15. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

16. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

17. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

18. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

19. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Let us pray

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for who You are and for what You do. Father, hide Your son behind the cross, that Your people would see You and not me. Dear Master, as I decrease I ask that You would increase. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, Lord, be acceptable in Thy sight. (Tongues.) Oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. In Jesus’ Name.

And the people of God said amen. You may be seated in the house of God.

In this Scripture it tells us to flee fornication, in verse eighteen. It says,

18. ...Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

19. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

These Scriptures reveal to us that we are to be one with God. And as we are people of God, we are composed of spirit, soul, and body. Man is considered to be what is called a triune being.

The Old Testament tabernacle was also triune. It consisted of the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. We won’t be long tonight, but stay with me.

Nothing about the tabernacle was accidental. It was all part of a master plan. As we compare the three parts of the Tabernacle, we see that they are parallel to the three parts of our human temple.

When we look at the Outer Court, the Outer Court represents the body, our outer body. Everyone sees the body, just as all could see the Outer Court of the temple. You couldn’t hide that. Everybody was able to see the body.

But then you had what is called the Holy Place. It was hidden in a tent, much like our souls are housing our mind and our will and our emotions. And they are hidden within our bodies.

Then there was the Holy of Holies. It was the most sacred place in the temple, the place where God dwelt and spoke only to the high priest, but only once each year.

The tribes of Israel set up camp around that Tabernacle. However, only a select group of priests could go inside the Holy Place. And only one could enter into the Holy of Holies.

You see, the Holy of Holies is parallel to our spirit. And in that place is where our God dwells. And in that place is where He receives our sacrifices. And in that place has got to be holy and acceptable unto God. In that place is where He speaks to us. In that place is where He communes with us. And in that place is where we have an intimate relationship.

The human spirit is our holy of holies, where God comes to live at the time of salvation. In Romans eight and verse nine it says, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” If Christ is not dwelling in you, then you don’t belong to Him. And the Bible says He knows those that belong to Him.

Why am I preaching this word tonight? Because we have got to start getting our soul to line up with our spirit. We have got to get our body to line up with our soul, in which it has to line up with our spirit, so God will be able to commune with us, spirit, soul, and body. Every part of us has got to start being submitted and submerged in the Spirit of God.

The Spirit of God communes with us, not just once a year, but at any time. Anybody that is willing to commune with Him, He’ll commune with you. Anyone that is going to submit to Him, He will come and make His abode with you.

Saints of God, this is the season to walk in holiness. You see, Jesus is at the door. And He’s waiting for the Father to say, “Go.” And see, I’ve got to have my house in order. Come on. Talk to me tonight. I don’t know about you. But I don’t want to be caught on the barroom floor. I want Jesus to come back with me on my knees or lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting, and praising His holy Name.

He said, “Flee fornication.” He said, “Know ye not that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost?” Know ye not that your bodies are just like the tabernacle in the Old Testament? Know ye not that He doesn’t dwell in unclean places?

You see, in order for Him to dwell there, I got to be clean. Oh, this is a word for the body of Christ. See, I can’t be tipping and tapping and dipping and dapping. I got to get my self in a place of surrender. Get this flesh under. No matter what it’s craving, how it’s craving it, when it’s craving it, I got to learn how to tell this flesh to shut up and get in line with the Word of God.

See, I’m preaching this, because I was going to preach something else, but God told me to start preaching deliverance. Deliverance is when somebody gets set free that wants to be set free. Now if you don’t want to be set free, then you ain’t going to be set free. But if you want to be set free, the Word of God will set you free. Hey! Jesus!

See, you can’t get snug and smug in your Christianity. Because the devil will try to eat you alive. You got to stay submitted to this Word and submerged in this Word. And keep your knees bent in order to walk in holiness.

You see, I don’t believe... I don’t believe in living any kind of way and doing God’s business. And I don’t believe... Now wait a minute. We always want to clap on that. But I don’t even believe in just sitting in God’s church and going out and doing any kind of business. I ain’t just talking about the folks that work up in the church. I’m talking about the folks that come to the church.

I got to get right. I got to get right. Jesus is coming back. And I don’t have time to keep my feet in the world.

(Joshua, come up here and sit down.)

I don’t have time to keep my feet in the world. I’ve got to get my feet in the church, in the Word, being steadfast. And no matter what tries to come my way, I’m going to be like Joseph. And I’m going to turn tail, and I’m going to run away. In the Name of Jesus. Come on. Give God a handclap of praise tonight.

