New Lyrics to an Old Tune

When I was starting high school (or maybe a year before) I distinctly remember the "True Love Waits" craze. It was a huge national phenomenon, worthy of news footage of acres of pledge cards on popsicle sticks in the ground. I participated, as did many of my peers, receiving a gold band that was to be worn on my ring finger until my wedding day. The church has always been really good at saying "no" and "don't," but in your teens and early twenties, sometimes more of an explanation is needed (not to mention some coaching along the way). In a perfect world, everything goes as planned and good intentions are enough. But, as you may have figured out in your own life, we don't live in a perfect world.



Often, non-Christians get the impression that the Christian church is full of hypocrites. After a bad experience with "church people" it's easy to get turned off. I'm not saying that there aren't a lot of hypocrites. Even Jesus himself said (in the Bible) that not everyone who claims to know Him, will be on the side of the Heavenly gates that they expect to. Theology of salvation is another blog, but the point I want to make (in order to connect my previous train of thought) is that a lot of Christians aren't so much hypocrites, as we are FORGIVEN. We are ALL sinners. Everyone on the planet. No exceptions. Jesus was the only man who ever walked this earth to be perfect. Even people who are "good" and have morals--and, yes, even Christians--are SINNERS. But the difference between the real, wholehearted Christians and all the good (and not-so-good) people, is that if you ask Jesus into you're heart, and believe in all that He is and did, and live your life following His teaching, striving to be more like Him, then you are covered by His GRACE. Christians still sin. But by the grace of God, we are forgiven, because Jesus died in our place and took the punishment. It's hardly something our human brains can grasp, but it's real.
Now, the connection... no matter what junk is in our past, we get a do-over. Like in the video games, when your character is killed, you still have another life to try and do something different and conquer the game. But unlike the games, we always (until death or rapture) have an extra life, in order to try and do it right.

So, no matter where you are or where you've been, hear me from this point on. You get a do-over. [If you're reading this and you're not a Christian and want to be, please email or comment me and I'll contact you and you can ask me anything. If I don't have an answer, I'll find someone wiser than me who does.]

I attended a class this weekend for my marriage & family therapy degree about human sexuality. This was not just a physiology or anatomy lesson. This was about God's design for our sexuality and how it functions in a healthy, Christian context. One of the books required for the class is called Soul Virgins. One of the co-authors is actually one of the teachers whom I had the pleasure of listening to this weekend, Dr. Doug Rosenau. Dr. Doug has researched and read and laid out an amazing theology for God's design for sexuality. Soul Virgins is very plain that true sex is to be saved for a covenant marriage relationship--we're taught that all our lives in church!! BUT, this book goes on to describe WHY it is so important. Not because God will strike us down (though there are consequences) and not because it will keep us out of heaven (though it does grieve God when we distort something so beautiful). There are reasons, bigger and more amazing than we can imagine, for us to maintain not only our physical virginity until marriage, but also for maintaining a much broader sense of purity. It's not just a "because I said so" answer. He gives godly reasons and practical understanding for how to approach relationships and how to deal with our sexuality as single people, without falling into sinful behavior.
There is so much more to it than I can write here and still be comprehensive, but I wanted to scream it from the rooftops and encourage all of my single friends (or married friends who have single friends or single teenagers, etc) to read this book. It's given me a whole new way to look at friendships and relationships--a whole new way of relating to people. Please get it, and read it--I promise it will be worth your time!