The Image of God and our Bodies
By Jay Wegter
INTRODUCTION: If you could remove all the water from a human body and reduce it to its basic chemical components of carbon, sulfur, iron, etc.—it would be worth less than $2.50 of powdered chemical compounds.
When I was eighteen years old I remember slouching on the couch at my girlfriend’s house and telling her, “Wow, we are sitting here—just two pieces of meat.” That’s what evolutionary biology had taught me—that human life was a cosmic accident, and even my gender a coincidence of nature. Philosophic naturalism had hammered home in the name of science that this is an unplanned universe with meaningless creatures in it.
If that were actually the case then morality, dignity, value, and purpose would all be but fiction in a chance universe. Think of the despotic regimes that have murdered millions of their own citizens. The ideological starting point for the carnage was always a worldview which rendered human life valueless. Nihilistic worldviews have always been the predecessors of holocausts. From Hitler to Stalin—the butchers of the 20ᵗʰ C. have paid their grateful respects to Darwin for giving them a “scientific” reason for their politically inspired genocides.
Today there is a different kind of holocaust—a spiritual holocaust. The evil one is fighting this battle with lies that murder the soul (Jn 8:44). These are lies about our sexuality and gender differences. These lies are intended to radically deconstruct the moral structures that govern us—the lies are meant to deconstruct biblical theism—to destroy the doctrine of God and of man. These deceptions come at us as entertainment; as anti-discrimination causes; as democratization; as freedom of choice; as true love and romance; and as social justice. No small amount of discernment is necessary to recognize and expose these soul damning lies.
At the heart of worldview is how one uses his or her body; and at the center of how one’s body is used is sexuality. My generation—the ‘boomers’—ought to fall on their faces before God and beg for the mercy needed to repent. For my generation has filled the entertainment industry with countless dramas and films which tell young people that sexual immorality is a no consequence game.
Members of the rising generation walk into a movie theater and let their guard down in the name of wanting to be entertained. The emotion of the drama catches them and resonates with their own experiences of life. So, without intense discernment exercised by a filmgoer, the movie presents a believable picture of life as it is. Thus, fornication is life as it is. Adultery is life as it really is. Homosexual activity as the equivalent of heterosexuality is life as it truly is. Using God’s name in vain when one is happy, frustrated, or surprised is life as it is (‘OMG’ now has become the most common expression of amusement or surprise). One can engage in revenge and personal vengeance, if you can keep from getting caught; this is life as it is as well.
Our culture’s prevailing worldview of materialism (philosophic naturalism) has so effectively shattered theism that we now believe that we are the rightful definers of ourselves. The tragedy is that to attempt to create your world in God’s world means that reality will sooner or later hit like a sledge hammer. The ancient lie in Eden did not create a new reality. Man the sinner and defector from his Creator did not transcend his creational identity—the lie believed ushered in radical spiritual darkness.
God is prime reality. This is a personal universe because God is absolute personality. That means that all self-consciousness comes from His creative hand and purposes. Therefore God reserves that absolute infallible right to define our entire existence. He demands the rightful purpose to completely shape our lives by the inerrant truth of His Word. That is what it means to be created in the image of God. We exist to know; love; enjoy; worship; obey; serve; and reflect our Creator.
This is why the use of the body is at the heart of the culture war. For, how one uses his or her body is a direct reflection of what we worship and serve. Our Creator has formed us for His purposes—our ‘bounded-ness’ is closely tied to our creational identity as the image and likeness of God—the moral limits and safeguards God has put upon us which not only safeguard love in our relationships; but also protect the honor of God.
All other areas of the worldview debate pale in comparison. Whether ecology, education, space exploration, armament, or aesthetics, nothing in the creation is as important as the question: what is a human being? Sexual politics is a power play by the progressives to redefine mankind—to answer the question of human existence their way—to take that role away from God and give it to the sociologists; the biologists; and the psychologists. It is through this destruction of the dam of truth that the floodgates of sexual immorality and perversity have been flung wide open.
