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Answer
In a broader teaching about holiness and maintaining a Christian testimony in the world, the apostle Paul turns to the subject of sexual sin (1 Corinthians 6:12-20). He reminds the believers in Corinth that their physical bodies belong to the Lord (verse 10). As Christians, our “bodies are members of Christ himself” (verse 15) and “temples of the Holy Spirit” (verse 19). “You are not your own,” Paul concludes, “For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20;ESV).
The English verb glorify in 1 Corinthians 6:20 is translated from the Greek term doxazō, which means “to honor; to positively acknowledge, recognize, or esteem one’s character, nature, or attributes.” Paul presses Christians to honor and acknowledge everything they know about God’s holy character with their human bodies. God desires our actions and behaviors to emulate His holiness in everything we do.
Ancient Corinth was notorious for being a center of prostitution. The practice was generally accepted as a social convention and intermingled with pagan worship. Worshipers believed they could appease pagan gods and receive blessings and good fortune if they joined in ritual sex acts with temple prostitutes. Some church members, who were not yet renewed in their minds see Romans 12:2, persisted in such practices. Therefore, Paul set about correcting their worldly thinking about prostitution and other forms of sexual immorality.
In no uncertain terms, Paul insisted, “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body” «Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his oWhen the body of a believer is united with Christ (Ephesians 5:31-32), they become part of Jesus and are connected to Him in a covenant relationship that is more intimate and enduring than marriage. As stated in 1 Corinthians 6:17, “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” The Holy Spirit dwells within, sanctifying and transforming the believer’s body into a sacred place, a dwelling for God’s holy presence (Hebrews 10:10). Through this union with Christ, a believer receives a new nature and identity, as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
In contrast, engaging in sexual immorality as a believer violates this new creation, which was redeemed at a great cost—the blood of the sacrificed Lamb of God (1 Corinthians 7:23; Acts 20:28; Hebrews 9:12,14; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Sexual sin defiles the believer’s body, which has been united with Christ. Paul instructed his pastoral trainee Timothy to “flee from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living” (2 Timothy 2:22).Nestled in holy union with Christ through the Holy Spirit—and dishonors it. It violates our spiritual union with Christ because sexual immorality disregards His divine character, nature, and attributes. It is like dragging our Savior through a filthy gutter or into a brothel.
Instead, Paul writes, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” «I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. », (Romans 12:1). Glorifying God in your body means doing your best to avoid sin, offering yourself up in sacrifice, dying to self, and making sure everything you do is holy and pleasing to Him (Romans 6:1-7, 11-14;13:12-14;Galatians 5:24;Colossians 3:5;1 Peter 2:11;1 Peter 5:8-9;James 1:21).
God the Father created our bodies; Jesus, His Son, redeemed us and made our bodies members of His own body; the Holy Spirit dwells in us and makes our bodies His temple. If we truly grasp hold of this truth, as Paul did (see Philippians 1:20-21;Romans 14:8), we will glorify God in our bodies.
We glorify God in our bodies by honoring Him in the way we live and consequently revealing who He is to the world (1 Corinthians 10:31;Romans 4:20;2 Thessalonians 1:11-12;1 Peter 2:12). We honor Him when we serve others with our spiritual gifts 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, when we engage in good deeds that yield abundant fruit John 15:8; Matthew 5:16, when we live according to the Spirit, demonstrating love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control Galatians 5:22-26; Philippians 1:9-11, and when we fulfill God’s will on earth Hebrews 13:20-21.
