Reason 1
In the seventh of God’s Ten Commandments, he instructs us not to have sex with anyone other than our spouse. It is clear that God forbids sex outside of marriage. When we obey God, he is pleased. He honors our obedience by blessing us.
Deuteronomy 28:1-3
Quote
If you fully obey the LORD your God … [he] will set you high above
all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany
you if you obey the LORD your God …(NIV) God has a reason for giving us this
command. First and foremost, he knows what’s best for us. By obeying him, we
trust God to look out for our best interests.
Reason #2 – We Won’t Miss Out on the Blessing of the Wedding Night
There’s something very special about a couple’s first time. In this physical act the two become one flesh. Yet it is more than just physical oneness — a spiritual union takes place. God planned for this exclusive experience of discovery and pleasure to happen only within the intimacy of marriage. If we don’t wait, we miss out on a very special blessing from God.
1 Corinthians 6:16: Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical
fact. As written in Scripture,
Quote
“The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with
the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and
intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never
“become one.”
(The Message)
Reason #3 – We Will Be Spiritually Healthier
If we live as carnal or fleshly Christians, we will seek to gratify the desires of the flesh and live only to please ourselves. If we live this way, the Bible says we cannot please God. We will be miserable under the weight of our sin. As we continue to feed our fleshly desires, our spirit will grow weak and our relationship with God will be destroyed. Complacency with sin leads to worse sin, and eventually, spiritual death.
Romans 8:8,13:
Quote
Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. For if you
live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put
to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live
…(NIV)
Reason #4 – We Will Be Physically Healthier
This one is a no-brainer. If we refrain from sex outside of marriage, we will be protected from the risk of catching sexually transmitted diseases.
1 Corinthians 6:18:
Quote
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as
this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
(NLT)
Reason #5 – We Will Be Emotionally Healthier
One reason God tells us to honor marriage and keep the marriage bed pure has to do with baggage. We carry baggage into our sexual relationships. Memories from the past, emotional scars and unwanted mental images can defile our thoughts and make the marriage bed less than pure. Certainly God can forgive the past, but that doesn’t mean we’re free from the baggage that can linger in our minds.
Hebrews 13:4:
Quote
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure,
for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral
.(NIV)
Reason #6 – We Will Show Consideration for Our Partner’s Well-Being
If we put our partner’s needs above our own and consider their spiritual well-being, we’ll be compelled to wait for sex. We, like God, will want what’s best for them.Ephesians 5:2
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.(NLT)
Philippians 2:3:
Quote
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of
mind regard one another as more important than yourselves
; (NASB)
Reason #7 – Waiting is a Test of True Love
Love is patient. That’s about as simple as it gets. We can learn the sincerity of our partner’s love by their willingness, or lack thereof, to wait.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5:
Quote
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking
…(NIV)
Reason #8 – We Will Have No Negative Consequences to Deal With
There are always consequences to sin. Some of those effects can be
devastating. An unwanted pregnancy, a decision to have an abortion or place a
child for adoption, broken relationships with family and friends — these are
just a few of the possible outcomes we face when we choose to have sex outside
of marriage. We should be sure to consider the snow ball effect of sin. And
what if the relationship does not last? Hebrews 12:1 shows that sin hinders our
lives and easily entangles us. We will be much better off if we avoid these
negative consequences.
Reason #9 – We Will Keep Our Christian Testimony Intact
We don’t set a very good example of godly living when we disobey
God. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:12 to “be an example to all believers in
what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”
(NIV)
In Matthew 5:13 Jesus compares his followers
to “salt” and “light” when we represent him in the world. When we no
longer shine the light of Christ, when we lose our Christian testimony, we lose
our “saltiness.” In other words, we become flavorless and bland. We lose our
ability to attract the world to Christ. Luke 14:34-35 puts it
strongly, saying that salt without saltiness is worthless, not even fit for the
manure pile.
Reason #10 – We Won’t Settle For Less Than God’s Perfect Will
When we choose to have sex outside of marriage, we settle for less
than God’s perfect will — for ourselves and for our partner. And if we do this,
we don’t know what we might end up with. Perhaps we’ll end up in a miserable
marriage.
