Matthew 12:38-45

1 Corinthians 6:12-7:7

Gnosticism. Mentioning such a word causes pew-coma. Pew-coma is a condition brought on by boring sermons. It occurs when ministers use unknown terms and talk above the heads of most parishioners. The result is a glassy eyed parishioner who looks straight ahead to appear like he is listening and all the while his mind is on vacation. The usual giveaway is a mouth slightly open for an extended period of time allowing flies to pass in and out. Gnosticism would be one of those words unless it is combined with subjects such as sexuality, good food, good drink and other pleasures of the flesh. This sermon will use those words and phrases with Gnosticism, in a positive light.

Scholastic circles debate whether Gnosticism has its origin in pre-Christianity or post-Christianity. They debate whether it has a Jewish origin or a Greek origin. It will not serve our purpose to come to any conclusions in regards to these debates. What we are concerned with is that Gnosticism has become an idol of our age and it is not an idol of only those outside the Church, as I hope we will see.

Gnosticism simply defined is the belief that matter or the physical world is inherently evil and is therefore in contradiction, even conflict, with the Spiritual world, which is inherently good. Gnosticism as a philosophy has had all sorts of influences upon the Christian faith. Gnostics have said that Jesus never did become a man because if he did he would have been part of the physical world and thus evil. They believe Jesus only appeared as a man but was actually only Spirit. Gnosticism in its various forms is heretical from the Christian faith for we confess that Jesus was made man. We confess that his body was bruised and his blood was spilled. We confess that he was physically raised from the dead and continues in bodily form being seated in the heavenly realm. None of this is new to you, of course, and so more must be said.

Because Gnostics believe that the physical world was evil and the spiritual world good there have been two moral/ethical offshoots as a result. The first ethic states that because the only thing that lasts is the spiritual world, it does not matter what we do with or in the physical world for it is all going to be destroyed. This view is summarized by the slogan, "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die." Our Contemporary culture practices this philosophy calling for the pursuit of physical pleasure while ignoring spiritual results. I spoke about this at length two weeks ago when confronting the idol of happiness. People mutilate their bodies with piercings and tattoos. Sexual relations consisting of all sorts of perversions are practiced. Covenant relationships are broken. New drugs are introduced and an abundance of alcohol consumed for the purpose of "feeling high." From this worldview we are told that if it feels good, do it, and the people who live by such a slogan do it often.

The second ethic offshoot as a result of Gnosticism is asceticism or denying the flesh. These people believe that because the physical world is evil is should be avoided. Thus all enjoyments of the flesh are to be avoided even to the extreme of torturing ones self so that physical desires will not be rewarded. We see this philosophy being played out in the lives of Buddhist and Christian monks as well as other religious orders.

As we examine each of these approaches to morals and ethics it does not take us long to conclude that the first approach described is sinful, going against the commandments of God. I could preach the rest of this sermon against such sinful behavior but the Scripture is so very clear in stating it to be ungodly it is like the proverbial "Shooting fish in a barrel." It is therefore the second ethic offshoot that I wish to examine because I believe it is the one that Christians have the greatest problem with. By problem I mean we do not know how we are to properly relate to the pleasures of the physical world. Not only do we admire people who live a life denying themselves of physical pleasures we may actually think of them as more spiritual than the rest of us who satisfy our flesh. When I first heard of the life of St. Benedict I admired his discipline and willingness to go to any length to avoid temptation. There is a story of him upon seeing a girl approaching, purposefully throwing his body into a thorn bush to resist the lust of the flesh. I have admired John Wesley who would arise at 4:00 am every morning for the purpose of prayer and Bible study. The disciplined lives of these men caused me to view them as more "holy" than the average Christian. You recognize, I trust, that to think this way goes against the gospel for it is by grace we are saved, through faith in the Lord Jesus, not by any work we do on our own. And it is by sustaining grace that we are saved, not by living a chaste life. It is here we get confused because living a life of self-control is what the Scripture requires of us and yet such a life does not save us. To clear up what most of us do not fully understand we will examine both the Gospel reading and the New Testament reading.

The Gospel reading told us of Jesus’ words regarding Jonah. The passage requires us to think in terms of the physical world. To explain to those who wanted a supernatural sign why such a sign would not be understood, Jesus refers to an actual place and time in history, with physical characters at the center. Jesus said that the sign that will be given is like the sign that was already given by the prophet Jonah. You remember that Jonah was the prophet assigned by God to tell the wicked people of Nineveh that God was going to punish them for their idolatry unless they repent. Jonah did not want to tell the nation of Nineveh any such thing because Nineveh was the capital of Assyria and Assyria was an enemy nation of Israel. To get Jonah to do what God wanted God had a big fish swallow him. After being in the big fish for days Jonah came out. In like manner Jesus would go down to the great depths of the earth and come out three days later. Unlike the people of Nineveh, however, the people Jesus was speaking to will not repent even after they see such a miracle. The point of these verses for this sermon is that Jesus uses a physical occurrence in history to explain a physical occurrence in the future. Both of these occurrences are physical in nature, that is to say they refer to a real fish, a real tomb and real people and at the same time communicate spiritual truth. The physical world is not separated from the spiritual world. Both are together as they were created to be. In fact it is only when death enters the world that the spirit and flesh become at odds. Mankind was created to be both spiritual and physical. When sin entered followed by death the physical world began to decay because a spiritual death had occurred in man’s relationship with God. For Christians, we are born again giving us new life in the Spirit and a hope for a new body when Jesus returns. Therefore death is still painful in this life because at the death of a believer the Spirit is torn away or ripped from the Body, needing to be separated until that day when all in Christ will be raised and we shall receive new bodies for heavenly glory. I use the words "torn and ripped" because the body and spirit were created to be one and at death these have to be torn for separation. Because of sin entering the world each has to be redone and then reunited.

