Chastity for All Times
I wrote this piece years ago. When I read it recently I realized a word of explanation is needed. The words chastity and chaste come from a Latin word that means pure. Today we have misused the word and now it is used interchangeably with the word abstinence. My intention was to discuss chastity based more on its Latin origin. Our attitude towards sex can be an indicator of how much we value the purity of our hearts as we approach many areas of our lives.
Abstaining from sex? Oh, that's like the usual American diet, isn't it? You know,when you eat broccoli and keep your hand off pizza and french fries, You hope that abstaining from the usual goodies will be worth the sacrifice. Abstaining from sex must mean closing your eyes to all the temptations around you and hoping that your self control lasts long enough for you to meet Miss.or Mr. Right.
Isn't there a better way to deal with sexual temptations until your wedding day? Yes there is.It's call chastity. Abstinence says no, no,and no as it looks forward to some vague perhaps unattainable
goal of marital bliss. Chastity says yes,yes.and yes to the fulfillment of life as God intended it to be,
First chastity says yes to God's view of creation. We are not animals who are driven only by instinct and primal urges. We are the only part of creation that consciously worships God and knows Him. Therefore we know that sex is more than mutual back scratching. By saying yes to God's view of creation, chastity says yes to the Genesis truth that the two become one flesh. That unity is a goal well worth the wait, Yielding to a momentary whim can not yield the rich rewards God provides for those who embrace chastity. Too often couples see it as one of the choices for a Saturday night activity. "Hey,there aren't any good movies showing, and no basketball games. Let's have sex."
Chastity says yes to each of us as creative beings made in the image of God. Each person has the ability to make choices not predetermined by what others are doing. Not only do we have the freedom not to have sex, we also have the freedom to develop and explore our relationships . creatively. Too often we slap a label on what our relationship with a person is and then we determine how and to what degree we are going to use them.
Chastity says yes to the biblical truth that we are made in the image of God and therefore people should not be used like like a horse that would plow your field or a dog who does tricks for his master. Every person is a unique individual worth getting to know as a whole person.
Since chastity says yes to the worth of every person because we are all made in the image of God, fashioned with complex personalities and abilities, the chaste person should have richer friendships than others do. Too often when a couple breaks up they can hardly look each other in the eye. Since sex has not been a part of the chaste person's friendships when the nature of the friendship changes, the friends can remain friends. In fact since because sex has not been a major distraction, the chaste person knows his friend far better and is more likely to see the richness and great value of the relationship. Many of the chaste persons' friendships will last a lifetime.
Few people who just abstain from sex make it all the way to the wedding night without encountering problems, They can now have God approved sex. Abstaining can stop but chastity is for a lifetime. The married couple must honor each other, treat each other with respect. They must work at protecting and maintaining the unity the sex act represents and affirms. Their sinful hearts as well as temptations from the world will threaten to pull them apart.
The chaste person is more likely to understand these things because he has had practice honoring and respecting friendships long before the wedding night. As a result of not engaging in sex, the chaste person comes to bed with no memories of other lovers to distract him from the joy at hand. Not only does the chaste person have no memories to quiet, there is also no fear of sexually transmitted diseases. The couple can rejoice that by God's grace He has protected them as they have sought to live by His principles.
Chastity certainly seems to be an outdated word, but an outdated principle never. God's principles are never outdated and the blessings that come from following them have an eternal guarantee. Chastity is for lovers.
Abstaining from sex? Oh, that's like the usual American diet, isn't it? You know,when you eat broccoli and keep your hand off pizza and french fries, You hope that abstaining from the usual goodies will be worth the sacrifice. Abstaining from sex must mean closing your eyes to all the temptations around you and hoping that your self control lasts long enough for you to meet Miss.or Mr. Right.
Isn't there a better way to deal with sexual temptations until your wedding day? Yes there is.It's call chastity. Abstinence says no, no,and no as it looks forward to some vague perhaps unattainable
goal of marital bliss. Chastity says yes,yes.and yes to the fulfillment of life as God intended it to be,
First chastity says yes to God's view of creation. We are not animals who are driven only by instinct and primal urges. We are the only part of creation that consciously worships God and knows Him. Therefore we know that sex is more than mutual back scratching. By saying yes to God's view of creation, chastity says yes to the Genesis truth that the two become one flesh. That unity is a goal well worth the wait, Yielding to a momentary whim can not yield the rich rewards God provides for those who embrace chastity. Too often couples see it as one of the choices for a Saturday night activity. "Hey,there aren't any good movies showing, and no basketball games. Let's have sex."
Chastity says yes to each of us as creative beings made in the image of God. Each person has the ability to make choices not predetermined by what others are doing. Not only do we have the freedom not to have sex, we also have the freedom to develop and explore our relationships . creatively. Too often we slap a label on what our relationship with a person is and then we determine how and to what degree we are going to use them.
Chastity says yes to the biblical truth that we are made in the image of God and therefore people should not be used like like a horse that would plow your field or a dog who does tricks for his master. Every person is a unique individual worth getting to know as a whole person.
Since chastity says yes to the worth of every person because we are all made in the image of God, fashioned with complex personalities and abilities, the chaste person should have richer friendships than others do. Too often when a couple breaks up they can hardly look each other in the eye. Since sex has not been a part of the chaste person's friendships when the nature of the friendship changes, the friends can remain friends. In fact since because sex has not been a major distraction, the chaste person knows his friend far better and is more likely to see the richness and great value of the relationship. Many of the chaste persons' friendships will last a lifetime.
Few people who just abstain from sex make it all the way to the wedding night without encountering problems, They can now have God approved sex. Abstaining can stop but chastity is for a lifetime. The married couple must honor each other, treat each other with respect. They must work at protecting and maintaining the unity the sex act represents and affirms. Their sinful hearts as well as temptations from the world will threaten to pull them apart.
The chaste person is more likely to understand these things because he has had practice honoring and respecting friendships long before the wedding night. As a result of not engaging in sex, the chaste person comes to bed with no memories of other lovers to distract him from the joy at hand. Not only does the chaste person have no memories to quiet, there is also no fear of sexually transmitted diseases. The couple can rejoice that by God's grace He has protected them as they have sought to live by His principles.
Chastity certainly seems to be an outdated word, but an outdated principle never. God's principles are never outdated and the blessings that come from following them have an eternal guarantee. Chastity is for lovers.
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