Premarital Sex

Dear Victorious,

I know the Bible says we aren't supposed to have sex outside of marriage. But isn't that an extreme interpretation of the Bible?

Daniel P. - Council Bluffs, NE

Dear Daniel,

No, it's not an "extreme interpretation." Like other things in the Bible that aren't very popular, it is incredibly succinct and clear. Adultery and fornication are both forbidden. So sex outside of a marriage is ungodly. Period.

More than that, spiritual or emotional intimacy are not intended to be shared outside of marriage. Too often in our culture we meet someone, decide we like them and then share our hearts with them. When it doesn't work out, we are incredibly wounded. The thing is, God never intended us to be alone. But He also never intended us to be promiscuous with our sexuality, our emotions, our spirit or any other part of ourselves.

Finally, let me just say that there are consequences when we become intimate inappropriately. It impacts our ability to bond with others in appropriate relationships. Even for people who satisfy themselves sexually with pornography ... such consequences are very real. More than that, we often take our wounded psyche into those relationships --- and innocent people end up getting hurt by our sins of the past.

You would do well to take the Bible more seriously.