Your Body Is Not a Playground for Desire | 1 Corinthians 6:12-14

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Our text today is 1 Corinthians 6:12-14.

We live in a world that treats the body like a playground—something to indulge, use, bend, and satisfy at any cost. Corinth wasn’t any different. They had a saying they loved to quote: “All things are lawful for me.”

Translation: “I can do whatever I want with my body.” But Paul takes that slogan and makes a theological adjustment, as any good Bible teacher would.

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. — 1 Corinthians 6:12–14

The Corinthian church had built an entire theology to justify its sexual habits. And honestly? Churches and believers still do this today—reshaping doctrine, bending Scripture, and redefining holiness to accommodate whatever desires they refuse to surrender. For example:

Some justify porn and masturbation: “It’s natural.” “No one gets hurt.”

Some justify same-sex attraction acted upon: “This is who I am.” “God wouldn’t deny love.”

Some justify multiple sexual partners: “It’s just physical.” “Everyone does it.”

Others justify emotional affairs, hookups, cohabitation, sexting, or “sleeping together because we love each other.”

Paul looks at all of this and declares, “Your logic is broken because your theology is broken.” The Corinthians even had a clever argument for their desires: “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food…”

In other words: “If my body craves it, then my body must be made for it.”

That logic is wild. It’s like saying:

• “My anger flares easily, so God gave me the spiritual gift of rage.”
• “I crave donuts at midnight, so clearly this is holy hunger."
• "I like Taylor Swift songs, so I must be a liberal."

It sounds ridiculous because it is ridiculous. Desire never defines design. Craving never clarifies calling.

Your body isn’t disposable. It isn’t personal property that you can use however you want. Your body has a calling. It belongs to the Lord. And the Lord is for your body. Created for holiness. Redeemed by Christ. Destined for resurrection.

So don’t surrender your body to impulse. Steward it and its worth.

Your body isn’t a playground for desire—it’s a temple for the Lord. And when you understand the calling on your body, you stop using it for things that destroy it.

DO THIS:

Identify one desire that tries to dominate your body—lust, impulse, laziness, or escape—and surrender it to Christ today.

ASK THIS:

1. What desire most often tries to tell me my body belongs to me?
2. How does remembering my body’s calling reshape my choices today?
3. Which impulse have I allowed to master me that Christ is calling me to resist?

PRAY THIS:

Father, thank You for claiming my body as Yours. Help me honor You with what I desire, what I pursue, and what I allow to shape my habits. Strengthen me to resist impulses that don’t reflect who I am in Christ. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“Lord, I Need You”