The Choice
by Katherine Camp Vol. VII, No. 10, December, 1994
The most encouraging movement in our society today is the rise of Southern Baptist young people against the evils of sexual mania and condom delirium.
These youngsters have committed their allegiance to God in a personal promise that is catching on worldwide. They've signed the Chastity Pledge! Developed by the Southern Baptist Convention's Sunday School Board as a sex-education program, it has proven to be a successful battle strategy against the forces of evil. And its time has come. The pledge says:
"Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, those I date, my future mate, and my future children to be sexually pure until the day I enter a covenant marriage relationship."
Literally thousands of Southern Baptist youngsters across the country have eagerly signed up. Their number is increasing rapidly. Many other denominations have joined the move as well.
The pledge's impact cannot be ignored even by the liberal media. In fact, some of America's leading newspapers have acknowledged the pledge's popularity. Talk show hosts have recognized its wide acceptance as well. The pledge is also catching on internationally. A recent news brief by Baptist Press shows that in the Baptist High School in Nyeri, Kenya, 130 students also elected the pledge.
The pledge, entitled "True Love Waits," draws its identity from the phrase in its opening line. And teens have embraced the pledge with a fierce commitment. Their eager acceptance of True Love Waits, to their credit, makes its own statement. It says that they were waiting in the wings for the church to rescue them. They were looking for a life line to pull them from the clutches of confusion produced by the big lie. The big lie said, and continues to say, that "all young people engage in the sex act and condoms provide safe sex." But these young people recognized that something was very wrong with the concept. Their suffering was all too evident. Tragically, few young people these days escape the sight of a friend or acquaintance suffering the consequences of the world's sex trap – disease, pregnancy, abortion.
According to growing statistics, scores of victims are still being claimed daily by the world's sex system. Those who succumb to its temptation suffer great loss. They give up virginity, an important part of their life that can never be reclaimed. Moreover, they are taking a deadly chance by trusting the lie that condom use equates to safe sex. Many scientific studies prove that condoms fail much of the time whether used for prevention of pregnancy or for so-called safe sex. Consequently, condom use cannot guarantee protection from pregnancy or disease.
How did young people become so vulnerable, so apt to fall for the sex trap? Some primary influences that promoted the snare are easily seen. In recent decades television programs and movies promoted the sex message. The focus began subtly. But soon brazen trash peddlers beamed graphic and explicit sexual activity into young minds daily. Peer pressure, and media hype escalated. All urged unrestrained sex.
And what was the result of this collective emphasis? Tragically, and on an unprecedented scale, thousands of young people were pushed into sexual activity far beyond their ability to cope with or to understand. And the tragic experience robbed them of innocence.
Then the consequences of this despotic assault upon the young began. Pain set in. Pain brought on as youngsters and their friends experienced the onslaught of disease, pregnancy and abortion. Ironically, some of these young people were affiliated with the church across denominations. The tragedy bears some constructive observation.
Admittedly, many in the church, parents, leaders, and laypersons alike, were caught unawares as the world's sex message focused on our children; we did not grasp the urgency of the hour. In retrospect, we were long overdue in spelling out candidly and practically for our young people what God's word says about sex. It is clearly evident that "lessons learned" is a term of vital significance for the church in this matter. Because of the blatant exploits by the world system, we must be more forthright in addressing this matter with our children early on. We must never again delay their biblical education concerning sex. Thankfully, we now have an educational tool that leaves no room for delay.
Southern Baptist leaders, awakened to the great need and challenge of sex education for young people, stepped into the batter's box, hit a home run, and "True Love Waits" was born. The short pledge states the scope of God's plan for sex. Marriage is the only place for an intimate sexual relationship.
God has much to say in His word about sexual relationships. His instruction leaves no doubt about its proper place. In First Corinthians 6: 18-20, Paul writes, "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." It cannot be stated more clearly. A Christian is to run from sexual immorality. Our body is not to be defiled by sex sin. God dwells in us. And a sex sin is a sin against our own body which belongs to God. He bought us with the price of His Son, Jesus Christ. This Scripture states an absolute principle concerning sexual purity that our children desperately need to know and practice. "Run from sexual immorality and honor God with your body."
Our Lord Jesus had strong words about sexual behavior. He said in Matthew 5: 27-28, "You have heard it said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." This is another strict principle on sexuality: one man, one woman, in marriage. It is God's plan for sex in the human race – a plan that we must teach our children, at appropriate ages, if they are to grow up understanding the real meaning of sex and its place in life. They need to understand that God's plan creates true love. And true love is a covenant. And a covenant is a promise that embraces commitment and responsibility. When such a covenant is honored, it produces happiness, and establishes secure, contented families.
There is another Scripture we must not leave out. It's an instruction directed to parents and teachers. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6. This means the way God wants the child to go, and that always includes obedience to his Maker in all areas of life. Thus, sex education for our children, based upon God's word, is an imperative duty. God's plan for sex, accepted and faithfully followed by the young will pay them great dividends. It will set their moral compass early. And it will keep them on God's appointed course for life.
The young people, who have signed the pledge, have earnestly latched on to these commands for holy living. Their decision is firm, and they are equipped to help others see the value of True Love Waits.
Now these young folk can tell those not yet Christians and caught in the throes of sex sin that God's forgiveness is available. They can assure their lost friends that once they accept God's forgiveness and commit their lives to Jesus as Savior and Lord, they too can pledge their allegiance to God; they too can live in purity and experience God's power to help them stand by their pledge. Lastly, they are equipped to share 1 John 2:1-2 with those already Christians who may have been caught in the web of sex sin. Forgiveness is available! They can begin again!
Signing the Chastity Pledge to express their stand for righteousness has given teens great confidence. They now enthusiastically welcome the opportunity to publicly announce their decision. It is a loud and clear message to the condom peddlers who have portrayed teenagers as animals out of control. The youngsters' emphatic message is, "We have a choice, and we've chosen abstinence!
Strengthened by their own pledge and supported by the church, young people know that they are on God's track. And they will not be diverted from their pledge by the world's voice that's already chanting "they don't mean it." Pledgers realize that the world's chorus knows nothing of God's power in the life of a believer. Therefore, in the spirit of outreach, these young Christians pray for their accusers and invite them to Jesus where blessing is assured! God, through His servant Moses, gave us a choice and promised a blessing for obedience: "Behold I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day; And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God... 11 (Deut 11:26-28a). Herein is choice, a great principle of Scripture. And we salute our young people who made the right choice when they signed the Chastity Pledge, "I make a commitment to God"... to walk in obedience to Him and enjoy His blessing.
Clearly, the robot-like idea that youngsters are definitely going to engage in sexual acts is an evil concept our teens are not buying. And they are not buying the safe sex lie, promoted by the condom peddlers.
What young people are buying is God's will, His plan for sex - abstinence till marriage! It's their choice.