Abstinence: Christian’s Only Choice

God is lucid and there are totally no grey areas in God's word on staying sexually inactive before marriage. The fact cannot be denied now that the Christian in this world faces some serious opposition in society, but face it we must. The world is saying, "Hey, everybody is doing it!." Well, everybody except Christians that are truly sold out to serve and obey Jesus Christ. Yes, even Christians have swallowed the lie of the Devil, "it's OK, because everybody is doing it." No, it's not OK! The Bible says "flee sexual immorality", "flee youthful lust"! I see no room in God's Word for lingering around or testing out sexual immorality, do you? Christians that try to convince themselves that God will permit sexual activity outside of marriage have ignored God's Word and have deceived themselves! No means No! And God says NO to sex before and outside of marriage!

Some of us Christians have allowed ourselves to be deceived by the Devil and sinful men that says, "so long as you don't go "all the way", it's not sexual sin! This kind of argument may work with worldly Christians and unbelievers, but to those wanting to do the will of God and to those who know what God's Word says, this argument and rational goes against God's written and spoken Word. For those who want to obey God, for those who want to please God, understand, God even forbids sexual touching, sometimes called petting. God also forbids any touching that arouses sexually. 1 Cor. 7:1, "It is good for a man not to touch a woman." The word ‘touch’ here in the Greek means, "to fasten oneself" or "to kindle a fire". This word implies touching that is clinging; touching that is sexual, thus "kindling the fire." Unmarried people should NOT allow anyone to touch them in such a way that a fire is started emotionally, hormonally, or sexually.

Let's get specific! Some people may hold hands, but can they just stop there? Once you start holding on, is that enough? God has not created our bodies to start and stop on a dime sexually. Yet young (and not so young) people foolishly convince themselves, "Oh I can stop when things begin to go too far."

Many have learned that this is NOT true. The more caught up a fire is, the more difficult it is to extinguish. Hand holding can lead to arms around the waste, then to kissing, then to petting, then to sex. 

Some Christians disobey God by allowing emotional and hormonal fires to build up even though they stop short of sexual intercourse! Those that do this are still sinning before God and they have also sinned against the person they were with. Make no mistake about this. Don't rationalize it a way! Don't lean upon unbiblical interpretations of God's Word! Don't lean upon the World's standards! To please God is to Obey His Word! Outside of marriage: Don't touch sexually! Don't arouse sexual!

It is of a fact that strong Christian upbringing does not excused one from the usual temptations of daily living, particularly the most difficult, that of purity and living an abstinent life.

According to a Pew Forum on Religion And Politics February 2008 report, one in four young adults aged 18 to 29 claim no religious affiliation. This increasing gap between young people who believe and those who do not makes understanding the choice of remaining abstinent more difficult. Living an abstinent life in modern day society is not easy.

Certainly it is undeniable that much of the Christian understanding of the need for faithful marriages and for the reserving of sexual intimacy for marriage is linked to the power of sexual union to result in children.  Christians must work to convince themselves and others that we should never lose sight of the link between sexual activity and child-bearing.  If no one engaged in sexual union who was not prepared to care for any children who result from that union, the modern world would experience a radical change in its sexual behavior.

Christians need to provide explanations why faithfulness and why responsibility towards children are two of the defining characteristics of marriage. 

The truth is that our society is tired of unfaithfulness, tired of shallow and brief relationships. They crave something more meaningful, something on which they can rely.  Young people are rather sick of divorce.  There is virtually no one who does not know some children who have suffered greatly from divorce.  Certainly many of us because of our own foolishness, weakness or wickedness, or because of the idiocy, weakness or wickedness of others may not be able to form the marriage and families which we want and need.  We must trust in the grace of God to grant for all those who turn to Him for help, when matters are not as they ought to be.   But the inability of many of us to live or to find what we know to be best is not a disclaimer of what is best. 

Living as a pure Christian is imperative in our daily life as Youth. If we assert to be Christians and believe in the Word of God, then we need to not only read and speak His Word, but live it out. Our lives need to be consistent no matter where we are and who we are with and God's love and Word needs to remain a constant throughout.

While remaining a social norm, sex exists as more than just a physical act and has dangerous long-term consequences. The emotional damage that sex can produce is the most destructive aspect of sex before marriage. However, our society rarely acknowledges it.

The issue of abstinence is not a new battle for young Christians. The initial purity pledges, which attempted to educate young Christians on abstinence, began in 1993 by the 2.5 million members of the Southern Baptist Church with the "True Love Waits" movement. While most of these pledges were geared toward teenagers, the pledge's intent was to guarantee that young adults waited to have sex until marriage.

As Christian we recognize that God intended sex for a man and wife, however why is it important and what can purity do to our spiritual walk? Proverbs 15:26 proclaims: "The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him." As Christian doctrine explains, a sexual union was originally intended for those in a lifelong commitment to one another. Therefore any sexual act committed outside of marriage lessens the impact and dedication to one's spouse in the future. Being pure allows us to have full dependency on God. We learn to turn to Him to fill any lack that lies within us.

But, why is purity so important? Purity was first intended to allow young Christians stronger relationships with God. Purity gives our minds and hearts a clear route to hearing God. In all those times when our bodies long for sexual interface, God is there to gratify our souls and reduce the wants of our humanness.

Whether one has had sex before or remained abstinent their entire life, a spotless heart is always available. Women who have embarked in sexual activities can repent. Candid repentance is the key to living a pure lifestyle. Once we do that, relying on God's strength is the only way we can remain pure.

As juvenile Christians who are glancing to influence and inspire other generations, remaining chaste regardless of the mass media's unfortunate elucidation, is imperative. Your singleness and purity is a gift. Don't take a season of singleness for granted.

We have the chance to grow with God with no other relationship distracting us. Hold on to your purity like it's a treasure. 

No man can fill the emptiness God can fill and not one sexual indulgence can satisfy you. Only God can and He will forever remain.

Happy are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; happy shall you be, and favored. 
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants around your table.
Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.  Psalm 128  CF