Our culture is engaged in a pitched battle with God over the issue of the use of the human body. God has established good, wise, loving moral boundaries upon mankind. These boundaries and limits are inseparable from the first and second tablet of the Law of God: His commandments telling us precisely what it means to love God and neighbor. Sin is anything contrary to God’s holy and righteousness nature.
Sexual oneness is God’s gift. But, in order for it to serve as the God-intended blessing to us; and thus for it to be glorifying to God—it requires the moral context of the marriage covenant. The proper use of the sexual body is essential if we are to accurately reflect the moral character of God. Our fallen culture works overtime to shred God’s plan by ripping sexuality out of its God-given moral context (and reducing it to a bodily function like eating or sleeping).
To use one’s body in a sinful way has the net effect of obscuring and deconstructing the knowledge of God. To use one’s body in a holy way—as one redeemed by Christ—causes a person to reflect or mirror the knowledge of God. Scripture is filled with warnings against allowing the flesh to set the standard for our behavior (Rom 8:5-8).
So strong are these prohibitions that a person who sets aside God’s laws in these matters is described as hostile to God and an enemy of God. This means that by their sin they are not only rebelling against God’s righteous purposes BUT also against God’s righteous character— they are hostile to God Himself. And, as the Scriptures tells us—prior to salvation each of us was an enemy of God and a foe of the knowledge of God (Rom 5:10; 2 Cor 10:3-5).
The progressive policy-makers in our society, have turned virtues into vices and vices into virtues. Isaiah tells us that in an apostate culture that has turned its back upon God the citizens of a society call evil good, and good evil (Is 5:20). Our culture has normalized and enshrined animal passions. Scripture tells us that to love pleasure is to be an enemy of God (2 Tim 3:4). The one who lives for illicit sexual pleasure is dead even while they live (1 Tim 5:6). But why would God say this about a person who simply wants to be sexually and romantically happy? That is the question on the lips of the rising generation when they hear the gospel.
Our culture gives praise to those who live autonomous lives. The sacred self concept means that living for immediacy (or what one assumes to be in his or her best interest) is considered a positive approach to life. But this sentiment has quietly grown in a materialistic worldview of the universe. What is the fallout of this life view? Simply this: amputate the soul of man (by materialistic worldview) and all the reasons for self-control and the cultivation of virtue evaporates—animal passions rule the day.
God tells us in His Word that the soul expresses itself by means of the body—and the deeds of the body affect the soul. Your deepest loyalties of heart are expressed by the deeds of the body. The question is: what receives the cream of your time, talent, and affection? For, whatever does IS your functional god. If it is not God Almighty; then it is an idol—something created.
STUDENT INTERACTION
(Evangelistic Bible Study-Espinosa home-3.27.11) A young man I am discipling, ‘Ethan’ (19 yrs old) helped put together an evangelistic Bible study. 20 young people came last night. Three fourths of them were unconverted. The number of kids there blew me away. Some had come from as far away as Compton (heavily tatooed African Americans). Some locals were as young as 14 (one with her two sisters, one of which was a mom and 19).
I spoke on why mankind is made in the image of God and why this all-consuming truth has everything to do with the human body and how we use it. And that the most telling use of the body is our sexuality. Also, I shared with these kids that the relentless drumbeat of the homo agenda is everywhere: mixed in with news reporting is the back page of Time Magazine (3.28.11) which has a glowing interview with sex columnist, Dan Savage who 'counsels' teens to stick with their homosexuality. And the newest album by lady Gaga, "Born that way" which she has described as a 'gay anthem' of freedom--even saying that God gave her the album.
Needless to say, the reactions to my talk were both provocative and at times, profane. I fielded all questions and steered clear of defensiveness. Here is a summary of the reactions of these young people. It was an eye-opener to realize just how much our kids are becoming casualties of the culture war.
