Sexuality is a gift from God. It is a good thing when it is enjoyed within the proper boundaries. Properly controlled and expressed within the context of marriage, it’s a beautiful thing.

But outside of marriage, it is destructive and detrimental physically, mentally, socially, spiritually and emotionally.

It is no secret that we live in a world that is obsessed with sex. Sex is used to sell everything from cars to hamburgers. Television and movie screens (and now even phone screens) serve as a window into bedrooms where people entertain themselves by watching one sexually immoral act after another.

We need to be reminded that God has called us to sexual purity, but you don’t stand much of a chance of remaining sexually pure if you don’t set some boundaries and establish some clear guidelines for sexual purity.

If you want to honor God’s standard when it comes to sexual purity, here are some things you can do.

First, make a commitment to live according to God’s standard for moral purity. Regardless of your past sin, past mistakes or past failure, you can make a commitment today to uphold God’s standard of sexual purity from this day forward. That basically means you agree with God about what he says about sex.

Many of us have witnessed the moral decline in America over the course of our lifetime, but we need to know God’s standard has never changed. The Bible says sex is only for married people.

Sex is not before marriage. Sex is not outside of marriage. Sex is to be enjoyed within the confines of a faithful and committed marriage relationship between a husband and his wife.

The Psalmist asked, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” His response was that purity is achieved by living according to God’s Word (see Psalm 119:9).

Are you willing to make a foundational commitment to live according to God’s holy standard when it comes to moral purity? That is where we must start.

The path to purity is not found in culture. It is not found in the standards of society or secular media. It is not found in whatever feels right in the moment.

The way to remain pure is by living according to God’s Word. When you live according to God’s Word, you will know adultery is never an option, under any circumstances. There is no justification for it. There is no excuse, and there are no exceptions.

You may read Steve Greene’s blog at pastorgreene.wordpress.com or you can email him at [email protected].