I’ve always believed in sanctification and holiness. And I ain’t never going to change. Because that’s what it’s all about. Being saved. And not just filled with the Holy Ghost, but being saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost.

The Spirit of God communes with us. Only the body, though, is visible. Two thirds of a person is spirit and soul. Two thirds. And that part is hidden. It’s hidden. We can only see this body.

Yet most of us spend two thirds of our time building up the one-third. What’s that one third? The body that will return to the dust.

Paul gave insight about spiritual realities in Second Corinthians four and verse eighteen. He said, “We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal.”

It is within the mind, the will, and the emotions, our soulish realm, that sanctification occurs. That’s where sanctification occurs. See, your spirit is alright. But it’s that soul that we got to get together. Because it’s always trying to do what it wants to do.

We’re talking about the mind, the intellect, the will, the emotions. It always want to go the right when you trying to go to the left. They always want to go to the left when you trying to go to the right. They always want to do something else.

But if I can get my mind together, if I can get my soul in line with my spirit, then my body has got to follow. Because my soul is going to give my body instruction.

One thing that I find in this city is a whole lot of pornography, a whole lot of fornication. Do you hear what I’m saying? A whole lot of stuff that’s not like God. And I ain’t afraid to preach it.

Because sheep are going to do what they hear. So if you don’t hear it, then you going to go out and do what you want to do. But if I’m preaching it, you’re going to think twice about it.

The soul has got to get in line with the spirit.

When we look at what sanctification is, it’s... We all know it’s to be set apart to God. That’s why... See, the Bible doesn’t say about your spirit, be renewed in your spirit. But it tells us to renew the mind.

Because that mind ain’t saved. Come on. Talk to me. See, you got to keep that mind saved. Your spirit is okay. It’s going to praise and worship God. But that mind got to be constantly renewed. Over and over and over and over and over again. Over and over again.

The mind has got to be renewed. Say it to yourself. “My mind has got to be renewed.” You can say you want God and you want to... “I’m going to praise You, Jesus.” But if I ain’t renewing my mind, then when I get to church, you going to sing half of one song, and I’m going to be just like this. Oh, you don’t want to talk to me now. You ain’t my friend no more.

And the whole while your spirit is leaping, praising God. Leaping. But your soul done told your body to sit down. You been working all day. Sit down. Oh, come on. Talk to me. You’ve had a long week. And you ain’t come to church to stand up for no three or four hours. You better sit down somewhere.

Your mind is talking to your body. And your spirit is trying to get a hold of your mind, if you will allow your spirit to. You got to allow it. You got to learn how to tell your mind, “Now wait a minute. You are not in control. The Word is in control.” And even when you get an attitude, you need to say, “Mind, you need to get in line with the Word.”

Because the Word is true. The Word is true. The Word has got to be preached. And the Word has got to be heard. And when you hear the Word of God when it’s the real Word, and you rebel against the Word, God, help you. For he that knows to do right and doesn’t do it, it’s sin.

I remember Pastor Adrienne and I when I first got saved. And a whole group of other folks. We used to go to this church on a Friday night. One of them was called Green Pastures. We would go there sometimes. Pastor Collet Gumby in Atlanta.

And boy, they would preach about sin and preach about what folks, you know, not doing and should be doing. And if they happened to step on our toes, we just look at each other and smile and be like, “Oh, yeah. Uh huh.”

But see, those days are not like that any more seems like. You start stepping on somebody toe, and they get mad. And they through with you. How dare you? Oh, I’m telling the truth. Telling the truth about it.

They want... They have itching ears. And they want preachers that are going to itch their ears. They don’t want to hear truth. They want somebody to lie to them. You get somebody to lie to you. They going to lie you all the way to hell.

We’ve got to get our soul, those thoughts, and everything to line up with the Word, every day, every day. You see, the more you learn and I learn how to stay in the Word...

See, when the devil be trying to tempt you to do something, all of a sudden a Scripture will pop in your head. Has it ever happened to you? It happened to me. A Scripture just pop in your head. And then still be trying to... I can’t do it. Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

But see, there’s problem when you hear that Scripture ringing in your head, and you go on and do it anyway. The Bible says He’ll turn you over to what’s called a reprobated mind. You’ll want to believe, but you can’t. Oh, my God. You’ll want to do right, but you can’t. Every time you try to do right, something in you just keeps making you do wrong. And you don’t know what it is. It’s a reprobated mind. Don’t get there. Don’t go there. He said, “I’ll turn you over to it.” You’ll want to, but you just can’t. It’s Scripture.

