Living in Purity - Martin Wiles

Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living. Romans 13:13 NLT

“You know what she wants. You’re gonna lose her if you don’t.”

I’ll never forget those words from a work cohort and friend. But he was an unbeliever and not operating from the same foundation I was. I had come out of a bad relationship, but was lonely and eager to find someone else to date—and perhaps marry. The girl he referenced, though, didn’t want to take things in the order I’d been taught. Her idea involved premarital sex, living together, and then marriage.

My goal entailed remaining sexually pure until marriage. Explaining that to a young woman whose hormones raged was complicated. In fact, I didn’t. She finally got the message and looked elsewhere for a boyfriend. Sexual purity wasn’t on her agenda. Lust inflamed her.

Paul included sexual purity among his closing remarks to early believers. Sexual promiscuity shouldn’t be named among them. Old Testament Joseph faced the same temptation when, as a slave, his master’s wife attempted numerous times to seduce him. With God’s strength, he refused—despite the advantages that a sexual parlay might have had.

Sexual desire comes with the nature God has created in humans. Being a believer doesn’t remove it. But God established an order in which sexual relationships between a man and a woman should happen: after marriage. Though not the current trend, God’s mind hasn’t changed.

Purity represents the God I serve. Holiness enshrouds Him, and He wants His followers to display the same trait. We are clothed with His Son’s righteousness when we believe, but it takes a lifetime of practice to master the purity challenge—sexual purity included.

Sexual immorality destroys—marriages, relationships, families, jobs, societies. Few marriages survive unfaithfulness. Sex before marriage damages the purity God intends for us to have until after marriage. God created sex for enjoyment—but within the marriage relationship. Sex wasn’t designed to fulfill a lustful nature.

Since the sexual drive is intense, mastering it takes God’s help. Depending on self will let me down every time. Remaining pure until marriage—and remaining faithful to my partner after marriage—only occurs when I depend on God and do my part to stay away from temptation.

God can preserve your purity, but only if you run to Him for assistance. Promise to keep yourself pure—even if you’ve previously failed.

Tweetable: What are your ideas about sexual purity?

Prayer: Father, keep us sexually pure until we meet that person You want us to spend our lives with. 

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