Preserving Purity

Preserving Purity

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3–5

All young people should avoid casual sex and preserve their purity. They should resolve to strengthen themselves against lust and sexual passions by reading and meditating on a psalm or some other portion of God’s Word. When the flames of passion plague you and sexual arousal reaches unmanageable proportions, go to a psalm or any other chapter or two in the Bible and read. After the flames of passion die down, devote yourself to serious prayer.

If your sexual appetites continually tempt you, be patient. Resist them as long as necessary, even if it takes more than a year. But above all, keep praying! If you feel that you can’t stand it any longer, pray that God will give you a devout spouse with whom you can live in harmony and true love.

I have known many people who, because of their crude and shameful fantasies, indulged their passions with unrestrained lust. Because of their insatiable desires, they abandoned self-control and lapsed into terrible immorality. In the end, they had to endure dreadful punishment. Blinded to the realities of married life, some of them took unsuitable mates and ended up in incompatible relationships. They got what they deserved.

You must pray diligently and strive to resist the desires of your sinful nature. Ask God to give you a Rebekah or Isaac instead of a Delilah or Samson—or someone even worse. Finding a devoted, loyal wife or husband isn’t a matter of good luck. It’s not the result of good judgment, as unbelievers think. Rather, a devout spouse is a gift from God.