One of the problems with inappropriate sexual conduct is that nothing you do remains a secret for long. If you kiss a sweetheart, that's one thing. No one really cares much about a kiss. But if you go a little too far (and you know how far "too far" is!), then be prepared for the shock waves of scandal to spread across the Internet and through cellular air space as your so-called friends broadcast your shameful behavior to everyone you know, and then some!
The Bible teaches us that sex outside of the marriage relationship is sin. Not only is it sin against the person with whom you are engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior, but it is sin against your own body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you (1 Corinthians 6:19). As Christians, we grow up knowing that sex with anyone other than our married partner is wrong, but we are faced with the same sexual temptations that unbelievers face. However, the Spirit of God which lives within us gives us the power to abstain from and resist those strong sexual urges that cause so much pain. The Spirit gives us power to resist, but we must use our God-given right to choose--to choose to do the right thing rather than the wrong thing.
The Message translation does a beautiful job of explaining the problems with sexual sin. First Corinthians 6:16-20 tells us:
There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "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." There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another. Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.
Young person, what you may see as irresistible temporary pleasure will cost you dearly in the long run. You have been taught right from wrong, but what your parents and your Sunday school teachers haven't told you is how high a price you will pay for giving yourself away to a boyfriend or girlfriend rather than saving yourself for your spouse. Not only do you run the risk of an unwanted pregnancy or the likelihood that you will contract a sexually-transmitted disease, but you also risk taking on the heavy emotional baggage of guilt and shame that will beat you down for years to come. Premarital sex is not worth the risk or the loss of a godly reputation.
God is certainly willing to forgive any who repent and ask forgiveness for sexual sin. But there are no guarantees that he will protect you from devastating consequences if you continue to compromise yourself sexually. Be holy as he is holy. If you have already lost your virginity, ask his forgiveness and mercy, and pray for the strength to remain pure until the day you marry the special guy or gal he has picked out for you. The temptation to sin in the area of sexual behavior is strong, but the Holy Spirit who lives within you gives you all the power you need to stand strong and remain pure.
"You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20, NIV).
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