Resources/Articles
Why Should Young People Wait for Sex in Marriage? (3)
In consideration of the physical, emotional, and relational reasons for young people to wait for sex in marriage, there is the most important reason to consider - spiritual. There are sacred blessings associated with having sex in marriage, and there are serious consequences to ignoring God’s commands regarding fornication and marriage...
God declared sex before marriage to be sin against the body. “Flee fornication...he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). God wants us to be good caretakers of what He has given us. As car manufacturers produce cars, they also provide manuals for the care and maintenance of those vehicles. how much more is God concerned about the bodies of men and women? He provided a “manual” for the care and protection of what He created. We free ourselves from the grievous sins of immortality when we follow the “manual” (Bible) of God...
Young people not only protect their bodies by being chaste, they also protect themselves from judgment. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honored among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” People who engage in sexual immorality are rarely condemned for their behavior. Most receive approval and acceptance from friends, relatives, and coworkers. Fulfilling your lust and passion is “understandable.” It is our “makeup.” It is “what we do.” However “free” we feel by the earliest expression of our sexuality, God will not permit us to use our bides in a way He does not approve. Fornication is a crime against God (Genesis 39:9). Such a crime requires justice, and God is just. He will not allow you to violate your body, though you might declare, “It’s my body!” Your body was created and given to you by God. Violating His law regarding your body will only bring judgment...
If young people keep their bodies pure, they protect themselves from being negative influences on other Christians. Our actions can encourage others to do good works (Hebrews 10:23,24) or cause them to violate their own consciences and sin (1 Corinthians 8:90; 10:31). As young people date, they should be considering how close they are walking with the Lord. If their relationships with the opposite sex lend themselves more to lust and sensual behavior, great harm can be done to their examples. You cannot rationalize a sin, like sex before marriage, to be right, even if two Christians are involved.
Consider also, being chaste protects your influence among those who are not Christians. In the wake of David’s fornication with Bathsheba, Nathan told him, “Because of this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme” (2 Samuel 12:14). Far too often, believers’ associations with unbelievers have led to sex rather than bringing souls to Jesus. The consistency in a Christian’s life is not only important to remain sexually pure, but is a testimony to others of your love for God...
