Vision For Marriage
By Pastor Joby and Cindy Soriano
Here's a fact:
Each one of us is a masterpiece. Yep, you read right. You are a splendid masterpiece because you were created by the Creator of the heavens and the earth. We should always keep in mind that God loves us with such passion that surpasses any human love. That should already be enough for us, right?
However, we humans have this need to be understood and loved by our fellow humans. Most of the time, the love of our God isn't enough therefore, we seek attention from others. 13-year olds having boyfriends and girlfriends is nothing new for our society today. Teenagers engaging in premarital sex is no big deal for our modern world. We seek affection, especially us adolescents. With all that raging hormones, we just want to be touched and to feel loved!
God says that if you're too young for marriage, then you are also too young for sex.
But of course, we all have that rebel instinct within us.
With the fast accessibility due to the internet, porn has spread far and wide, affecting the innocent eyes of adolescents, therefore leading to lustful thoughts at a very young age. Magazine spreads showing the ins and outs of fashion drive young women to dress indecently in order to be noticed by men. Because of our want to be accepted, we conform to the ways of this world. If the world says: "Have sex now!" it almost usually leaves out the last part: "...and pay the consequences later!"
In the previous blog, we stated that sex is not bad. In fact, it was created by God. He designed it to be enjoyable but only in the context of MARRIAGE. It is an emotional and spiritual matter made for couples who are already committed for life. But the world teaches us otherwise and even convinces us to sleep with the person we are with, ignoring the fact that you're either too young or not married. Sex is more than physical. It's a binding human connection.
When we're not careful with relationships and sex, it's like owning half of a paper heart. When you give yourself to someone, you rip off a piece of that heart and give it to that person. Of course, nowadays, having one relationship is uncommon already. So, it's understood that you've given not only one, but more pieces to others.
Let's say you've met the one and you're already standing in front of the altar to get married. Your future spouse carries his/her half of the heart and you see that its torn, just like yours. When you try to combine your halves, it doesn't exactly form the shape of heart now.
Flimsy relationships damages you and ends up in not being able to give your future spouse what they deserve. When you break up, you tear a bond, which causes pain. Kissing, hugging and all that intimacy can leave memories that stick forever.
Your friends may say 'Well, everybody's doing it!' don't believe it. Everyone does not do it. Too much intimacy eventually leads to one thing from another. At first, you claim that you're just hugging. After that, it's just a kiss on the cheek. Then, it's a kiss on the lips. You go further and further until it's hard to stop. Then...kaboom.
Pursuing purity is difficult but not impossible.
In 1 Corinthians 6:12-18, Paul talks about sexual purity to the people of Corinth. Sexual immorality was the norm for them and Paul knew he had to stop them from doing such.
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.
1 Corinthians 6:12
The people of Corinth always said 'I am allowed to do anything' but Paul reminded them that they must not become a slave to anything. Everything is permissible, yes but not everything is beneficial, says in another version. You can have all the sex that you want but rest assured, you can't escape the consequences that follows.
Paul offers a remedy for sexual immorality and that is found in verse 18:
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
In other words: FLEEE! When temptations arise, run!
When you find yourself alone with the opposite sex, don't dive for it, flee! While you still have the chance, run away from the sweet callings of the devil that will lure you in a trap you can't escape. Save yourself from dishonoring your body, which isn't actually yours, rather God's as stated in verse 19.
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,
Imagine that your friend borrowed your pencil. As a friend, you lend it to him/her. The moment he/she gets your pencil, he/she immediately breaks it in half.
How would you react? Joyful?
Of course you'd get mad.
Why?
Because the pencil was never his/hers. It was yours.
Same applies to our bodies. Our bodies were created by God, therefore, we are His. We don't have the right to disdain the temples he bought at a heavy price: through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Guys and girls, sexual purity should not be an option. It's a heavy requirement we must live by.
God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.
1 Thessalonians 4:3
There's a creature called the ermine that possesses a white fluffy coat. One trademark of these adorable mammals is that they refuse to have their coats stained, therefore, they use every effort to maintain their cleanliness. Hunters of the ermine, in order to catch these animals, would then dump mud on the home of the ermines. Once their dogs chase the poor creatures, the ermine runs towards its home. But when it sees how filthy it is, the ermine would face the dog rather than have its coat be stained.
We should follow the example of the ermines with regards to our purity. We should make every effort to maintain our purity for the sake of our God. We have a choice to make when it comes to this issue: Honor God or enjoy temporal pleasures?
Live with the freedom He has given you. Take care of your bodies for they are His.
Guys, don't look at girls as objects or toys that you can play with then leave afterwards. Young as you are, look at them as sisters that you must protect. They're more than just objects, they are humans with emotions too.
Girls, be firm on what you feed on. Don't base your beauty on what the magazines tell you. Remove the garbage! Be firm on your primary focus and on your decisions. You're more than just a partner in bed. Say no to a guy who wants you for your body!
As early as now, dedicate your future love lives to God and offer it to Him. Follow His path by remaining pure and keeping in mind that marriage is the time when intimacy can be learned. Don't rush into things. Take them step by step. Use your bodies for His greater purpose.
Trust that God will write your love story. After all, He is the author of the greatest tales in the world. Rest assured, He will write a story that will definitely be worth waiting for. Don't miss out on God's best! :)








