The Benefits of Purity

"For God has revealed his grace for the salvation of the whole human race. That grace instructs us to give up ungodly living and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this world, as we wait for the blessed Day we hope for, when the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ will appear" (Titus 2:11-13 GNB).

The Bible tells us to live self-controlled as we wait for Christ's return. When hearing about sexual purity, we often hear a lot of talk about how it not only honors God, but helps you to honor your future spouse. It does more than that though. Living sexually pure trains you to curb and master your desires. It teaches you to think through consequences before you act. It teaches you the discipline of saying no to others and yourself.       

      You've probably heard someone talk about a sexual experience and admit that they never meant for it to go that far. How many times have you heard stories of infidelity where the person claims they never meant to cheat?

      I think so many marriages fail today because it has become the norm to think of ourselves rather than others. Sadly, it is normal to flit from relationship (or fling) to relationship. This treats relationships like a buffet. You take all that you desire and then you leave. You pick what you want and leave the rest behind rather than looking at the options and "buying as is". There's little commitment. 

      What's sad to me is the widespread lack of expectation of commitment from others. Many people only find out there's a commitment when the other person claims it. Expectations aren't being laid out. How often do people avoid talking about the direction of their relationship or what they want out of fear that it will overwhelm or scare the other person off? There's so much settling for the way things are. 

      How can you have self-control without even having control? We can't be passive or unintentional. There's just too much at stake. 

      Choosing to live pure can help you take control (as much as you can have) of the direction of your life. This is especially important when things get rough because that's when the other options begin to look more appetizing. 

      Begin training yourself to say no. Don't just give in to every desire. Not only will it save you from heartbreak now, but it can save you from future heartbreak when you have more than just yourself to guard and when you have more to lose.

      You have to choose to be 100% pure because impurity is like a fungus/mold that spreads if it's left untreated. Plus, the consequences reach into other areas of your life. Begin practicing self-control so that you don't fall for just anything. It is important to have a solid ground you can stand on when things start to get shaky. 

      Decide who you are going to be and how you are going to live before you are forced to decide hastily. Figure out what values you are going to live by and what God has to say concerning different areas of your life so that you have a standard to judge all your options by. It is better to do all this while you have time to think about it rather than waiting until you are confronted with ultimatums or when you are rushed.