Pre-Marital Sex: How Far is Too Far?
The Bible’s Clear Teaching
Pre-marital sex: How far is too far? The Bible speaks clearly and repeatedly about the importance of reserving sexual intimacy for marriage. In the Bible, sex outside of marriage is condemned as “fornication” (e.g. 1 Corinthians 6:18). God’s ideal pattern established at Creation was for a man and woman to become “one flesh” within the covenant of marriage (Genesis 2:24).
New Testament Reinforcement The New Testament reinforces this, with Jesus himself upholding the sanctity of marriage (Matthew 19:4-6). The apostle Paul instructs Christians to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). He says the body is “not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord” (1 Corinthians 6:13).
Counter-Cultural but Purposeful So while pre-marital sex may be culturally normalized today, from a biblical perspective it violates God’s design and purpose for sex. Sex is meant to be a pure, unifying, procreative act between a husband and wife expressing committed, covenant love.
Defining Boundaries As for “how far is too far?”—any sexual activity outside of marriage could be considered crossing a line. This includes not just intercourse, but other intimacies such as petting, undressing, and intentionally arousing sexual desire. The biblical call is to “flee” youthful lusts (2 Timothy 2:22) and maintain complete purity until marriage.
Practical Safeguards To avoid temptation, it’s wise to put practical boundaries in place—like avoiding being alone together unchaperoned, dressing modestly, controlling wandering thoughts, and being accountable to others. Most importantly, cultivating a love for God and obedience to His Word provides the power to resist sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
Honouring God and Future Spouse Staying pure isn’t easy in today’s culture, but it honours God and your future spouse. With prayer, wisdom and loving accountability, it’s absolutely possible to live a life pleasing to the Lord in this area.
The Greatest Gift Among the most precious and intimate gifts you can give your spouse on your wedding night is the gift of your virginity. Remaining pure until marriage allows you to joyfully celebrate complete intimacy as God designed it within the covenant of marriage.
Saving your virginity for your spouse is not just practical advice, but a profound symbol. It represents Christ’s love for the Church and the mutual self-giving at the heart of biblical marriage (Ephesians 5:31-33). Virginity preserved is a tremendous gift of love.
Related Reads:
Editor’s Pick
Some Standing Here Will Not See Death: What Did Jesus Mean?
Jesus’ words leap off the page with startling immediacy: "Truly I tell you, some standing here will not taste death [...]
Multiple Spirit Outpourings in Acts: How Are These Significant?
MULTIPLE SPIRIT OUTPOURINGS IN ACTS: Ever wondered why the Book of Acts reports several dramatic outpourings of the Holy Spirit [...]
Failing the Math Test: Darwinism’s Wait Time Problem
In the grand narrative of origins, evolutionary theory has long been presented as an unassailable scientific truth. Textbooks, documentaries, and [...]
Blueprints of Life: Why Cellular Precision Demands a Designer
In the microscopic world of the cell, an intricate ballet unfolds every moment of every day. Molecules move with purpose, [...]
Too Perfect to Be Random: The Giraffe’s Remarkable Design
The giraffe is one of nature's most striking marvels—a creature whose distinctive features have captivated human imagination for centuries. Yet [...]
The Woodpecker’s Design: How Nature’s Headbanger Defies Evolution
Imagine a bird that slams its head against solid wood 20 times per second, enduring impacts of 1,200 G-forces—the force [...]
The Ear’s Intricate Design: Too Complex for Random Chance
The Ear's Intricate Design: When we listen to our favourite song, hear a loved one's voice, or notice the warning [...]
The Euthyphro Dilemma: Did God Invent Morality or Discover It?
A Biblical Creationist Answer to the 2400-Year-Old Question The Euthyphro Dilemma has challenged folks for over 2,400 years. First posed [...]
Outdo One Another in Showing Honour: What Does It Really Mean?
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour.” Paul’s instructions in Romans 12:10 present us with [...]
The Anthropic Principle: How’s Our Universe Designed for Life?
Ever wondered why our universe seems so perfectly suited for life? The Anthropic Principle addresses this very question: it notes [...]
