What’s so important about remaining a virgin until marriage? - Virginity - TouchPoints

1 Corinthians 7:1-9Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another. So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.

Hebrews 13:4Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

As Paul describes the role of sexuality in marriage, it is clear that the full expression of our physical desires—sexual intercourse—is to be reserved for the commitment of marriage.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-7Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.

The world’s attitude says, “If it feels good, do it.” God calls us to exercise self-control over our passions and our body. The fact that something feels good doesn’t mean that we should do it. Instead, if it honors God, do it. Practically, this avoids the health risks of illicit sex, but from a spiritual point of view, God designed marriage to be a picture of our relationship to him. Just as spiritual adultery is worshiping anything other than God, physical adultery is having sex with anyone who is not a spouse.

Mark 10:6-9“But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

God created sex to form a permanent bond between a man and a woman in marriage. Virginity for those entering marriage helps ensure the integrity of this bond—that it will be strong and permanent.

2 Timothy 2:21If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

1 John 3:3All who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

We are called to purity in every way, including our sexuality. Those pure in all areas of life can be used most effectively by God.