The Call to Spiritual Maturity
What drives your decisions? Is it what you want in the moment, or something deeper?
The ancient city of Corinth was famous for its appetite-driven culture. If someone had a desire—whether for pleasure, prestige, or power—they satisfied it without hesitation. Everyone knew the Corinthians would do whatever it took to get what they wanted. But when followers of Jesus emerged from this culture, they faced a profound challenge: how do you live differently when everything around you says to satisfy your cravings?
This tension between old appetites and new identity lies at the heart of spiritual maturity. It's a tension we still face today.
The Problem with Appetite-Driven Living
Consider how we raise children. A four-year-old who doesn't get his mac and cheese exactly right might dissolve into tears. He cries when siblings invade his space in the morning. He melts down when things don't go his way. At four, it's somewhat understandable. At eight, it won't be tolerated. At twelve, it's completely unacceptable.
We inherently understand this progression in physical development. We expect growth. We demand maturity. Yet somehow, when it comes to spiritual life, we often justify our actions by simply saying, "I wanted it."
The early church in Corinth struggled with this exact issue. They had accepted Jesus as Lord, but they hadn't yet grasped what that lordship actually meant for their daily lives. They were dragging each other into public courts over disputes. They were engaging in sexual immorality. They were divisive and jealous. And their primary justification? They wanted what they wanted.
A New Standard: Mission Over Man
Scripture presents a radically different framework for mature believers. It's captured in a military principle: mission over man.
In warfare, soldiers sometimes sacrifice to take a hill, only to abandon it shortly after. To the outsider, this seems senseless. Why fight for territory you're going to surrender? But good soldiers understand the bigger picture. They trust their commanders see what they cannot. They recognize that individual desires must submit to the larger mission.
This is precisely the spiritual reality for followers of Christ. We've signed up for something bigger than our personal appetites. When we confess that Jesus is Lord—as Romans describes—we're acknowledging that our lives are no longer about what we want. They're about what He wants.
The Apostle Paul put it bluntly to the Corinthians: "To have a lawsuit at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?" (1 Corinthians 6:7)
This sounds like terrible life advice. Won't people take advantage of you? Possibly. But Jesus Himself taught this upside-down kingdom principle in the Sermon on the Mount: "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well" (Matthew 5:39-40).
The Battle for Your Heart
Why would God ask us to live this way? Because He's battling for the throne of our hearts.
Every time we face a situation where our natural desire conflicts with kingdom priorities, we're presented with a choice: Will we follow our appetite, or will we acknowledge His lordship? These moments expose what truly rules us.
Think about tithing. Nowhere in secular wisdom does it make sense to give away 10% of your income. Yet many believers do this regularly because they've acknowledged a different priority system. They recognize that God is the provider, that He owns everything, and that they're stewards rather than owners.
This same principle applies to every area of life—including our bodies and our relationships.
Your Body: Purchased and Purposed
First Corinthians 6 addresses this directly: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Our bodies aren't ours to do with as we please. They were purchased by God through Christ's sacrifice. They're instruments given to us for His glory, not tools for satisfying every physical appetite.
Paul specifically addresses sexual immorality because it carries consequences that run dangerously deep—emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The sexual union creates a bond that Scripture describes as "one flesh." This isn't casual. It's never been casual, despite what our culture claims.
Sexual immorality isn't just another sin category. It affects us differently, more profoundly. Paul writes, "Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18).
The Strategy: Flee
Paul's advice for handling sexual temptation is remarkably simple: "Flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18).
Not "resist it." Not "stand firm against it." Not "see how close you can get without crossing the line." Flee. Run. Get away from it.
This echoes Joseph's response when Potiphar's wife repeatedly tried to seduce him. He didn't try to reason with her or prove his strength. He ran.
Billy Graham understood this principle. Stories tell of him ripping televisions off hotel walls and paying for the damage rather than risk the temptation. He'd rather pay for a wall than deal with the consequences of compromise.
What does fleeing look like in our digital age? Maybe it means the flip phone instead of the smartphone with unlimited internet access. Maybe it means accountability software. Maybe it means ending certain relationships or avoiding certain places. Whatever it takes—flee.
Moving Toward Maturity
Spiritual maturity means embracing these realities:
First, it's kingdom mission over personal desires. Your wants don't justify your actions anymore.
Second, you won't be dominated by fleshly appetites. Just because you want something doesn't mean it's beneficial or helpful.
Third, your body was purchased by God. You're not your own.
Fourth, sexual consequences run deeper than other sins. Handle this area with extreme caution.
Fifth, sexual immorality is never casual, despite cultural messages to the contrary.
Sixth, the best strategy is to flee, not flirt with the line.
The Question Before Us
Are we properly handling our fleshly appetites today? Or are we still justifying our actions by saying, "I wanted it"?
The call to maturity is the call to move past appetite-driven living. It's recognizing that Christ's lordship isn't just a theological concept—it's a daily reality that affects every decision, every relationship, every desire.
We were purchased. We have a new Master. And He's given us both the responsibility and the power to live differently than the world around us.
The question isn't whether we'll face temptation or struggle with our appetites. We will. The question is: Who sits on the throne of your heart? When desire conflicts with kingdom mission, which will you choose?
Maturity is found in that choice—made daily, moment by moment, as we flee what dishonors God and pursue what glorifies Him.
