Weekend Kindness
Reaching Others Through Kindness

The quest for purity is making a comeback in America. Since 1993, nearly 2.5 million “True Love Waits” pledge cards have been signed by young men and young women who have made a commitment to remain pure and save sex for marriage. The “True Love Waits” commitment reads:

Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future mate, and my future children to a lifetime of purity including sexual abstinence from this day until the day I enter a biblical marriage relationship.

Passion and purity may seem mutually exclusive. They are not. It is possible to feel passionately toward someone without following through physically. No one said it was easy, but it is possible.

First, understand that purity begins with what is in your heart and your mind. Romans 8 says, “… those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires … the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” (NIV) You must fill your mind with God’s word and with pure motives and thoughts before expecting your body to follow suit.

Second, a lifetime of purity is contingent upon setting boundaries and living within them. Before you find yourself in a situation that might break down those boundaries, determine in your heart and mind where the boundaries are in your relationships with the opposite sex. Determine that your body is your own and that a person who respects you and truly loves you will respect the boundaries that you have set.

Third, purity is not contingent on the past. If you have already given in to physical desire, pledge today that from this day forward you will remain physically pure. Put the boundaries back in place and accept God’s forgiveness for moving the barricades. If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9, NIV).

Fourth, the quest for purity does not end with marriage. Ah, just when you thought that marriage could solve all of your passion and purity issues, I had to bring this up. Within marriage there are still choices to be made. How easy it would be to say that once you are married, the issue will be decided, you will no longer struggle with passion and purity. But just look around you. Look at believers in Christ who have thrown away their marriages for another man or another woman. Look at ministries that have been brought to ruin by giving in to temptation outside of marriage. Look at affairs that started with an “innocent” glance or touch. The quest for purity is a lifetime pursuit, making it even more important to practice purity from an early age.

Because the quest for purity does not end with marriage, no matter whether you are single or married, you must put into practice the first two principles: fill your mind with God’s word and with pure motives and thoughts before expecting your body to follow suit, and set boundaries that will be in place now and for a lifetime.

A commitment to purity may not be easy and you may be faced with many challenges along the way, but when the day comes that you say “I do” to the man or woman chosen to be your lifelong mate, there will unspeakable joy when the two become one.

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