Sin and Temptation: Week 5, Day 2

Day 2: Purity Matters

It's prom night for Brian and Mandy. This coming Friday is their one-year "anniversary." Brian, a senior and 1-year older, met Mandy at a friend's birthday party one night, and they've been dating ever since. They talk on the phone almost every night, go out every weekend, and spend as much time as they can together at school. Mandy is a committed Christian and active in her church youth group. Brian goes to a different church, where he attends occasionally.

Last fall, they went to a youth event at Mandy's church where everyone was challenged to pledge to remain virgins until marriage. Both Brian and Mandy made that pledge and felt good about doing that, but that was months ago, and at times it's been tough for them to keep things under control. (If you know what I mean.)

Now that prom is finally here; both are feeling the pressure from friends and temptation from their hearts to "go all the way." After all, several couples they know have definite plans to make THEIR prom night "special," so later that evening, Brian drives the two of them out in the country and parks by a deserted farmhouse. After kissing for a while and fogging up the windows, he starts talking about LOVE...PROVING LOVE... "PROTECTION"...SHOWING REAL AFFECTION...and even MARRIAGE. In short, he begins to let lose a string of one-liners that would have made any Hollywood scriptwriter proud of him.

There's only one problem. Mandy won't budge...not even an inch. So, instead, she reminds Brian of their pledge, and though confessing that she too is tempted, lets him know that sex was not an option for them...not now...not until marriage. So, cooling off their passion for one another, they warmed up the car and headed for home.

You already know that Brian and Mandy are not that uncommon. Many couples who date for a long time experience sexual temptation in one way or another. And just like them, none of us HAS to give in to it. They can, even in the midst of unbelievable pressure, do the right thing and remember that God wants us to be sure not only to protect us physically but to protect us spiritually as well.

When my daughters turned 12, I took each of them out to eat, and I shared with each of them the importance of staying pure until the day they got married. Then, I handed each of my daughters a contract that said the following.

I _________________________, understand God’s instructions. God does not want me to have sex before marriage. I realize that my sexuality is a treasure. I will value it because it is a priceless gift from God. I will not leave it up for grabs, but instead, I will protect it and hide it. I understand that God gives me these rules because He wants what is best for me and loves me.
I trust what the Lord has in store for me and realize that He has a lifelong mate already picked out for me. I will daily choose to keep myself sexually pure so that I may not stand in the way of God's best for me. I realize that sex is a precious gift from God, and I choose to use it at God's proper time, which is in marriage.

Each of my daughters signed that covenant, and I gave each of them a purity ring to symbolize their commitment to God.

Making this decision is easy to do, but it is hard to live out each and every day. I want you to think about this commitment to God, and if you feel up for the challenge, I want you to sign your name in the blank above and make a vow of purity to Him. The rest of the week, we'll talk about how we can keep this commitment to God until the day you say "I do."

Time Out:

I want you to spend some time alone with God looking over that purity contract. If this is a vow you are ready to make to God, sign your name above, and ask God to give you the strength to live up to your vow. I'll be praying for you.