1 Corinthians 6:18b-19a
18 Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?
In verse 18 Paul asserts that most sin is against another person, but sexual sin is against ourselves. This seems counter-intuitive, as we tend to think of sexual sin as hurting another, and will even use the rationalization that "as long as it doesn't hurt someone else it's okay". I don't think this verse means that sexual sin doesn't hurt others, but it does point out that we actually harm ourselves as well when we sin sexually. As verse 19 says, our bodies are meant to be a temple (or home) for the Holy Spirit. Yet when we participate in sexual immorality, we are denying our spiritual reality, instead objectifying our bodies and reducing ourselves to animalistic desires. We don't think about it at the time as we are caught up in the fog of desire, but we end up hurting ourselves as we pull away and constrict our focus to the sexual.
Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sexual sin. I know there are consequences to sin, but please heal as much as You are willing.
18 Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?
In verse 18 Paul asserts that most sin is against another person, but sexual sin is against ourselves. This seems counter-intuitive, as we tend to think of sexual sin as hurting another, and will even use the rationalization that "as long as it doesn't hurt someone else it's okay". I don't think this verse means that sexual sin doesn't hurt others, but it does point out that we actually harm ourselves as well when we sin sexually. As verse 19 says, our bodies are meant to be a temple (or home) for the Holy Spirit. Yet when we participate in sexual immorality, we are denying our spiritual reality, instead objectifying our bodies and reducing ourselves to animalistic desires. We don't think about it at the time as we are caught up in the fog of desire, but we end up hurting ourselves as we pull away and constrict our focus to the sexual.
Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sexual sin. I know there are consequences to sin, but please heal as much as You are willing.