Like this:

Got your attention, didn’t I? Stay tuned because while we will be talking about sex, it’s probably not what you think.

Today is about staying pure. About sex in our lives being pure and sacred, just as God intended it to be.

Off we go…

First, check out this excellent article on Randy Alcorn’s site:
Sexual Purity: What You Need to Know

It’s a long article, but it’s an excellent read, chock full of scripture to back up his points. It’s well worth your time.

Can we be honest for a second? As Christians, we don’t really address sexual purity all that much. Sure, we hear that we need to stay pure and not have sex before marriage. This is solid and important advice. But it’s pretty vague, right?

To me, this subject can (and SHOULD) be discussed much more. Since it isn’t, it can lead individuals to taking a relaxed stance towards purity. “It will never happen to me,” they say. Before you know it, it HAS happened to you and you wonder what went wrong. I’ve been there. Things can go downhill fast if you’re not careful.

The Bible is clear that God wants us to be pure. This article really puts things in clear and understandable terms that go beyond a youth pastor simply telling his students, “be pure and don’t have sex before marriage.”

I’ll let the article do most of the talking. Please check it out. But there were a few points that I thought I’d touch on:

• First and foremost, it CAN happen to us if we let our guard down. I touched on this earlier. We must take precautions and prepare for being tempted to do unpure things. Satan is on the prowl and to sit back and say that you’re safe is, frankly, stupid. We must be obedient!

• Also, it is hard to think of it in the “moment of truth,” but long term consequences of not being pure can be terrible. This is why the prevention of harmful situations is so important. Don’t wait until you’re on the couch or bed to think it through. Don’t set yourself up for failure!

The article goes on to talk about dating relationships and how to make sure those are pure. I think this is the most practical, and it hits home for me. I’ve gotten into trouble physically with girlfriends in the past so I know the dangers of letting my guard down.

Two things that stuck out to me that I will be using in my next dating relationship:

• Pray before and after the date! I’m kind of ashamed to realize that I NEVER thought about this before. Alcorn points out that if you pray before and after, you are less likely to do something sinful if you know that the prayer is coming at the end of the night. Plus, praying before and after dates is a great way to ensure that God is a big part of the relationship!

• The alarm clock anaolgy… “If you set your alarm clock at night and tell yourself you’ll decide in the morning whether you need to get up when the alarm goes off, you may as well not set it. Either you are committed to getting up or you’re not. If it’s left to your feelings in the moment of truth, you’ll make the wrong decision. Again: in the moment of strength make choices that will serve you well in the moment of weakness.” Another “duh” concept. It’s all about prevention and preparation when you’re STRONG, not weak.

I’m glad I came across this article. It is practical and I feel that it can be helpful for anyone. As I said, many of these points and concepts will be applied to my next dating relationship.

I want to be sexually pure. Who’s with me?

Advertisement