KEEP YOURSELF PURE

Holiness is God's nature. It is the very essence of His being. His holiness sets Him apart from all His creatures, and He calls everyone that professes to be His child to this life of holiness. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” God demands holiness in every aspect of life, including marriage. This is the prerequisite for enjoying His blessings here on earth and later, in eternity. Before or while married, He expects us to preserve the sanctity of marriage and keep ourselves pure. “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge,” the Holy Scriptures warn (Hebrews 13:4). Ignoring this warning will attract unpleasant consequences.
  As a single woman preparing for marriage, it is crucial that you abstain from sexual immorality so you can enjoy God's blessings in your marriage. Don't give your heart away to a man you haven’t married.
  In your dealings with your intended spouse, don’t spend too much time alone with him or visit him at ungodly hours. Do not meet behind closed doors or stay the night in his apartment. Do not rationalize that it is alright to be in his company anytime as long as you do not engage in inappropriate sexual behaviour. Guard and watch your heart, emotions and actions. Don’t be carried away by his gifts, his profession of undying love for you or whatever you think you feel for him. Let God’s command to “abstain from all appearances of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22) be your watchword. And remember - sexual immorality goes beyond the physical act (Matthew 5:28). Steer clear of all illicit relaƟonships, especially subscribing to all forms of dating websites. Keep yourself pure by taking heed to scriptural warning about impurity and infidelity in marriage.

Marriage is a sacred union, and you must endeavor to keep it that way. Study and meditate on God’s word daily. It will constantly renew your mind and keep your feet from the path of sin (Psalm 119:11). The Psalmist asks in Psalm 119:9, “Wherewithal shall a young man [or woman] cleanse his [or her] way?” and gave the appropriate answer in the same breath: “by taking heed thereto thereto according to thy word. More so, pray that God will give you the husband He has in mind for you. God is the matchmaker and will give you the husband that suits you. Do not run ahead of Him or choose by yourself. If you run ahead of Him or pressurize him to let you marry the man you prefer, He’ll let you have your way, but that would not augur well for you. Moreover, do not put off praying and preparing for marriage. Once you attain adulthood-18 years and above - start praying for God’s guidance in marriage, and let your preparation be in earnest. A man of God once said, “When you wait until you are famished before you ask for food, you’ll end up eating improperly cooked food because you won’t have the patience to allow it to be cooked evenly, and that is injurious to your health." If you wait too long, for whatever reason, to start praying and preparing for marriage, you may stumble in the area of purity
  Finally, note that purity of life begins at the point of salvation. Maintaining a pure life is not possible without being a born-again Christian. So if you have doubts about your salvation or are definitely not born-again, stop reading this magazine for a moment, kneel before God, confess your sins to Him, repent of them, accept Jesus as your Saviour and Lord and then begin to live the Christian life in accordance with the Bible.

https://apologia-truth.blogspot.com/2018/09/holiness-is-gods-nature.html