"Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people." – Ephesians 5:1-3 (NIV)

The decision to follow Christ always begins with self-denial, even in the area of romance and love relationships. Many Christians fall prey to the idea of having sex before marriage, "because we're getting married soon anyway." Truthfully, that doesn't happen immediately – it's going to start somewhere.

Hold your horses!

"Whoa!" You might say, after reading that introduction. I deliberately chose to mention premarital sex as a problem among many Christians because these brothers and sisters did not develop the right kind of attitude and set the right level of purity in their relationships. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5 that God has a very high standard for sexual purity:

"...there must not be even a hint..."

God doesn't want any Christian to have even just a little amount of sexual impurity in their heart and mind. One might say "it's just a kiss," but the truth is that it's not "just a kiss." One thing calls for another, and once a young man and woman start kissing before they get married, sooner or later their standards for purity gets blurred along the lines. Soon they end up doing more than they should.

Keep in mind, dear friends: "Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" (Proverbs 6:27 NIV)

Save it for the right time

Dear reader, if you're still single or perhaps engaged to marry in a short while, I urge you to save your first kiss until you marry. Although some might consider it something trivial, the first kiss is something you can't take back once you've given it away. Many couples around the world know this.

Saving your first kiss for your spouse goes beyond cliché. Learning to say "no" and saving it simply shows just how dedicated you are to keeping yourself pure – even physically – until the right time comes. Ecclesiastes 3 says there's a time for everything, and that includes sharing your first kiss with your spouse.

Shower your love on the right one

If you, however, have already made your first kiss before marriage, there's hope and forgiveness in Christ. Come to Him, repent on loving others before Him, and commit to staying pure always. When the time comes, God will give you a partner you can shower your love with.

"I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not stir up or awaken love until it pleases." (Song of Solomon 8:4)