Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Tone 2; The Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cyrus and John (284-305)
1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Luke 15:11-32
Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Maybe you’ve met someone who claims to be “spiritual” but not “religious?” That was a fairly common statement a few years back, which essentially entails that whatever faith a person may or may not hold remains personal and private and is not brought out into the public square. It’s a convenient sentiment to hold because that idea of faith never demands anything from us.
St. Paul, when writing to the Corinthians, is dealing with a similar situation. He is addressing Christians who are being swayed by the motto of the Corinthians which he quotes: “all things are lawful for me.” In other words, if they believed that they were spiritual people, they felt that it didn’t really matter what they did with their bodies. In fact, the term “Corinthian” came to mean someone who lived a loose or immoral life. St. Paul tells us today that this is an unacceptable worldview for a Christian. We are our bodies and what we do with them matters tremendously. We are not our own, our bodies belong to Christ, being purchased with His blood. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.
In our increasingly technological and isolating culture, sexual temptation is only heightened. Internet pornography is an ever-present temptation. To those struggling for chastity today, St. Paul presents us with a beautiful vision: chastity is a great “yes” to Christ instead of a lot of “nos” to things we would rather enjoy. The Lord, Maker and Redeemer of our bodies, has given us the only lasting and fulfilling goal for our bodies. The fight for chastity is worth fighting!
For those who struggle with internet pornography, good resources exist to help equip you for the struggle. Take a look at https://brandonvogt.com/how-to-conquer-porn-an-interview-with-matt-fradd/