8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.
Later in the chapter, Paul writes:
12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
Some powerful keys to righteous living can be found here. We are encouraged to pursue godliness - this comes through careful study and application of the Scriptures. And, as we do that, we are called to be an example, walking in a manner that pleases God and shows others that we are attempting to do so, including a commitment to purity. Jesus taught about being pure in heart - and that is a worthy goal for each of us, to be pure in thought and deed, in motive and practice.
Ephesians 5 delivers some strong words for those who would stray outside of the boundaries that God has laid down for us:
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
On this Survey Thursday, I want to turn our attention to a study that was released earlier this month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, I do want to give a word of warning that I am about to share some information for mature audiences.
The headlines sound really good for those who advocate for teenagers to abstain from sexual activity outside of marriage, which is the Biblical model - in fact, sex outside of marriage is sin, and that continues to be a Biblical standard that has declined in practice as the result of the so-called "sexual revolution," with all sorts of negative consequences.
But a closer look at the key findings actually tells a mixed story. Here's what we might call the "lead story" here: during the years 2011 through 2013, 44% of female teenagers and 47% of male teenagers aged 15–19 had experienced sexual intercourse; the percentage has declined significantly, by 14% for female and 22% for male teenagers, over the past 25 years. So one can conclude that fewer teens are engaging in this behavior. So far, so good.
But, consider this: during that time period, 79% of female teenagers and 84% of male teenagers used a contraceptive method at first sexual intercourse. That's troubling. According to Valerie Huber of the National Abstinence Education Association, quoted by the WORLD Magazine website,
“We have reduced the message for teens that sex plus contraception is okay.” She adds, “They are only looking at the physical consequences. … It’s better for teens to not have sex.”
Purity is the teaching of Scripture - it's God's model; it is God's best. The Bible warns against fornication for a number of reasons, and it's important to teach our young people obedience to the Scriptures and the availability of God's power to say "no" to temptation. And, it's heartening to see that 4-in-10 parents are teaching their teens not to engage in sex.
There are emotional and physical consequences to violating God's commandments in this way. Giving oneself to another person in a way that does not conform to His standards can cause a host of issues down the road when someone enters into marriage. And, there is the risk of teen pregnancy, as well as sexually transmitted diseases; contraception is insufficient to prevent any of this. Abstinence is the only reliable practice to prevent these physical consequences.
Finally, take heart - teens can do this! The Bible teaches us that God provides a way of escape when we are faced with temptation. Parents can be encouraged to teach truth and help their kids to make solid choices. So often, we hear about teenagers who make bad choices - we can build an atmosphere of accountability in which we encourage good choices.
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Ephesians 5 delivers some strong words for those who would stray outside of the boundaries that God has laid down for us:
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
On this Survey Thursday, I want to turn our attention to a study that was released earlier this month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, I do want to give a word of warning that I am about to share some information for mature audiences.
The headlines sound really good for those who advocate for teenagers to abstain from sexual activity outside of marriage, which is the Biblical model - in fact, sex outside of marriage is sin, and that continues to be a Biblical standard that has declined in practice as the result of the so-called "sexual revolution," with all sorts of negative consequences.
But a closer look at the key findings actually tells a mixed story. Here's what we might call the "lead story" here: during the years 2011 through 2013, 44% of female teenagers and 47% of male teenagers aged 15–19 had experienced sexual intercourse; the percentage has declined significantly, by 14% for female and 22% for male teenagers, over the past 25 years. So one can conclude that fewer teens are engaging in this behavior. So far, so good.
But, consider this: during that time period, 79% of female teenagers and 84% of male teenagers used a contraceptive method at first sexual intercourse. That's troubling. According to Valerie Huber of the National Abstinence Education Association, quoted by the WORLD Magazine website,
“We have reduced the message for teens that sex plus contraception is okay.” She adds, “They are only looking at the physical consequences. … It’s better for teens to not have sex.”
The WORLD article states that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 22 percent of sexually active teenagers used the Plan B morning-after pill at least once. A decade ago, less than one in 12 girls had used emergency contraception.
The popularity of emergency contraceptives is likely due to increased availability. Since 2006, girls 18 and older can buy the morning-after pill without a prescription. Huber says that the increasing use of emergency contraceptives also shows the impact of narrowly focused sex education.
The popularity of emergency contraceptives is likely due to increased availability. Since 2006, girls 18 and older can buy the morning-after pill without a prescription. Huber says that the increasing use of emergency contraceptives also shows the impact of narrowly focused sex education.
But the CDC study does indicates that teens saying that have engaged in sexual intercourse is on the decline. A piece on The Daily Beast website says that:
Teens are putting off sex for several reasons, according to previous survey data. The most popular reason has always been because of religious beliefs or morals, but surveys have shown boys also delay sex out of fear of getting a girl pregnant and not having found the right person. While the data is heartening for teen health advocates, keeping in mind that the No. 1 reason behind the delay is moralistic, it should be noted that these surveys are self-reported via laptop. And although this may be the best method available to researchers currently, it still can only report what teens say about having sex, not what they're actually doing behind closed doors.The Chicago Tribune reports that: "A decent (though disputed) number of teens are also hearing from their parents about sex, according to a survey of 2,000 parents and their teen children conducted in 2011, the beginning of the years mentioned in the CDC report. The Tribune says that:
Forty-two percent of parents said they've talked to their 15- to 18-year-old kids "many times" about abstaining from sex, but just 27 percent of teens said their parents have talked to them "many times." Forty-eight percent of parents reported talking to their teens about when sex should or shouldn't take place; 29 percent of teens agreed with that statement.So, the takeaways for us today:
Purity is the teaching of Scripture - it's God's model; it is God's best. The Bible warns against fornication for a number of reasons, and it's important to teach our young people obedience to the Scriptures and the availability of God's power to say "no" to temptation. And, it's heartening to see that 4-in-10 parents are teaching their teens not to engage in sex.
There are emotional and physical consequences to violating God's commandments in this way. Giving oneself to another person in a way that does not conform to His standards can cause a host of issues down the road when someone enters into marriage. And, there is the risk of teen pregnancy, as well as sexually transmitted diseases; contraception is insufficient to prevent any of this. Abstinence is the only reliable practice to prevent these physical consequences.
Finally, take heart - teens can do this! The Bible teaches us that God provides a way of escape when we are faced with temptation. Parents can be encouraged to teach truth and help their kids to make solid choices. So often, we hear about teenagers who make bad choices - we can build an atmosphere of accountability in which we encourage good choices.
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