The Big Deal About Keeping One's Virginity

What is the big deal about staying pure anyway? Why keep one's virginity? As early as high school, I decided to saty a virgin until my wedding night. Some of my friends called me morally uptight. I have been put down at times for my conviction and for encouraging others to follow suit. One time, I ate lunch with some old friends as a kind of reunion. One of them said that unlike me, she believes that virginity is not the only gift she can give to her groom on their wedding night. she said that she has so much more to give. She said that she is happy giving her boyfriend what she can give now, including her body, to show him her love. The others in the group nodded in affirmation.

I felt sad because she and our other friends missed the point. Though there are other things a woman can give her husband, her virginity still tops the list. And this is a gift that she gives not only to her husband on the wedding night but more so to the Lord. We are to "offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1b). We are told to honor marriage and keep the marraige bed pure for God will judge the sexually immoral (Hebrews 13:4). This may seem too strict and too harsh for many, but it is God's standard. God did not prescribe "how to's" in life to limit us but to enable us to live life to the full. For instance, the Bible's strong admonition against the inappropriate use of sex outside of marriage is really intended for our own protection and pleasure. Having more than one sexual partner increases the risks of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases. Unwanted pregnancies that result from premarital sex often bring two unprepared individuals into the difficult predicament of raising a child. Over the years, it has been observed that individuals who enter parenthood without spiritual, emotional, and psychological readiness end up raising troubled children who grow up to become troubled adults.

--excerpt from True Love Weds: When the Waiting is Over (p. 106-107)

**Soon, this portion of the book will also be read in Malaysia!!! I received a request for 30 copies of my book from a group in Malaysia. God is awesome!