As Christians, we must have a high standard of purity. We must be pure in our speech, pure in our dress, pure in our relationships. All of this stems from a heart desire to please the Lord and become more like Him--He Who is completely holy and without blemish. We must not let anyone dissuade us from living a life of purity. This is why it is so important to be careful what company we keep, not only with friends, but also what books we are reading, what we watch on TV, and what we read and look at on the internet. Impurity and immorality is all around us. We must be careful to guard our hearts and minds from what would draw us away from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sexual immorality is a huge problem in our culture, even among those who profess Christ. Single Christians must be careful to live in chastity and live a sexually pure life. Singles must remember that the only legitimate outlet for urges and feelings of this sort is marriage. The Scriptures state, "It is better to marry than to burn" (1 Corinthians 7:9). Scriptures do not state, "it is better to give in in a 'committed relationship'" or "it is better to indulge one's feelings" by committing what some would term "self-love". I could use another word, but I won't here. If you don't know what I mean, send me a message. I would say that most people are not gifted with singleness. I believe the Lord created most of us to be in a marriage relationship. You probably know who you are. I would urge you singles, while you are awaiting the Lord's perfect timing to bring you a spouse, that you keep busy in serving your families and also busy about the Lord's work in ministry. There are always people who need help, and there are always people who need the Gospel. Just don't completely neglect your family at home (they probably need your help too), to go and serve others. Be busy about the Lord's work. And use your time of singleness to grow closer to the Lord.
Married Christians must also keep a high standard of purity. Sometimes when people get married, they let go of previous convictions in favor of new experiences, forgetting the former boundaries that kept them on the straight and narrow. Purity is still very important in marriage. The marriage bed must be kept pure and undefiled. Only pure things should take place there, and we also must be careful to guard our relationships with our husbands (and of course, husbands should do the same for their wives.) It is probably unwise for men and women (who are not husband and wife), to ever be alone together, or to have close friendships with one another. We must observe that most adulterous relationships began with two people who never initially had that intention. Keeping some boundaries is wise and helps preserve the sanctity of marriage, and also avoids the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).
I will leave you with Matthew Henry's commentary on Hebrews 13:4:
To purity and chastity, Heb_13:4. Here you have, 1. A recommendation of God's ordinance of marriage, that it is honourable in all, and ought to be so esteemed by all, and not denied to those to whom God has not denied it. It is honourable, for God instituted it for man in paradise, knowing it was not good for him to be alone. He married and blessed the first couple, the first parents of mankind, to direct all to look unto God in that great concern, and to marry in the Lord. Christ honoured marriage with his presence and first miracle. It is honourable as a means to prevent impurity and a defiled bed. It is honourable and happy, when persons come together pure and chaste, and preserve the marriage bed undefiled, not only from unlawful but inordinate affections. 2. A dreadful but just censure of impurity and lewdness: Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (1.) God knows who are guilty of such sins, no darkness can hide them from him. (2.) He will call such sins by their proper names, not by the names of love and gallantry, but of whoredom and adultery, whoredom in the single state and adultery in the married state. (3.) He will bring them into judgment, he will judge them, either by their own consciences here, and set their sins in order before them for their deep humiliation (and conscience, when awakened, will be very severe upon such sinners), or he will set them at his tribunal at death, and in the last day; he will convict them, condemn them, and cast them out for ever, if they die under the guilt of this sin.
I also want to encourage you, if you have been involved in some impurity in the past, that the Lord is willing and able to forgive your sins. There is no sin too great for the blood of Jesus to cover. If you are guilty of some sin of impurity,
repent and turn away from your sin. Turn to the Lord for His forgiveness and cleansing. He can give you new life in Christ.
Receive Blessed Homemaking in your inbox. Subscribe here.
