There's lots of different facets to this question. Often we think of this "rule" merely as an arbitrary killjoy that's just there to spoil our fun, but there's lots of practical reasons as well.
When God brought Adam and Eve together in marriage, He established the “one flesh” relationship. Genesis 2:24 also tells us that a man will leave his family, join to his wife, and become “one flesh” with her. We also see in the Bible that sexual relations were clearly restricted until marriage under the Mosaic law. Even though a betrothal was considered a binding agreement, sexual relations were still restricted until the actual marriage. The first time a man and woman had sex together was considered the consummation of the marriage. These two acts—marriage and sexual intercourse—were so closely related that they were basically synonymous.
You see this idea in the New Testament as well; we see it in Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:5 and Mark 10:7, for example. In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Paul talks about God’s lordship over our bodies as well as our souls. He says that when a man has sex with a prostitute, they have become “one body” (verse 16). It’s clear that the sexual relationship is special. There is a level of vulnerability one experiences in a sexual relationship that should only occur within a committed, trusting, marital union.
Obviously, sex is a powerful, intimate, and irreversible way of joining a man and a woman. Something like that should, logically even, occur between a committed couple that will stay together. This means a married couple, with a stable life, a place to live, the approval of both families regarding the match, etc. A couple that's ready for the burdens and responsibilities that come with sex, like raising a child in a stable environment. A lot of the time we think about "recreation" in sex, but not procreation. There's not really such a thing as "casual sex." The depth of intimacy here is just too much for it to really be casual. You're literally giving parts of yourself to whoever you're having sex with. If you decide to break up after an experience like that, the pain will be immense.
If you're not ready for marriage, should you have sex out of a sense of impatience? Or a sense of curiosity about what sex feels like? If we tell our prospective mate that they’re worth waiting for, however, it'll strengthen the relationship and increases the level of commitment.
There's also biblical warnings about it: 1 Corinthians 7:2 says, *“But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.”* In this verse, marriage is presented as the “cure” for sexual immorality. Sexual union within marriage, which is commended, is set against immorality, which is to be avoided. Thus, any sex outside of marriage is considered immoral. This would have to include premarital sex.
In this passage (1 Corinthians 7:2) the Paul presents a problem ("the temptation to sexual immorality") and a solution ("each man having his own wife and each women her own husband.") If marriage is the solution, the problem, logically, must be extramarital. Some define the Greek word *porneia* in this section as merely talking about prostitution, not premarital sex. However, to define *porneia* in this verse as prostitution or incest or some other sexual perversion doesn't make sense if premarital sex is not *also* a perversion. If premarital sex is not a sin, why is prostitution a sin? Both involve consenting adults, yes? Sex in marriage is good and right, according to the Bible. Sex outside of and/or before marriage is a sinful perversion, according to the Bible.
See also Hebrews 13:4:*“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”* Here, we have both adultery and fornication contrasted with what happens in the marriage bed. Marriage (and sexual intercourse within marriage) is called honorable, and all other types of sexual activity are condemned as immoral and bring God’s judgment.
Is there any biblical evidence that premarital sex between consenting adults within a committed relationship is allowed for God's people? No.
(Also, if people had less premarital sex, there sure would be a lot less STDs, abortions, unwanted pregnancies, unwed mothers, and children growing up in broken families)
Well explained, it’s something I had been pondering for some time as a believer, I just wish this was the depth that the church sermons could get into. Most of the times it’s pretty surface level and explained like it’s some sort of rule as you mentioned. They’ll say sex before marriage is a sin, mention some scripture then give a simple explanation that doesn’t really encourage us to think deeply on the matter. Appreciate the response.
Yeah, no problem! A lot of Scripture is like that, unfortunately.
In this day and age, people are genuinely confused about this teaching and have genuine questions, so it's good to address them at length. It's not enough to simply say that "this or that is wrong." These things are easier said than done, especially when sex is a thing that pretty much everybody wants to experience. Sometimes we caricature people who commit fornication as immature idiots who only care about a good time. But we should always show empathy and compassion, even while explaining the truth and explaining why something's right or wrong.
it's a very common attitude in the modern world that sex is fine as long as the partners love each other and it's consensual. Of course, this doesn't address the risks and problems, but we should talk about these broadly and with as much depth as we can. People want to know this stuff, and they should.
