Apr 04, 2025 Christ, Lord of The Body – Words of Grace Blog – April 4, 2025
This Sunday at Grace Community Church we will consider the wisdom of Proverbs 5 concerning sexuality. The main message of Proverbs 5 is two-fold. Avoid the foolishness of sexual activity outside the covenant of marriage and celebrate married sexual expression as a gift from God.
That message is based on a more basic reality, that Jesus Christ is Lord of our bodies.
The New Testament companion to Proverbs 5 is 1 Corinthians 6-7. There Paul makes a reasoned argument for the sexual wisdom that Proverbs presents in poetry. Avoid sexual immorality and enjoy sexual union with your spouse. Then he adds the baseline reality upon which our submission to this wisdom rests. “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 6:19-20).”
We could, and should, make the many biblical and wise arguments for keeping God’s commandments regarding sexual activity. These would include the purposes for sex and the impact of sex on the human soul, with marriage being both a constraint that protects against the harm that unwise sex brings upon us, and the place of freedom that allows for the blessings of sex to be experienced.
But one argument that must not be overlooked is that Jesus Christ is Lord of our bodies by creation and redemption. He made us and designed our bodies, and he redeemed us (including our bodies) for his service and glory. We are not our own. We belong to him. He is Lord.
The Lordship of Christ over our bodies applies to many areas. With our bodies we work, serve, enjoy nature and food, sing praises to God and raise our hands to him, and suffer and die with the hope laid up for us in heaven. The Lordship of Christ over our bodies means we view them as instruments for building our souls. With brains built for mental activity, eyes and ears able to take in truth, and hands and feet energized to carry out Christ’s call, we become like Christ who became a man with a body like ours.
Sexual holiness is one way we use the body that belongs to Christ to reflect the wisdom, glory, and goodness of God. Given the power of sex, it is an important way that is worth the space of Proverbs, 1 Corinthians, and the many other places God addresses it in his holy word. We will address it Sunday.
Parents, I will preach from all of Proverbs 5. While I will not be intentionally graphic, there is no way to deal with the passage without using the language of sex. I encourage you to read the passage and make your own decision about your child being present. If you think it is best for your child to only attend their Sunday school class while you attend the 8:45 worship service, please feel free to make that decision.
Let’s pray for each other this weekend.
-Scott
If you would like to download a digital bulletin to prepare for Sunday, please visit sunday.gccnashville.org.