Morgan (18 yrs old) – Why would God give us all these desires including gay desires then forbid us to act upon them? Doesn’t that sound to you like a form of divine exasperation? Major (27 yrs old) – It sounds like Jesus lived a very boring life—no fun, no parties, no women, etc. Then later in the study: scientists have proven that some people are born genetically gay. Hannah (14 yrs old) – God didn’t write the Bible; men did. How do we know that the men who wrote it were not all crazy?
Chad (18 yrs old) – Why would God single out homosexuality as a serious sin when people have no control over their sexual orientation? Then later in the study: also, in your opinion, who would God be more likely to forgive; a murderer or a practicing homosexual?
Anthony (26 yrs old) – I just don’t get the ‘Jesus thing’—the cross, His life, etc. Is it all an example? It makes no sense to me. It has no connection whatsoever with my life (of me being misunderstood, abused, labeled certain things, etc.).
Carrie (19 yrs old) – Why doesn’t The Master’s College accept diversity? Isn’t diversity foundational to academic freedom?
The remarkable thing is that by the end of the study, each of these individuals who had made such provocative and challenging questions and comments (except for Morgan and Carrie) opened up later during or after the study. They admitted that in their recent past they had tried unsuccessfully to connect with God, and were frustrated by their efforts.
In my one on one conversation with ‘Major’ he described his tearful prayer to accept Christ had been a failure. Hannah shared something similar. In both cases they related that in their effort to ‘accept Christ’ they felt nothing and that no change took place. ‘Major’ admitted that after his prayer to receive Christ, he felt rejected and dejected—so he went back into his rebellious sensual fleshly lifestyle with renewed vigor.
What struck me about the testimony of these two was the notion of immediacy. ‘They tried the product and it failed to deliver.’ They went through the steps; but God never showed up. God was a ‘product’—they were the consumer. During their attempted transaction with God —God Himself, the ‘product’ had failed to meet their expectations. After reflecting on these sad stories, it became increasingly clear to me that these individuals never really understood what it means to repent of sin.
Their effort to know God was still totally about them and not about the Lord at all—it had been an effort on their terms; not God’s terms. They never were crushed enough over their sin to plead to be delivered from it. They never identified their idols for what they were— fortresses raised up against the knowledge of God (making them enemies of the cross of Christ— Philippians 3:18-19). They never were brought to a point of being poor in spirit (Matt 5:3). They never really understood Who it was that they had offended by their sin; and what they were to be delivered from. They were never convicted to the point that only sovereign mercy could avail in their situation. They wanted a transaction; but not utter moral bankruptcy and human inability.
My heart was hit hard by this experience. It caused me to see afresh that we live in a post-Christian culture that has few remnants of a biblically theistic world and life view. The hubris of these students was shocking. Conversationally they moved in and out of the profane with no apparent twinge of conscience. The fact that they had been thoroughly relativized and propagandized by the homosexual agenda was also incredibly unnerving. We certainly have our work cut out for us. Thank the Lord that He has focused His almighty power in the gospel.
Today’s students are blind to the fact that this is a moral universe with ‘spiritual laws’ that are just as real and operative as physical laws. Regarding natural law: “Throughout most of human history, moral principles were considered to be objectively true and inviolate. The universe was understood to be ruled by a moral law established by a divine Lawgiver and Judge. That understanding has given way to the belief that most, if not all, moral principles are the products of social construction — we make them up as we go along” (see Al Mohler’s blog, www.albertmohler.com: “How did we get to this place of advocating same sex marriage?”).
Christians have many battles for truth to be fought. The kingdom of darkness is ‘murdering’ souls by means our culture’s lies (or, ‘plausibility structures’). The problem is that we are zealous to exercise risk control in issues related to our physical welfare: we are extremely careful when in high places; we guard against a lawsuit from the IRS; we fear cancer; we drive with our seatbelts on. But, grave danger to the soul is treated as a slight thing. We certainly love our friends enough to warn them of physical danger; but are mute about impending spiritual danger to their eternal souls.