It also seems like it's easy to preach this when you're a happily married pastor, as most pastors seem to be.
Great question! Allow me to clear this up with Scripture. I’d encourage you to read through the Mosaic law(exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy). If a man and a woman were to have sex outside of marriage, the man had to pay a fee to the father and marry the woman. Meaning he now had to take care of her and protect her and provide her food and shelter and children for the rest of his life. If a woman got married and it was found that she wasn’t a virgin, they would take her to the door of her father’s house and stone her to death. Sex outside of marriage is serious sin.
Deuteronomy 22:20-21
[20] But if the thing is true, that evidence of virginity was not found in the young woman, [21] then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father’s house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
Hebrews 13:4
Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
Bed here is a euphemism for sex. Meaning that any sex outside of marriage is to be abstained, and sex is only to be had inside of marriage. Fornication is sec outside of marriage that is not adultery. The Bible is clear.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Paul says they used to be people who were fornicators, meaning they had sex outside of marriage, but because they were washed, sanctified and justified, they no longer walk in that life.
1 John 3:9-10
[9] No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. [10] By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
"If a woman got married and it was found that she wasn’t a virgin, they would take her to the door of her father’s house and stone her to death." Obviously Jesus died for or sins and nobody is going to stone anybody. Can we please! apply scripture applicable today's daily life please!
I did. Please read the thread carefully. The point of me posting that was to show that sex outside of marriage is sin, not to say we should stone people. When someone is questioning whether or not something is sin, it is very applicable to go to the old testament Law and see what God has ordained and said is sin.
So agree with this. If only the Church could get us focused on thinking, deeply, for ourselves...
iPad world has quietly taught us that it's *good* to have no attention span, and that it's *bad* to think for ourselves, or think deeply about things.
Find a deep-thinking believer, chances are they're a person well worth keeping around.
No problem, glad I could help! It's complicated subject, it's something we should tackle as comprehensively and explain as thoroughly as we can.
I know it's common to bash "the church," and I don't mean to come off that way, but I wish the church could talk about this in more depth than just "save yourself for marriage," or "it's bad," or "control yourself," etc., etc.
This is something a lot of people want to do and experience. It's good to talk about "why" in as much depth as possible.
Do you think it would be fair to say by setting boundaries to prevent sex before marriage would increase both healthy desire and sexual tension for the heterosexual couple? And it would the woman respect and honor the man more by setting those boundaries? I know the answer is obvious but for the people who are here that don’t understand why sex is so awesome when the tension is at its peak.
It likely will, yes. Sexual desire and sexual tension will always be there. Ideally, a woman would appreciate it if a man respected that boundary, yes. Typically men want it more than woman, and practicing self-denial here would be good. Self-denial and considering the other partner is just a normal part of marriage.
That is tough for us men because we sometimes prefer to give into our desires more easily because of the pressure we face in life. I think it depends on how the man was raised in their childhood
True. Most of us have the desire for romance, intimacy, sex, etc. These desires aren't wrong for men to have, but they are restricted to a certain setting for Christians (marriage) If you're not raised as a Christian, sex is merely a simple human function that everyone should get to experience, as long as it's between two consenting adults. If you're raised as a Christian, we have a clearer view of the dangers and responsibilities involved here, even if we still have the same human desire.
I probably won't be, to be honest. But most Christians probably know it's wrong, or else have concocted some justification for sinning. Doesn't make it right.
**Genesis 2:24**:
* "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."
* Establishes what marriage is - two people becoming one. This definition can be referenced for other reasoning.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 is a good verse to look at as well.
Ephesians 5 is the place to go. Here, we see that marriage exists as a picture of Jesus and His church-- THIS is why a man shall leave his father and mother and they will become one flesh. Marriage is about Jesus, and sex is the defining and initiating act of marriage. Anything that breaks the picture is sin because it slanders Jesus. Husbands not loving their wives is sin. Wives not obeying their husbands is sin. Sex that isn't within marriage is a sin. There's more to say, but reading scripture and praying about it is the key.
This is more of a practical issue rather than a scriptural one. There is no *direct* scripture that explicitly states that premarital sex is a sin. However, it is heavily implied in the Bible that it is a sin. Let me try to explain it as best I can.
