Well, what if sexual purity is an act of love for others? What is? Personal sexual purity is an act of love to others. And it's the topic today in a question from Joe, a listener to the podcast, Dear Pastor John, thank you so much for

APJ. Regardless of what's happening in my life or what the topic is, I always leave feeling uplifted.

I'm a young man, 18 years old, and much of my thinking revolves around girls in marriage. I believe

the Lord has called me to hold off on sex and marriage until at least college. But until then,

I am working hard to keep my romantic desires

for the godly young women around me from growing, which can be painful at times. In 1st

Corinthians 7.9, Paul says, but if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry,

for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. I know I can exercise self-control

through the Holy Spirit's power, but the temptation

to desire these relationships, in a romantic way, not just friendship, is still there.

I guess I want your answer to make these feelings go away, which I know it can't.

So my question is this.

What advice can you give to a young man who is tempted to burn with desire,

but who wants to wait? First, a celebration. If Joe means that he is burning with desire for a godly,

lifelong covenant relationship with a woman in marriage that has satisfying sexual relations as part of a

larger vision of life and ministry together, then let him burn. That's a beautiful thing.

In our day, it's an increasingly rare thing. God designed you for a lifelong, promise-keeping,

heterosexual, sexually satisfying, family-raising, God-centered, Christ-exalting, Bible-governed,

complimentary, and hard-working, mission-driven marriage. Just he did. And that's what Joe seems to be

burning for. And if it is, let him burn. May it shine like a bright light among all his

contemporaries. I'm living for that godly relationship someday. And keeping myself pure in a meantime.

Wow. Amen. Celebrate. Now, of course, that would be the end of the

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