When I shared with these young people that their core identity was the image of God— and from that identity flows the whole reason for their purpose on earth—they clearly were stunned. They are not use to thinking that way at all. This is the first time they heard that their creational identity governs their entire purpose for living. Their knee-jerk response was low level defiance. You could hear it in their comments—an undercurrent of “Isn’t that arrogant of God to tell me what to do?” One comment that entered the realm of the profane was, “If God is a person; why doesn’t He need to have sex?”
Their ignorance of God is palpable. These precious young people have been so fully ‘tutored’ by mass culture that they never question their own perspective that they (and their perceived needs) belong at the very center of their universe. What a graphic reminder that redemption restores our knowledge of God—and the restored knowledge of God is the prerequisite to actually living and ordering one’s life as the image of God. The depravity of man attracts false worldviews like flypaper attracts flies. The reason why is because the flesh of man does not want to be ruled by a holy God. The heart of man already loves darkness; but culturally we have reached a point at which society is anti-biblical.
The sacred canopy of transcendentals supported by biblical theism is completely obscured by today’s false worldviews. We live in an age of radical individualism—of self-fulfillment. Society has been seduced by the claims of psychology. “Duty to self” rules the day —it produces self-absorption. The ethic has become “Be true to self.” The new ‘Holy of holies’ is the ‘sacredness’ of the self (Ron Hawkins, “Marriage and Family Counseling” Totally Sufficient, Hindson and Eyrich, eds, p. 171). The cultural ethos of selfism has produced a new anthropology which has crept in through backdoor of the church (the church tends to catch the society’s diseases).
A society’s view of truth functions as the intellectual gatekeeper in the public arena; determining which ideas are taken seriously and which are never taken to the table. Where do people get their epistemology? The age of reason and science set aside divine revelation and gave us empiricism as the preferred epistemology. Empiricism as a functioning epistemology suggests that all knowledge is derived from the senses (quantifiable)—even morality. Things are therefore good when they give us pleasure—and not good when they are not pleasurable. Morality is but taste and sentiment. Transcendent truths are only preferences. Religion ultimate source of morality discredited. The concept of truth as a unified coherent worldview was shattered. Knowledge only possible in the realm of empirical facts; morality and religion were merely values (ultimately likes and preferences) (Nancy Pearcey, Saving Leonardo, p. 24).
Hume’s empiricist philosophy has filtered down and become core of global secular worldview. The fact-value split (their strict separation) is the KEY to unlocking the history of the modern Western mind. “Whatever works for you” is the mantra of the rising generation. But “whatever works for you” is the polar opposite the fact that Christianity is rooted in non-negotiable truth. BUT, the Bible is not merely a collection of individual truths; the Bible also teaches the NATURE OF TRUTH: namely that all things were created by a single divine mind— thus all truth forms a single coherent mutually consistent system anchored in the character of God Himself (Pearcey, p. 25).
This should give us some insight into why the biblical requirement of repentance finds no point of traction in the minds of our young people. If something is ‘true’ because it gives pleasure and because it works for you—then the very means of coming to know God (repentance) will be rejected up front. The reason why is because repentance involves personal devastation, emotional pain, helplessness, exposure, crushing condemnation, and deep remorse. Thus, by the standards of empiricism, repentance is not true or desirable. Nonetheless, Christ commands that without repentance we cannot be saved. Repentance is the only possible way to come to know the holy transcendent God of the universe.
Theologian David Wells of Gordon Conwell Seminary provides additional observations about our culture’s abandonment of the knowledge of God transcendent. Notes Wells, from the perspective of selfism, human nature may be corrupt, but self is not. Self is innocent—self provides an accurate vantage point from which to interpret the world. With an ever-increasing number of seminary students, contemporary assumptions have more control over the inner life and over world view than the Word of God (David Wells, God in the Wasteland, pp. 211-212).
