Purity Vow

Purity Vow

The Young Bride

Read: Song of Songs 8:4

Since the nationwide “True Love Waits” movement began in 1993, more than two million high-school and college students have committed themselves to waiting until they are married to have sex. The teens sign a pledge card that states, “Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, those I date, and my future mate to be sexually pure until the day I enter marriage.”

Today’s Bible verse sounds like the original purity vow. Three times in the book, the young woman urges other women “not to awaken love until the time is right.” As the narrative progresses, the young woman expresses her joy and delight with her beloved. In spite of intense physical attraction, she and her groom have respected the boundaries God set for physical intimacy; now they are free to enjoy this gift fully. The young woman desires this same fulfillment and joy for other women.

With our society’s emphasis on romantic love, it can be tempting for us to rush into a relationship with the wrong person. With our society’s obsession with sex, it can also be tempting to ignore God’s guidelines for the physical aspects of a relationship. God’s Word emphasizes reserving sex for marriage so that we can fully enjoy physical intimacy as he intended.

God’s Word also urges us to keep ourselves spiritually pure by imitating him in every aspect of our lives. Although we will always struggle with temptations while we live on earth, some day we will be freed from all traces of sin. Until then, we’ll find our greatest joy and fulfillment by living according to his guidelines. It’s never too late to commit to sexual or spiritual purity.

All who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

1 John 3:3