“The key to understanding all the controversial issues of our day is that the concept of the human being has likewise been fragmented into an upper and lower story. Secular thought today assumes a body/person split, with the body defined in the “fact” realm by empirical science (lower story) and the person defined in the “values” realm as the basis for rights (upper story). This dualism has created a fractured, fragmented view of the human being, in which the body is treated as separate from the authentic self...Christianity never divides the body from the person... The physical universe, including our body, is a part of God’s handiwork and has dignity, and value, and significance because it is the handiwork of a loving God.” Nancy Pearcey, Love Thy Body 1. Our bodies weren’t designed to be enslaved to sexual immorality, but to be freed from enslavement. 2. Our bodies weren’t designed to feed off it’s every desire, but rather to feast off its union in Christ. “When their stomachs signaled hunger, food was taken to satisfy them. So too, they argued, sex was pleasurable and necessary. When their bodies signaled sexual desire, they needed to be satisfied.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary “The Corinthians have adopted from the culture around them the idea that the body is permitted to have everything that it craves. Paul knows that human desires are tainted with sin, which uses these desires to master the person for its own evil purposes” (ESV Study Bible). 3. Our bodies weren’t designed to experience sex outside the context of marriage, but within the context of it. When things aren’t used as they are designed Picture Picture Video How Do We Know We Weren’t Designed For Sex Outside of Marriage? We Are United With Christ God forbids it Studies show that religious married couples are more sexually satisfied.  The correlation of religion with good relationships was especially pronounced among women. Those in highly religious marriages were fifty percent more likely to report being "strongly satisfied" sexually than their secular and less religious counterparts. And in a relationship quality index that took into account attachment, commitment, satisfaction, and stability, highly religious women whose husbands shared their faith were ahead of every other group.-Christian Post 4. Our bodies weren’t designed to pursue sexual immorality, but to flee from it. How Do We Flee Sexual Immorality? *We flee sexual immorality by remembering who we are—our identity. “In going to prostitutes, the Corinthians not only renounce the lordship of Christ over their bodies and deny their resurrection life to come, but they act in a way that sullies and even does violence to Christ’s body.” Ciampa and Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, 258. *We flee sexual immorality by realizing our body is not our own and we’ve been bought with a price. *We flee sexual immorality by determining to glorify God with our body. Sixfold Pathway Toward Developing Your Gospel Identity: IDENTIFY: What negative thought or emotion do I need to address today? INSPECT: What does the Scripture have to say? INCEPTION: What is your earliest memory of this thought or emotion? INCREASE: How has it grown since its inception to negatively impact my life? IGNITE: What situations or settings are mostly likely to trigger this thought or emotion? INVITE: What would Jesus want to say to me to move me toward a healing process in this area? IDENTITY: Am I willing to commit to a process of maturing in this area toward my Gospel identity?