After 1960, the veneration and fulfillment of self replaced an assessment of self of personal moral failure in need of rectification. The new ideology has taken command; we can find meaning only to the extent that we can get in touch with the self. Self expression has eclipsed self-control. The mystical and the individualistic have created the soil of the therapeutic. Therapy as religion removes the need for repentance (Ibid., pp. 198-201).
Consumers fed on the “new sovereignty” of personal needs have no interest in the cross-centered life. God’s purpose is to have us see our needs in terms of sin having broken our relationship with Him. To repent of sin is to repent of self-centeredness. The George Barna view (Marketing the Church) is the reverse; it is inverted—personal needs are sovereign (David Wells, pp. 81-82).
With God relegated to the outer margins, the ear-tickling request becomes, “tell us about self.” Once God is excluded from reality—religion may be nothing more than a fascination with ourselves. How terrifying a possibility it is that the immanent may completely replace the transcendent. When the imminent alone is remaining, and it is psychologized, God’s reality becomes no different than our own! He is there to satisfy our needs—He has no real authority. Ultimately, He bores us (Ibid., 90-91).
Postmodernism eats away every transcendent reference point. There is no longer any meaning outside of self. Human potential becomes the disordered self in need of order. The empty, dismantled self (with its inner void), runs to psychology to fill it. Religion becomes completely based upon self (Ibid., pp. 94, 97).
In the culture of modernity, the boundary between God and self becomes fuzzy. An encounter with God does not depend upon a truth-based belief and idea, but upon an inward experience. In narcissistic culture, God is in the image of self; He is internalized (Ibid., pp. 99-100). The above excerpts from author David Wells are disturbing because they illustrate that the culture of self is being embraced by much of Evangelicalism. Therapy: tell me about self— theology: tell me about God.
In Romans chapter six, the Apostle Paul makes it unavoidably clear that HOW we use the members of our body is a declaration of who and what we serve. In other words, our master is known by how we use our bodies. What we do by means of our bodily members is a declaration of our loyalties to our functional god. Thus, despite our religious claims—the deeds of the body belie any false claims. Your deepest actual loyalties are expressed in your service.
Who and what you love—how you think, speak and act will reveal what you regard as your true ‘treasure’. The body and soul unity that is the human being is designed to operate so fully in tandem (the material acting out and expressing what resides in the immaterial soul) so that BOTH affect the other. That means that the deepest affections of the soul will find their shape and expression in the deeds of the body. AND, the deeds of the body also radically shape the spiritual and moral condition of the soul.
This central truth about our moral existence (expressed through our bodies) is rapidly slipping away in our neo-Gnostic culture. For, the attitude today born of dualism is: the heart alone matters—private faith, opinions, and convictions will trump behavior any day. That is the world in which our young people are growing up. The actual thought that our present life is but preparation for the next, and that virtue as defined by God is absolutely essential if we are to live with Him in heaven—is a non-existent concept among today’s youth.
How can a sinner come to Christ? Salvation is by the grace of God in Christ. When Christ spoke with the rich young ruler, the conversation revealed that this unsaved man maintained the attitude: “I can do everything, I don’t need a Savior. My idea of salvation is joined to how I can obligate God by who I am and what I have done.”
Jesus indicated that a person cannot enter the kingdom of God unless he becomes ‘as a child’—admitting his helplessness and dependency (Mk 10:15). A child comes on God’s terms —admitting he can’t do it. In child-like faith he clings to the cross—knowing there is no other way to come to God and be forgiven and accepted (there is no such thing as ‘religious entitlement’).
Those who do not come as a child actually believe that their religious activity makes them a prime candidate for eternal life. Christ shot an arrow at the pride of the rich young ruler (Mk 10:17-22). Christ said, “One thing you lack.” The young man no doubt thought: “just tell me what it is and I will do it.” Christ went all the way into the man’s system—letting the man think that he was 90% there in terms of what was needed for heaven. Then Jesus drops a bomb, “Sell all, and give it to the poor.” The young man went away deeply saddened because he was very rich. He thought he could measure up. Christ exposed the man’s source of trust—his supposed law-keeping. His attitude, “I can do that,” revealed that he was not coming as a child in huge utter dependence.
