Re: OOPS, sorry BIG typo-O in my comment - left off the "T" Chris is CHRIST - We gave ourselves to CHRIST (not Chris)LOL

I can't believe someone FINALLY tells it just like God's Word says. I have been riduculed, shamed, scoffed, you name it for the past year+. Not ONE single person I know either Christian or non-christian (and we belong to several 12-step groups where we speak to hundreds of people) has ever agreed with our decision to refrain from sex. They are truly puzzled and just don't understands why I (we) remain abstinant in my (our) relationship (we live together). We both decided to "Obey God and leave all the consequences to HIM" and we pray for God's guidance and to remove our sexual desires until we can marry. We lived in sin when we met 7 yrs ago and gave our lives to Chris a little over a year ago. We have NOT suffered any "consequences" since we made that decision. Prior to our sinful life, we had all kinds of consequences. I wrote so many "Spiritual websites asking for a clear answer to what God's Word says, FINALLY someone tells it like I read it-even a child can understand clearly.

I know that this article isn't about judgement & condemnation. Thank you for your compassion and letting this article be helpful for others who may feel the same way I do, but God Bless those who don't.

I enjoyed reading this article, I learned a few things.

blah, blah... blah, blah... same old, same old. Got any new arguments??? Are you single, Mr. Piper? What age did you get married at? 19? Do you honestly have ANY clue what it's like to be middle-aged and never had the pleasure of intercourse with another person? No, you probably don't. Save your legalism and judgement and condemnation and learn to have some compassion for people who struggle with the lonliness and desperation day in and day out of not having the pleasure of knowing what it is like to "know and be fully known" in the flesh... or of those who do engage in such activity because they know no other recourse. We don't need more law - we need more grace and more encouragement... thank you very little.

I think of romance more broadly in terms of passion. If you're single, you could become passionately involved, either with other people or with great interests or great pursuits or things that you really care about so there is passion in this broad sense. I don't think you need to give that up. You could have a broader idea of what counts as romantic. For me, I live in this wonderful town of Summerland. I get up every day-in ten minutes. I can be at the beach looking at the Pacific Ocean. I can hike through these wonderful trails. I have friends that I care about. I have work that I absolutely love. I don't feel that my life is lacking in passion.

lucky

----------------------
"Christian Drug Rehab"
{url=http://www.christian-drug-rehab.org}www.christian-drug-rehab.org{/url} - www.christian-drug-rehab.org
http://www.christian-drug-rehab.org

I think of romance more broadly in terms of passion. If you're single, you could become passionately involved, either with other people or with great interests or great pursuits or things that you really care about so there is passion in this broad sense. I don't think you need to give that up. You could have a broader idea of what counts as romantic. For me, I live in this wonderful town of Summerland. I get up every day-in ten minutes. I can be at the beach looking at the Pacific Ocean. I can hike through these wonderful trails. I have friends that I care about. I have work that I absolutely love. I don't feel that my life is lacking in passion.

lucky

----------------------
"Christian Drug Rehab"
http://www.christian-drug-rehab.org

This was truly an excellent article,this subject need to be taught on in the churches, we have people sitting in church from the pulpit to the pews and ashame to address the issue, some may even think its a sin,and its not as long as you don't engage in it. For everyone that read this article we have no more excuses, he have scriptures to back it up. As far as dating try dating with other couples, prefer other christians, who is STRONGER in that area than you are to help you and becareful what you feed your spirit and watch on television remember your eyes are the windows to your soul. Yes I'm single and divorce its been 6yrs. since I've been intimate with a man, don't think that I don't have desires because I do but I'm careful what I feed my spirit reading watching TV or what movies i choose to go to most of all a lot of Fasting And praying is what keep me with Almighty God himself. :) We should always have someone who we can TRUST and talk to - to help us through these situations

Dear Mr. Piper,
Thank you for your excellent article! I'm a single woman who never married. I came very close to having sex as a Christian many years ago and some of the behaviour I engaged in (for a brief period of time) although not to the point of sex was extremely sinful for a Christian. You are the only person who has ever addressed the sin of masturbation in a very strong way in all 29 years of my Christian life. I struggled with that sin since I was 12 years old. I really believe that the Lord has finally delivered me from it. I'm sad to say that only occured several months to a year ago at the most.

Sincerely,
Esther

This article has come at a time of real struggle for myself and some of my single female friends.We love God very much and want to do his will. Last night a friend and I spent over an hour on the phone discussing this thought: Would God consider sex between 2 Christian adults who care and love each other and are moving toward marriage, A Sin? Our situation is that we are both divorced from 20+ year marriages and have been single for a number of years. We battle sexual temtation every day. My friend has been dating a man for 5 months and they have just recently given in to sexual desire even though they really wanted to do God's will. I understand her predicament. I have been dating a man for 2 weeks that I am very attracted to, and struggling with my sexual feelings.

This article was so excellent. It has restated what I know in my heart and gave the tough advice in straight language that I needed to hear backed up with scripture. Thank you so much for printing it.

Kim

Regardless of Mr. pipers statement "I believe experience confirms that something good and beautiful is lost from our sexual intimacy in marriage if we gave ourselves away outside that union. God can forgive that sin, but the scar he does not remove. The act will never be the same again." I believe that Mr. Piper would agree that we serve a savior who's perfect atoning blood can wash away all sin, heal every scar and make marriages even better than they were before a moral fall. "Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." He is able to remove any scar, and heal every wound and make even more sound and whole all those who come to Him.
Randal

This is a great article. Normally, I would hesitate to read it. Honestly, I avoided reading it in its entirety. I am one of the unfortunates who, through experience, must agree it is ultimately God's will and wish to wait until being married before having sexual intercourse.
It sounds scientific and out - of - date in our society.
God calls all of us to stand up for Him. Do I do this perfectly? Most often, I give in. I have been single for a long time. During this time, I believe I am being changed, for lack of a better term, into a new person who serves God over self.
It is not an easy change. I have learned how self - centered my ideas are. Through learning this, the door has opened for change in my life.
I don't always 'feel' the presence of God. However, I am realizing God is about loving others and carrying the message, and not ME> or my feelings. My relationship with God is independent of my feelings.