Relationship Road Mapنموونە

LIVING RIGHT WHILE LIVING SINGLE

If there’s an excuse for having sex before marriage, I’ve heard it:

But we love each other.

We know we’re going to get married.

We’re adults.

We weren’t virgins anyway.

God will forgive us.

I know Christians who had sex before marriage, and when they got married, it worked out.

Those statements are just low-hanging fruit. The devil will suggest many more. The Bible tells us that the Enemy “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Both before and after mar­riage, one of the Enemy’s primary goals is to get you to sleep with someone you are not married to.

You already know what the Bible says. You know what the cul­ture says. But I want to challenge you to consider the real-life consequences of sleeping with someone before mar­riage. Dating is the train­ing ground for marriage. If you don’t train yourself not to be governed by your emotions before you say “I do,” it will be much harder to control yourself after you say “I do.” I think we can agree that infidelity is never okay; when we are sleeping with people before we get married, it’s like we’re in training for unfaithfulness in marriage.

If you’ve already had sex outside of marriage, I want you to hear that God redeems and God is inviting you to begin living well today. Paul tells us in Romans, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2)

You win at living single and protect the marriage you’ll have one day when you avoid sexual sin. I know what a challenge that can be. So, take the steps you need to.

First, stay connected to God. Read the Bible. Talk to God in prayer.

Second, identify friends who will help you date with integrity. Find an older mentor who can walk with you.

Third, start teaching your body not to respond to every desire it has. One way to do this is through fasting, which decreases the undesired responses of your body and builds spiritual muscle.

When you choose to live well, God will give you everything you need to suc­ceed.

What is one way you could build spiritual muscle this week to help you avoid temptation?