Jesus Christ always teaches us about love. That's basically the number one message in the Bible. It's all about love, love, love. Now there are many types of love, but the most important type of love that Jesus always emphasized is the unconditional love. As Christians, it is always our number one responsibility to love everyone, especially our spouses.
So think about it this way: If you truly love your spouse, would you want to have sex with someone else? Probably not. If there is even a very very slim possibly that you might hurt your spouse even a little bit, would you take that risk for your own pleasure? If you truly love your spouse unconditionally, you wouldn't risk hurting them just so that you can have some fun.
When you have sex outside of marriage, even if you are single, there is always a chance that it could negatively affect your future spouse. Most normal people would at least feel uncomfortable if they know their spouses have slept with other people. Some people would even be very hurt if they find out about their spouses' sexual history. Also, most people who are promiscuous usually carry "baggages" from past sexual partners, and they'll very likely bring those "baggages" into their future marriage. If you truly love your spouse, you wouldn't want to do anything that could potentially make them uncomfortable; you wouldn't want to take a risk that could weaken the foundation of your relationship. Having sex before marriage is too risky, not only because of the higher risk of acquiring diseases, but also because of the higher risk of potentially hurting your relationship with your future spouse. If you truly love your spouse unconditionally, then you would prioritize your relationship with them above your own sexual pleasure. You would choose to abstain from any sexual act that may potentially complicate your marriage in the future. If you truly love your spouse, you would love them ahead of time, just like how Jesus loved us and died for our sins even before we were born.
In other words, premarital sex is one way to *not* love your future spouse.
[9 Things You Should Know About Cohabitation in America (thegospelcoalition.org)](https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-you-should-know-about-cohabitation-in-america/#:)
[What Does the Bible Say about Sex Outside of Marriage? (ligonier.org)](https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/sex-out-marriage)
[What does the Bible say about unmarried people having sex (i.e. fornication)? (billygraham.org)](https://billygraham.org/answer/what-does-the-bible-say-about-unmarried-people-having-sex-i-e-fornication/)
[What does the Bible say about sex before marriage? | GotQuestions.org](https://www.gotquestions.org/sex-before-marriage.html)
[Why Save Sex for Marriage? | Desiring God](https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/why-save-sex-for-marriage)
[Why is sexual immorality described as sin against your own body (1 Corinthians 6:18)? | GotQuestions.org](https://www.gotquestions.org/sin-against-your-own-body.html)
Funny this was brought up...but a male co-worker who was on the prowl for a girlfriend...at work, met, dated, and married a co-worker. This lady co-worker was a devout Baptist woman, very sweet and kind by the way, he was a guy that probably didn't set foot in church since he was a kid.
They dated for about a year, engaged for a few months, then married. He later took the dip in the Baptismal bath (per the social media pics) and was "born again", I guess the condition to date and marry her was to get baptized.
But I found out through a friend of hers (another co-worker, yean small circle), that she already had sexual relations with him before marriage.
It came up organically, like when they were planning a wedding, a co-worker asked the bride's bridesmaid if she got her lingerie. She laughs and goes, "No, they've already had sex"
So it's like "Well, we are getting married anyways, so what's sex before marriage before the wedding day, right?" Now that they are married, it's water under the bridge at that point.
I have wondered about that, it’s fair argument to make but anything can happen in those critical hours before the official wedding(people can even change their mind at the altar 😂) so I’d guess it’ll be better to wait until things are official. After all you’ve come that far, why ruin it at the one yard line.