Perhaps you’ve heard the gospel as an easy way to gain the blessing of eternal life. I am here tonight to tell you from Scripture that there is nothing easy about the gospel. If you are under the notion that you just do such and such and you can become a Christian—that is not biblical. Making saving contact with God is humanly impossible. We, as spiritually dead creatures do not have the ability to lay hold of God. Our depravity and pollution shut us out from God. It is impossible for man to connect with God (it is only possible with God).
That doesn’t mean that millions don’t make some type of attempt to come to Christ in order enjoy some of the benefits He possesses. Millions do pray and go to church and hope God favors them.
In Scripture, Jesus addresses our spiritual darkness and blindness. Sin so permeates us and we live in such a sin-permeated environment, we are oblivious to its seriousness (like the proverbial goldfish that does not know it is wet).
Therefore the first part of receiving God’s grace is to come face to face with the disaster of your sin. The beginnings of divine grace is manifested as follows—it is to be devastated by your sin and to begin to contemplate God as He really is, and eternity. Plead with God to open your eyes to see your sin as God sees it. You will know once you begin to be crushed over your sin—to be sickened by it—to crave to be delivered from it.
This is the condition necessary (by grace) to see the beauty of Christ and His cross. To be smitten by the seriousness of your sin is to be so stunned by your moral deformity that you are amazed God would want someone like you. That’s the way God begins grace in a person. Your hope is not in some prayer that you have treated like a magic spell that suddenly makes you right with God. No, in genuine grace, there is acceptance seen only in Christ.
The truly convicted sinner sees that his only hope is in Christ. His attitude is, “make me a new person in you.” Do you see how radically different this is from a person who still has self-righteousness? A person who has never seen the ruinous nature of their sin uses religion to attempt to do it themselves. But, that is not becoming as a little child. The self-righteous man trusts self and what self can do rather than abandoning himself in trust to Christ alone.
AWANA presentation on the image of God and our bodies. Because God created us in His image and likeness, our creational identity IS the image of God. Christ died to restore us to the image of God. As the image of God our purpose is to reflect, represent, and serve God. Our job description is to live and be the image of God. Your whole being is described in Scripture as a ‘vessel’ (1 Thess 4:4; Rom 9:21-23). The individual parts of your vessel are biblically called ‘members’—the members of your body (Rom 6:13). Your members express and act out what is in your heart—your soul.
Redemption is what God is doing on planet earth—we could designate it the mission of God. God is revealing Himself in redemption—by how He answers our ruin head-on, decisively by Christ. The power of God in the gospel ‘recalibrates’ a believing sinner to his creational identity as the image of God. How do you stand in relation to God’s plan to restore sinners to the image of God through Christ?
Your eternal destiny is determined by your relation to Christ. Your whole being—your ‘vessel’ will forever hold God’s mercy and love OR God’s eternal settled anger (His wrath). God has no backup plan of second chances for those who refuse to live as the image of God through Christ. This is why the whole human race is broken down into but two groups: there are only vessels of mercy and vessels of wrath.
All of this is very public. Your behavior is front page news in heaven. We’d like to think that Christian beliefs can be very private—made up of personal convictions—but not so. Every human being will forever exist as an eternal object lesson to the watching universe (the holy angels). There will be no holding room or play area for the reprobate. Las Vegas’ ad, “What happens here; stays here” is a lie. In God’s universe there is no such thing as a moral holiday.
When Christ was born, it was the first time in 4000 plus years that the perfect image of God was back on earth (since prior to the fall of Adam and Eve). The Son of God as the perfect image of God came to earth for a great purpose—to restore rebellious helpless sinners back to the image of God. Countless people within Christendom imagine that Christ merely gave us a wonderful example of love and sacrifice—but that was not the central purpose of His mission. By Christ’s work of substitution and righteousness, He purchased redemption, justification, and reconciliation for all who believe and repent.
