There are numerous good reasons that a person should wait
for sex until marriage. We will briefly discuss them
before looking at what the Bible says about premarital sex.
Every health class discusses the physical drawbacks of
premarital sex and urges caution. STD's and unwanted
pregnancies are good reasons to abstain from sex altogether
instead of just using birth control. Regardless of
their effectiveness rate, it is a huge gamble to be making
with one's life, both health wise and for their future hopes
and dreams if a woman should become pregnant.
Regardless of the effectiveness of birth control, nothing
can shield a person from the emotional aspect of sex.
Sex creates physical intimacy in a way that nothing else
can. As the Bible says, "the two become one flesh."
But there is also an emotional intimacy that is unparalleled
anywhere else. Every time a person has sex outside of
marriage it cheapens the emotional and physical bond that
should only be found inside of marriage.
Sex outside of marriage brings guilt and frustration.
When previous partners are involved, a person will be left
wondering how they compare to those people and if their
current partner prefers past ones more. For the
Christian and non-Christian alike there is guilt surrounded
by doing something they know they shouldn't be doing.
There is also guilt after a break up, knowing that those
sexual experiences can't be undone and that a person will
carry them with them into their next relationship and every
one after that.
Hebrews 13:4 says, "Marriage should be honored by
all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the
adulterer and all the sexually immoral." There is no
clear passage that says do not have sex with anyone except
your husband or wife. However it is implied throughout
the Bible that adultery is the act of sex outside of
marriage. It applies to those who are married and have
an affair outside of the marriage and it applies to the
participants of the affair whether they are married to
another person or not.
An unmarried person who has not made a commitment to
another is not in danger of breaking such a commitment.
This does not mean that a person can and should remain
unmarried so that they can have sex with whoever they
desire. Sex is meant for marriage as Paul implores
those who cannot contain their passions to get married in
1 Corinthians 7:8-9.
"Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good
for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot
control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to
marry than to burn with passion."
Sex should be reserved for marriage as this is what God
desires. Those who abstain until marriage will find
that sex is a great gift of God. Many do not wait
until marriage and unfortunately miss out on intimacy that
God reserved only for marriage. God can forgive the
sin that takes place but unfortunately the consequences of
their actions cannot be undone and it is something that a
person will have to live with for their life.