The relationship between body and spirit is intense in this life. This is revealed in the epistle reading from 1 Corinthians 6 and 7. We learn in chapter 6 that our bodies, our physical bodies, are members of Christ. He owns our bodies. He owns our bodies as he owned the Temple of Israel. The Temple was his place of dwelling. It was where his throne seat was set. It is the same for our physical bodies. Because he owns us, what we do with our bodies includes him. The example given by the apostle communicates this deep truth. The apostle explains that when a man unites his physical body with a prostitute he is also uniting Christ with the prostitute. This is a perversion of course (uniting Christ with a prostitute) but it is important to realize because of the temptation to think we can separate the Spirit from the flesh. Sexuality above all physical acts is clearly taught in Scripture to be as much of a Spiritual act as it is a physical one and any couple who is in love and in a marriage covenant can attest to this.

The instruction that follows regarding married couples is extremely important to heed. Husband and wives are one physically and spiritually and therefore have access, free access, to each other’s bodies. The wife’s body does not belong to her. The husband’s body does not belong to him. It follows that it is not lawful for a woman to deprive her husband of her body nor is it right for a man to deprive his wife of his body. Although the first scenario is more common it can be said for both that to deprive a spouse of sexuality intimacy is a sin, plain and simple. Never should one spouse withhold pleasures of intimacy from the other for any reason. She or he has no right under God to do so.

On the other side is what should result from appreciating that your spouse’s body is like your own. When appreciated the body of the spouse is cared for. It is gently and respectfully treated like we would want our own body to be treated. The end result is something quite beautiful and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Physical intimacy within the context of a marriage covenant under Christ should contain the highest amount of physical pleasure. In fact it is only within the context of a Christian marriage that sexual intimacy can be enjoyed to the fullest for it is done with the greatest love and in the context of the greatest freedom, a freedom found only in Christ. One of the primary reasons for frigid Christians is a Gnostic approach to intimacy that convinces them that physical pleasure is not to be enjoyed but only tolerated. This we must be rid of in the context of our marriages and in other categories of this physical world.

Another category of frigidity practiced among Christians as a result of Gnostic influence is food and drink. Having worshipped among well meaning Christians who believe that the drinking of alcohol is sin, regardless of context, I have heard the main arguments. The Bible, of course, does warn against drunkenness. Drunkenness is a sin. Simply consuming alcohol, however, is not a sin. Eating too much food is a sin as well and is in the same category as too much alcohol. Eating itself is not a sin, of course and neither is drinking alcohol. It is when they are consumed to excess that we enter the category of gluttony. Gluttony of food is no greater a sin than gluttony of alcohol. Food and drink are to be enjoyed as God has intended. Remember the apostle’s words. All things are permissible but not all things are profitable. Having been around Christians who did not drink alcohol, did not smoke tobacco, did not dance or watch movies I came to realize that some of them perceived that God was pleased with them because of their abstinence.

It is quite easy for us sinful men to, in the back of our minds not out loud, perceive ourselves to be in God’s favor because we abstain from earthly pleasure. This perception, as we have already explored, is in opposition to how we are made righteous. It is only by the blood of Christ that we are made clean of sin, not by any work of a man.

If you have any doubt that God is displeased by his people eating and drinking, listen to his own words on the subject:

Deut. 14:26

"Use silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice"

Isaiah 25:6

And on this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees.

Proverbs 15:15

He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

Ecclesiastes 10:19

A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry;

The powerful difference between the covenant people of God consuming good food and good drink is the presence in which each is consumed. It is the pagan that consumes wine alone in a dark room. It is the weak that sneak to the kitchen after midnight to gorge themselves. Those who abuse wine and food do so outside eyes of scrutiny or among those who live in a similarly abusive manner. In contrast it is the Christian that consumes good food and wine in the presence of Almighty God. A Christian man consumes his food and wine in front of and with his spouse and his children. He teaches them how to enjoy the blessings of God while not abusing them.

Christians should be witnesses to the world at having a good time. We should enjoy good wine without getting drunk. We should enjoy good food without overeating. We should enjoy intimacy without perversion. We should and we can because when we do so under God’s covenant Jesus does it with us and we are privilege to have his attendance. Amen