Only in this way can a person be right with God—only by Christ giving us a new heart will we become a new creation in Him. This mighty miracle of redemption is needed in order for a person to live as the image of God. To be the object of Christ’s redemptive work is to be an vessel of mercy, and not a vessel of wrath. Those who truly belong to Christ serve Him, and follow Him as His disciple. They reject the lie (the pagan idea) that only the heart matters. They know that to live as the image of God is to make one’s election and calling sure.
Christ died to restore the believing sinner to his creational calling to live as the image of God. That means that every true Christian IS the image of God restored through Christ. That miracle of being a new creation is going to show up dramatically in deeds of your body: your thoughts; deeds; speech; friendships; loyalties. If you indeed are a vessel consecrated to God; then your life will reveal who your master really is (whether you are a vessel of mercy or wrath).
To live as the image of God is to be on the narrow way. To be a pilgrim on the narrow way is to diligently think upon and meditate upon the truth—to cling to the truth in faith. It is to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8:12-13). To mortify the corrupt deeds of the flesh is to refuse to allow the lusts of the flesh to set the standard for your behavior. We are created to worship and serve—we cannot NOT worship and serve.
Countless individuals imagine they are fine because they have ‘believed on Jesus’— therefore grace covers everything—every misdeed. Well, in reality, how you use your body IS the declaration of who your master is—who your functional god really is. To be Christ’s bond slave—His disciple, means that you regard your friendships as existing so that you may help others move closer to Christ. That is the normal Christian life. Are you an example to your friends? Are you completely committed to do spiritual good to those in your social sphere? Are you conscious each day of presenting the members of your body to Christ for His service? This is what it means to live as the image of God.
How we use our bodies is a declaration of who our master is. Sexual impurity, gluttony, suicide, substance abuse, cutting, self-mutilation—are all sins against the body. These sins dishonor and disgrace your body. The Christian must take note that his or her body is the dwelling place of the Spirit. And that your body has a glorious destiny when Christ returns. Therefore we are to treat our bodies accordingly—refusing to defile the Spirit’s shrine.
When a person defiles their body (especially by sexual immorality); it is a departure from living as the image of God—the restored image that grace has procured. Scripture teaches us that we are not the proprietors (or owners) of our bodies. “You are not your own; for you have been bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:19b-20a). So, if your body belongs to the Lord, and you are on your way to heaven, and you have been made a new creature destined for Christ —THEN you cannot bestow your body upon whatever desires your flesh may have.
In the lie in Eden, man sought to be free from God and to be his own master. As a consequence, he became a slave to sin and death reigned. Salvation in Christ is freedom from bondage by means of the ransom price paid by Christ (He bought our freedom—we are to live as free people).
Whatever you do in your body must be able to be done to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). Your physical members are to operate in such a way that God is to be served by your deeds. The Lord gave His body for us—we belong to Him—we are His members.
When Paul addressed the Corinthian Gnostics, he was confronting the idea that “the body is perishable; therefore its acts are insignificant.” Not so! God’s law still stands though we are saved by grace through Christ’s justifying work. The Christian’s freedom is limited by the regard he must have for others (the law is the safeguard of love to God and neighbor).
If you truly know Christ; then your resurrection body will be a transformed body—a glorious unity of soul and body perfectly suited for a heavenly existence. Even now your mortal body is NOT merely a complex of physical organs (pure matter). No, your body has eternal value. We must take care what appetites are controlling us—for the spiritual body is coming. Our bodies are intended for the Lord’s service. My body is myself—that means that sexual acts are acts of the whole person (C. K Barrett, 1 Corinthians, pp. 142-148).
The role of the body in the Christian life: Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6; 1 Corinthians 6; 2 Corinthians 5.