Why Christian Young People Are Taking a Stand for Purity This Valentine’s Day

In today’s culture, where young people are bombarded with messages that encourage promiscuity, Liberty Counsel is encouraging students to take a public stand for purity on Valentine’s Day. The 17th annual Day of Purity is a campaign that encourages students to wear white on Feb. 14 to publicly promote abstinence and inspire other young people to save sexual intimacy for marriage.

The Day of Purity is based on 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV): “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Participants are also encouraged to wear a special LIVEPURE wristband on that day and throughout the year.

While Hollywood and the media may encourage sexual activity without limits, practicing purity before marriage has spiritual, physical, emotional and social benefits.

Regarding the spiritual benefits of purity, the Bible is clear that to have a pure conscience before God, people must “Run from sexual sin!” because “no other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does” (1 Cor. 6:18a, NLT).

Regarding the physical benefits, the benefits of abstinence before marriage include preventing diseases, pregnancies and even abortions. On average, young people in the United States have sexual intercourse for the first time at about age 17, but do not marry until their mid-20s. During the interim period of nearly a decade or longer, they are at a heightened risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies. Every year, there are about 20 million new STIs in the United States. Young people between the ages of 15 to 24, account for 50% of those. According to the Guttmacher Institute, approximately 448,000 U.S. women aged 15–19 became pregnant in 2013. Seventy-two percent of adolescent pregnancies occurred among 18–19-year-olds, and four pregnancies occurred per 1,000 females aged 14 or younger. That same year, approximately 11% of all abortions were obtained by women 19 years and under.

Regarding the emotional and social benefits of purity, research has shown that couples who delay sexual intimacy until their wedding night have more stable and happier marriages and are less likely to divorce than couples who have premarital sex. Such benefits include: Relationship stability is 22% higher; relationship satisfaction is 20% higher; sexual quality of the relationship is 15% better and communication is 12% better for those who wait for sexual intimacy in marriage. In fact, when love and commitment are expressed after a couple becomes sexually involved, “the experience is perceived as a negative turning point, evoking regret, uncertainty, discomfort and prompting apologies.”

Liberty Counsel’s director of communications and international director for the Day of Purity, Holly Meade, said, “The Day of Purity is an opportunity for young people to take a stand for purity and publicly communicate they will not be influenced by Hollywood’s images. In today’s culture, students are bombarded with messages luring them to become sexually active at a young age and to experiment with their sexual preferences. However, research confirms that practicing purity before marriage has spiritual, physical, emotional and social benefits,” said Meade.

“However, participating in previous sexual intimacy does not exempt a young person from this special campaign. Jesus Christ always offers forgiveness and provides a clean start. So we are encouraging students to wear white on Feb.v14 and promote the fact that abstinence before marriage is not only wise, but it’s the right thing to do!” said Meade.

Learn more at dayofpurity.org and on Facebook. {eoa}

This article originally appeared at Liberty Counsel.