Question: What does the Bible say about “LOVE” among youngsters, which is spreading as a plague?
Answer: Well, thanks for the question, and this is a very relevant one because of what we see happening today. First let me say, that I believe you are not really talking about “love,” but “premarital sex.” I would agree with you, it is spreading like a plague, in that about one in every four teenagers is involved in premarital sex. Let me add right away though, lest some young people out there think that they are the only one left as a virgin, let me assure you there are many born again Christians that are not having sex.
Just today I was at a church where they were confirming eight young people that have dedicated their lives to the Lord, and I’m sure they are not having premarital sex. One of those was my granddaughter who loves the Lord dearly. One time the prophet Elijah thought that he was the only one left that had not bowed the knee to Baal (a false god of immorality). God told him, “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19: 18)
It is interesting that you used the term, “plague,” because that is what is happening literally. These diseases related to premarital sex are so prevalent in our societies that we even have advertisements on TV for medicine for Genital Herpes, etc. There are at least 25 “Sexually Transmitted Diseases” (STDs), plus HIV and AIDS. Each year, between 13 and 15 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are diagnosed in the United States alone. About a quarter of these cases are in teens ages 15 to 19 – that means one out of every eight adolescents contracts an STD each year.
Probably the word we should have used instead of “LOVE” is “LUST.” Not only do we have unbridled immorality today among young people, but an ever increasing number of them are into homosexuality.
To answer your question about, “What does the Bible have to say about this?” In a word, “LOTS!” “Flee (run from) sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body (STDs). Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6: 18-20)
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4: 7) “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10: 13)
The world’s way to solve this problem is to have what they call “safe sex.” This is a misnomer. The only “safe sex” outside of marriage is “abstinence” (no premarital sex).
Joseph in the Bible is a good example of how to run away from sex outside of marriage, you can find the story in Genesis 39: 6-19. There it says, “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused.(10) So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.” This was a huge temptation for a young person, but with God’s help, he was victorious. You too can be victorious with God’s help!
There are many, many Scripture verses about “fornication or immorality” which one meaning of the word is sex outside of marriage. Here are some examples: “.Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” 1 Corinthians 6: 13b “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are : adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,.” (Galatians 5: 19) “Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.” (1 Corinthians 7: 2)
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, or homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
God will forgive and save us from these sins. We have to repent of these things and ask Christ to save us, if we are to go to heaven. (I have several other articles on such things as Pornography, Homosexuality, and Lesbians you can read on the website. Also there is an article on Heaven, How to Get There.)
You see, God alone can help us in these matters, “safe sex” as the world calls it, will only get you into more trouble. The world forgets that one day they will have to answer to God, so the right path is keep yourself for the one God intended for you, and you will be eternally grateful!
God bless you, and thanks for the question,
Gary T. Panell
For more information email me at [email protected]
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