There's lots of different facets to this question. Often we think of this "rule" merely as an arbitrary killjoy that's just there to spoil our fun, but there's lots of practical reasons as well. When God brought Adam and Eve together in marriage, He established the “one flesh” relationship. Genesis 2:24 also tells us that a man will leave his family, join to his wife, and become “one flesh” with her. We also see in the Bible that sexual relations were clearly restricted until marriage under the Mosaic law. Even though a betrothal was considered a binding agreement, sexual relations were still restricted until the actual marriage. The first time a man and woman had sex together was considered the consummation of the marriage. These two acts—marriage and sexual intercourse—were so closely related that they were basically synonymous. You see this idea in the New Testament as well; we see it in Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:5 and Mark 10:7, for example. In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Paul talks about God’s lordship over our bodies as well as our souls. He says that when a man has sex with a prostitute, they have become “one body” (verse 16). It’s clear that the sexual relationship is special. There is a level of vulnerability one experiences in a sexual relationship that should only occur within a committed, trusting, marital union. Obviously, sex is a powerful, intimate, and irreversible way of joining a man and a woman. Something like that should, logically even, occur between a committed couple that will stay together. This means a married couple, with a stable life, a place to live, the approval of both families regarding the match, etc. A couple that's ready for the burdens and responsibilities that come with sex, like raising a child in a stable environment. A lot of the time we think about "recreation" in sex, but not procreation. There's not really such a thing as "casual sex." The depth of intimacy here is just too much for it to really be casual. You're literally giving parts of yourself to whoever you're having sex with. If you decide to break up after an experience like that, the pain will be immense. If you're not ready for marriage, should you have sex out of a sense of impatience? Or a sense of curiosity about what sex feels like? If we tell our prospective mate that they’re worth waiting for, however, it'll strengthen the relationship and increases the level of commitment. There's also biblical warnings about it: 1 Corinthians 7:2 says, *“But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.”* In this verse, marriage is presented as the “cure” for sexual immorality. Sexual union within marriage, which is commended, is set against immorality, which is to be avoided. Thus, any sex outside of marriage is considered immoral. This would have to include premarital sex. In this passage (1 Corinthians 7:2) the Paul presents a problem ("the temptation to sexual immorality") and a solution ("each man having his own wife and each women her own husband.") If marriage is the solution, the problem, logically, must be extramarital. Some define the Greek word *porneia* in this section as merely talking about prostitution, not premarital sex. However, to define *porneia* in this verse as prostitution or incest or some other sexual perversion doesn't make sense if premarital sex is not *also* a perversion. If premarital sex is not a sin, why is prostitution a sin? Both involve consenting adults, yes? Sex in marriage is good and right, according to the Bible. Sex outside of and/or before marriage is a sinful perversion, according to the Bible. See also Hebrews 13:4:*“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”* Here, we have both adultery and fornication contrasted with what happens in the marriage bed. Marriage (and sexual intercourse within marriage) is called honorable, and all other types of sexual activity are condemned as immoral and bring God’s judgment. Is there any biblical evidence that premarital sex between consenting adults within a committed relationship is allowed for God's people? No. (Also, if people had less premarital sex, there sure would be a lot less STDs, abortions, unwanted pregnancies, unwed mothers, and children growing up in broken families)
Best answer so far!
Thanks, glad it helps! It's good to address questions like these with depth, it can be more complicated and dynamic than some people think.
Well explained, it’s something I had been pondering for some time as a believer, I just wish this was the depth that the church sermons could get into. Most of the times it’s pretty surface level and explained like it’s some sort of rule as you mentioned. They’ll say sex before marriage is a sin, mention some scripture then give a simple explanation that doesn’t really encourage us to think deeply on the matter. Appreciate the response.
Yeah, no problem! A lot of Scripture is like that, unfortunately. In this day and age, people are genuinely confused about this teaching and have genuine questions, so it's good to address them at length. It's not enough to simply say that "this or that is wrong." These things are easier said than done, especially when sex is a thing that pretty much everybody wants to experience. Sometimes we caricature people who commit fornication as immature idiots who only care about a good time. But we should always show empathy and compassion, even while explaining the truth and explaining why something's right or wrong. it's a very common attitude in the modern world that sex is fine as long as the partners love each other and it's consensual. Of course, this doesn't address the risks and problems, but we should talk about these broadly and with as much depth as we can. People want to know this stuff, and they should. It also seems like it's easy to preach this when you're a happily married pastor, as most pastors seem to be.
