What does it mean to flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18)?

from the old testament

• God gave humans sex as a good gift. It is to be done only between a husband and wife (Genesis 2:24; cf. Proverbs 5:15–19) and was given both for enjoyment and procreation (Genesis 1:28). When done appropriately, it is not at all sinful.
• However, as with everything else, when Adam and Eve rebelled against God (Genesis 3:1–7), our desires were corrupted. Indeed, it was not long after the fall that men were taking multiple wives (Genesis 4:19), having sex outside of marriage (Genesis 34:2), and engaging in incest (Genesis 19:30–36). What was good (sex) was being used for evil, selfish ends.
• When God singled out Israel from among the nations and gave them the Mosaic Law to teach them how to obey God, it included many prohibitions of sexual activity from sex, including outside of marriage (Deuteronomy 22:28–29), adultery (Exodus 20:14), incest (Leviticus 18:6), homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22), and bestiality (Leviticus 18:23).
• These commands were given for their good and their flourishing. When ignored, they led to severe consequences such as David’s son being killed after his affair (2 Samuel 11–12) and Samson falling for the wiles of various women (Judges 16). It is for good reason that Proverbs 6:32–33 reads, “He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.” Engaging in illicit sexual activities is pleasurable for a moment but comes with grave consequences.
• Joseph is likely the background of Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 6:18 to flee from sexual immorality. He caught the eye of Potiphar’s wife, who wanted to sleep with him (Genesis 39:7). She tried multiple times, finally cornering Joseph and grabbing his garment. In that moment, Joseph “fled and got out of the house” so quickly that he left his garment behind (Genesis 39:11–12). There is no reason to believe he would have been caught. Rather, his fear was that of remaining too long and falling for the temptation. Fleeing was his reaction to get out of there before he sinned.

from the new testament

• In 1 Corinthians, Paul dealt with the Corinthians’ apathy towards illicit sexual sin within the church. They were specifically tolerating someone sleeping with his mother (1 Corinthians 5:1). Additionally, Paul’s reference to sex with prostitutes (1 Corinthians 6:15–16), commands to avoid the sexually immoral (1 Corinthians 5:9–11), and references to sinful behavior such as adultery and homosexuality (1 Corinthians 6:9–10) indicates that the church was fully compromised in the area of sexual activity.
• Knowing how powerful sexual temptation can be, Paul commanded them to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Like Joseph, who fled at the first sign that he was in danger of sinning, Paul told the Corinthians to flee from all sexual temptation.
  Contextually, that meant putting the son and mother out of the church (1 Corinthians 5:2, 13), to stop being involved with the idolatrous practices that included prostitution (1 Corinthians 10:14), and to avoid those who indulged in sexual sin (1 Corinthians 5:9–11). Paul reminded them that they had been joined to Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17) and were the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). While most sins affect the outside, joining to someone else through sex uniquely affects one’s body both physically and spiritually (1 Corinthians 6:16, 18b).
• Sex is good, but it must remain within the bounds of marriage between one man and one woman: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4). All other sexual activity is illicit and brings God’s discipline for believers (Hebrews 12:6).

implications for today

God created sex as good within marriage between one man and one woman. However, sin distorted everything. Humanity became sexually deviant. We fall for Satan’s lie that we are not fulfilled unless we are sexually fulfilled. To fulfill it, we go on the prowl for someone to satisfy our sexual desires. In short, what was created for enjoyment and satisfaction within marriage has become our main avenue for self-gratification. It is no small wonder that Scripture often speaks of sinful men and women as self-degraded (Romans 1:24–27) with the wisdom of animals (Jude 10).

What makes sex enjoyable is also what makes it so dangerous. A tempting individual, image, or book about a sexually stimulating situation is like a worm that gets into our minds and continues to dig and dig and dig until we finally give in. This is why Paul said to flee sexual immorality. He understood the power of sex and the strength of those lingering thoughts. Like Joseph running away as soon as he realized that the wife was offering her body, we are to run away so as not to give time for the “worm” of “what if” to get into our mind and start digging.

What are some practical steps you can take to flee? First, use wisdom with where you go, what you watch, and what you allow into your mind. Second, pray regularly. God gives strength when the ideas start to take root. He also gives strength in moments of temptation. Third, fill your mind with Scripture, preparing yourself against the next temptation by renewing your mind with Scripture (Romans 12:2). God has given us all we need to resist sin, including fleeing sexual immorality. It's not worth it. God's plans and ways are best. And the next time you fall, know that God forgives the truly repentant (1 John 1:9). Don’t lose heart and continue pressing on! His ways are worth it!