We’ve got to get our minds renewed. Especially if you’re going to be in a prophetic ministry, you better get your mind together. If you plan on doing something for God, you’ve got to stay in your Word.

Because if you are in a prophetic ministry and you’re doing prophetic things, and you’re not staying in the Word, and you staying covered in the Blood of Jesus, then you’ll lose your mind. You’ll start to get off into witchcraft. And you’ll be thinking that you’re doing something that’s God, and really you’re operating in what’s called... I don’t want to go there tonight. You’ll start operating with a familiar spirit. And a familiar spirit can tell you something about somebody.

That’s why you got to keep your heart right. And that’s why you got to stay in the Word. And that’s why I tell people, “Don’t let everybody lay hands on you.” Do you hear what I’m saying tonight? You got to learn and know God for yourself. You got to. You got to keep that mind right.

And that’s why God had me to have an altar call before service. Because He wants us to be right. He knows you’re not perfect yet. And we won’t be perfect until He appears. And we’ll be changed. And we’ll be like Him. But He wants us to strive every day for perfection. Every day.

And whatever area you are having a problem with, you need to work on it. Whatever area I’m having problems with, I need to work on it. Don’t just dismiss it and think it’s just going to disappear. It’s not going to disappear. And it’s going to keep gnawing at you and gnawing at you and gnawing at you until it say, “I got you.” And then you’ll be trying to claw your way out. Don’t get there. Don’t go there.

 Stay in the Word. Get that mind renewed daily. Get that mind sanctified. Get the mind sanctified. Remember it’s the soul where sanctification takes place. Sanctification means to be set apart for God.

But when we look at it, it’s our five senses–taste, hear, smell, feel, and touch. Those are the things that try to control us. And when our senses are aroused, they turn into a... They turn in stimulants to our desires.

And Romans six and twelve says, “Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey it’s evil desires.” That word “reign” means authority. So don’t let sin have authority in your life. Or you will obey it’s evil desires. Don’t let sin have authority.

Does that mean that you’ll never do anything? No, that’s not what that means. Just don’t let it reign with authority, and that every moment and every day you walk in sin. Not every day. Not every day. Don’t let it have reign in your life, or you’ll constantly find yourself yielding, yielding. “I just had to do it. I just had to go there. I just had to say it.” No, you didn’t have to. You didn’t have to. If your mind was renewed, you wouldn’t have had to do it.

When we consistently entertain sensual or worldly being soulish behavior, the process of sanctification is on hold. You see, once I continue to entertain worldly things, that process of being sanctified stops.

And then once I decide, “Okay. I want to be sanctified again,” then I got to start all over again. The process of being cleansed in the mind got to start all over again. All over again. All over again. All over again.

God is calling us to be holy. For the Bible says He is holy. He’s holy. He’s a holy God. He’s a holy God. And without holiness what? No man shall see God. So we got to learn...

Let me tell you something. People think that they going through hell here. You don’t want to go to hell. This ain’t hell. This is not hell. You may have a light affliction. But this is not hell right now. It’s not. It’s not.

So go through your light affliction knowing this, that He that began a good work in you is going to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. And it won’t always be like that. You going to have some war. But you got to have a time of peace. You have to.

You and I have got to renew our minds. Don’t just come to church to hear me preach or teach the Word. When you get home, you remember things that I said. And you look it up in the Bible for yourself.

The Bible says there hath no temptation taken you but such is common to man. But God is faithful who will not have you tempted above which you are able. But with every temptation make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. There’s a way of escape. And He won’t bring anything your way that’s too big for you to say no.

That was one of the very first Scriptures that I put to memory when I got saved. And if you’re serious about being holy, you got to put some Scriptures on holiness to memory. (Tongues.) You got to put them to memory, that when you need them, bam, there they are.

Not just putting faith Scriptures to memory, so that you and I can buy things and get things. Not just that. Because the devil’s going to try to drag you down some other kind of way. Get it all. Get it all.

Once we decide to surrender our minds, our wills, and our emotions to the Holy Spirit within us, then the process of sanctification, it resumes again. It starts again.

If you want to be sanctified, lift up your hand right where you are.