God's laws concerning premarital sex have always been cut and dry. According to Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, God's standards never change and Christians should not be misled into thinking that today's culture has made it acceptable for people to engage in sex and live together prior to marriage.
"Premarital sex is unacceptable. It always has been. It always will be. Living together without getting married is unacceptable to God. It always has been. It always will be," he writes in an article for Charisma News.
However, Warren says even though some people have slipped morally and engaged in these things, there is still hope for them to come clean and start over.
The first step, says Warren, is to repent. When people repent, they change their minds. They acknowledge that God is right and what they did was a sin.
"You don't rationalise your sin or excuse it. The most important part is, you do this now. If you're currently in the middle of an affair, end it today," says Warren.
The next step is to receive forgiveness. Warren says God is simply waiting for His people to come clean so He can forgive, cleanse, and restore them. "He'll release you from the shame, regrets, the hidden hurts and the pain that come from your sin so you don't carry them into your next relationship. God wants to wipe the slate clean. The good news is, once He's forgiven you, you can forgive yourself," he assures.
The third thing to do would be to refocus and replace. This is the time when people make a commitment to live morally pure by God's standards, and sex should come only after marriage.
Lastly, people should seek God's guidance on a daily basis. "Commit your life to Christ (if you haven't already). Ask him to help you manage your sex drive," he says. "Your sex drive can destroy you if you let it. Don't let it. You have a choice."
