non-Christian, stay in the marriage and pray to convert the other partner.
b. So there is no reason why a Christian would intentionally date a non-Christian.
VI. Invitation: We are free. But our freedom did not come for free. It costs Christ everything. We were set free to glorify God. You have, in your experience, been bought? The Lord Jesus has paid the price. But has it been an exchange transacted in your life? Your need now is not first to resolve to be more moral. It is to cry out for mercy to the Lord, to ask Him that that high price be paid for you.