Sexual Purity is the Biblical Way

“Young people often believe that they can fool around sexually and not be hurt.  If you think this way, you are only fooling yourself.  Christian young people often ask me how far they can go, not even realizing that once you are on that road, it can lead only to harm.  This is not because sex is bad but because it is so powerful and can easily destroy what is so good.  When you try to possess this enjoyment in a relationship outside of marriage, it will bring destruction.

“The Scriptures are clear.  They teach that young men are to treat young women ‘as sisters, with absolute purity’ (1 Tim. 5:2).  The reality is, you are to behave with a young woman the way that you would behave with your sister.  You are to act with total purity.  That is the standard for young men and young women: complete purity.  If you start to fool around sexually even a little bit, there is only one place it will lead - into trouble and disgrace.  Like a narcotic addict, you will demand more and more.  You will whine and complain.  You will manipulate until you get it.  You will justify and rationalize everything in response to all that you have ever learned or believed, when you have convinced your boyfriend or girlfriend to give in (although it is almost always the boy convincing the girl, who foolishly believes he loves her).  When she gives herself to him, then he loses interest in her or is disgusted with her and has nothing more to do with her.  If there is love in the relationship, you will respect each other enough to wait for marriage.  If you find yourself even thinking in the direction of sex, you had better ask yourself why you are not thinking about marriage.  If you are thinking about marriage, it should be with serious-mindedness and the intention of establishing a Christian home.”

Richard L. Ganz, “Controversies That Almost Killed a Church: Paul’s Counsel to the Corinthians and the Church Today,” p.86-87