The ancient city of Corinth was famous for its appetite-driven culture. If someone had a desire—whether for pleasure, prestige, or power—they satisfied it without hesitation. Everyone knew the Corinthians would do whatever it took to get what they wanted. But when followers of Jesus emerged from this culture, they faced a profound challenge: how do you live differently when everything around you says to satisfy your cravings?
This tension between old appetites and new identity lies at the heart of spiritual maturity. It's a tension we still face today.
The Problem with Appetite-Driven Living
Consider how we raise children. A four-year-old who doesn't get his mac and cheese exactly right might dissolve into tears. He cries when siblings invade his space in the morning. He melts down when things don't go his way. At four, it's somewhat understandable. At eight, it won't be tolerated. At twelve, it's completely unacceptable.
We inherently understand this progression in physical development. We expect growth. We demand maturity. Yet somehow, when it comes to spiritual life, we often justify our actions by simply saying, "I wanted it."
The early church in Corinth struggled with this exact issue. They had accepted Jesus as Lord, but they hadn't yet grasped what that lordship actually meant for their daily lives. They were dragging each other into public courts over disputes. They were engaging in sexual immorality. They were divisive and jealous. And their primary justification? They wanted what they wanted.
A New Standard: Mission Over Man
Scripture presents a radically different framework for mature believers. It's captured in a military principle: mission over man.
In warfare, soldiers sometimes sacrifice to take a hill, only to abandon it shortly after. To the outsider, this seems senseless. Why fight for territory you're going to surrender? But good soldiers understand the bigger picture. They trust their commanders see what they cannot. They recognize that individual desires must submit to the larger mission.
This is precisely the spiritual reality for followers of Christ. We've signed up for something bigger than our personal appetites. When we confess that Jesus is Lord—as Romans describes—we're acknowledging that our lives are no longer about what we want. They're about what He wants.
The Apostle Paul put it bluntly to the Corinthians: "To have a lawsuit at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?" (1 Corinthians 6:7)
This sounds like terrible life advice. Won't people take advantage of you? Possibly. But Jesus Himself taught this upside-down kingdom principle in the Sermon on the Mount: "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well" (Matthew 5:39-40).
The Battle for Your Heart
Why would God ask us to live this way? Because He's battling for the throne of our hearts.
Every time we face a situation where our natural desire conflicts with kingdom priorities, we're presented with a choice: Will we follow our appetite, or will we acknowledge His lordship? These moments expose what truly rules us.
Think about tithing. Nowhere in secular wisdom does it make sense to give away 10% of your income. Yet many believers do this regularly because they've acknowledged a different priority system. They recognize that God is the provider, that He owns everything, and that they're stewards rather than owners.
This same principle applies to every area of life—including our bodies and our relationships.
Your Body: Purchased and Purposed
First Corinthians 6 addresses this directly: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Our bodies aren't ours to do with as we please. They were purchased by God through Christ's sacrifice. They're instruments given to us for His glory, not tools for satisfying every physical appetite.
Paul specifically addresses sexual immorality because it carries consequences that run dangerously deep—emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The sexual union creates a bond that Scripture describes as "one flesh." This isn't casual. It's never been casual, despite what our culture claims.
Sexual immorality isn't just another sin category. It affects us differently, more profoundly. Paul writes, "Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18).
The Strategy: Flee
Paul's advice for handling sexual temptation is remarkably simple: "Flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18).
Not "resist it." Not "stand firm against it." Not "see how close you can get without crossing the line." Flee. Run. Get away from it.
This echoes Joseph's response when Potiphar's wife repeatedly tried to seduce him. He didn't try to reason with her or prove his strength. He ran.
Billy Graham understood this principle. Stories tell of him ripping televisions off hotel walls and paying for the damage rather than risk the temptation. He'd rather pay for a wall than deal with the consequences of compromise.
What does fleeing look like in our digital age? Maybe it means the flip phone instead of the smartphone with unlimited internet access. Maybe it means accountability software. Maybe it means ending certain relationships or avoiding certain places. Whatever it takes—flee.
Moving Toward Maturity
Spiritual maturity means embracing these realities:
First, it's kingdom mission over personal desires. Your wants don't justify your actions anymore.
Second, you won't be dominated by fleshly appetites. Just because you want something doesn't mean it's beneficial or helpful.
Third, your body was purchased by God. You're not your own.
Fourth, sexual consequences run deeper than other sins. Handle this area with extreme caution.
Fifth, sexual immorality is never casual, despite cultural messages to the contrary.
Sixth, the best strategy is to flee, not flirt with the line.
The Question Before Us
Are we properly handling our fleshly appetites today? Or are we still justifying our actions by saying, "I wanted it"?
The call to maturity is the call to move past appetite-driven living. It's recognizing that Christ's lordship isn't just a theological concept—it's a daily reality that affects every decision, every relationship, every desire.
We were purchased. We have a new Master. And He's given us both the responsibility and the power to live differently than the world around us.
The question isn't whether we'll face temptation or struggle with our appetites. We will. The question is: Who sits on the throne of your heart? When desire conflicts with kingdom mission, which will you choose?
Maturity is found in that choice—made daily, moment by moment, as we flee what dishonors God and pursue what glorifies Him.
Recent
Archive
2026
2025
February
November
2024
December