Great question! Allow me to clear this up with Scripture. I’d encourage you to read through the Mosaic law(exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy). If a man and a woman were to have sex outside of marriage, the man had to pay a fee to the father and marry the woman. Meaning he now had to take care of her and protect her and provide her food and shelter and children for the rest of his life. If a woman got married and it was found that she wasn’t a virgin, they would take her to the door of her father’s house and stone her to death. Sex outside of marriage is serious sin. Deuteronomy 22:20-21 [20] But if the thing is true, that evidence of virginity was not found in the young woman, [21] then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father’s house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Bed here is a euphemism for sex. Meaning that any sex outside of marriage is to be abstained, and sex is only to be had inside of marriage. Fornication is sec outside of marriage that is not adultery. The Bible is clear. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. Paul says they used to be people who were fornicators, meaning they had sex outside of marriage, but because they were washed, sanctified and justified, they no longer walk in that life. 1 John 3:9-10 [9] No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. [10] By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
"If a woman got married and it was found that she wasn’t a virgin, they would take her to the door of her father’s house and stone her to death." Obviously Jesus died for or sins and nobody is going to stone anybody. Can we please! apply scripture applicable today's daily life please!
I did. Please read the thread carefully. The point of me posting that was to show that sex outside of marriage is sin, not to say we should stone people. When someone is questioning whether or not something is sin, it is very applicable to go to the old testament Law and see what God has ordained and said is sin.
So agree with this. If only the Church could get us focused on thinking, deeply, for ourselves... iPad world has quietly taught us that it's *good* to have no attention span, and that it's *bad* to think for ourselves, or think deeply about things. Find a deep-thinking believer, chances are they're a person well worth keeping around.
This is a great response! Thanks for posting this!
No problem, glad I could help! It's complicated subject, it's something we should tackle as comprehensively and explain as thoroughly as we can. I know it's common to bash "the church," and I don't mean to come off that way, but I wish the church could talk about this in more depth than just "save yourself for marriage," or "it's bad," or "control yourself," etc., etc. This is something a lot of people want to do and experience. It's good to talk about "why" in as much depth as possible.
[удалено]
No problem!
Really well put
Thanks, glad this could help!
That's a really good answer 👏
Thanks, glad I can help!
Do you think it would be fair to say by setting boundaries to prevent sex before marriage would increase both healthy desire and sexual tension for the heterosexual couple? And it would the woman respect and honor the man more by setting those boundaries? I know the answer is obvious but for the people who are here that don’t understand why sex is so awesome when the tension is at its peak.
It likely will, yes. Sexual desire and sexual tension will always be there. Ideally, a woman would appreciate it if a man respected that boundary, yes. Typically men want it more than woman, and practicing self-denial here would be good. Self-denial and considering the other partner is just a normal part of marriage.
That is tough for us men because we sometimes prefer to give into our desires more easily because of the pressure we face in life. I think it depends on how the man was raised in their childhood
True. Most of us have the desire for romance, intimacy, sex, etc. These desires aren't wrong for men to have, but they are restricted to a certain setting for Christians (marriage) If you're not raised as a Christian, sex is merely a simple human function that everyone should get to experience, as long as it's between two consenting adults. If you're raised as a Christian, we have a clearer view of the dangers and responsibilities involved here, even if we still have the same human desire.
You’ll be surprised on how many Christians have sex before marriage.
I probably won't be, to be honest. But most Christians probably know it's wrong, or else have concocted some justification for sinning. Doesn't make it right.
**Genesis 2:24**: * "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." * Establishes what marriage is - two people becoming one. This definition can be referenced for other reasoning. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 is a good verse to look at as well.
Thanks
Don’t awaken the beast until you are ready to deal with consequences. Read Songs of Solomon
[What does the Bible say about sex before marriage? | GotQuestions.org](https://www.gotquestions.org/sex-before-marriage.html)
Thanks
Ephesians 5 is the place to go. Here, we see that marriage exists as a picture of Jesus and His church-- THIS is why a man shall leave his father and mother and they will become one flesh. Marriage is about Jesus, and sex is the defining and initiating act of marriage. Anything that breaks the picture is sin because it slanders Jesus. Husbands not loving their wives is sin. Wives not obeying their husbands is sin. Sex that isn't within marriage is a sin. There's more to say, but reading scripture and praying about it is the key.
Your video has incomplete information. Look up fornication.
Is there a question?
This is more of a practical issue rather than a scriptural one. There is no *direct* scripture that explicitly states that premarital sex is a sin. However, it is heavily implied in the Bible that it is a sin. Let me try to explain it as best I can. Jesus Christ always teaches us about love. That's basically the number one message in the Bible. It's all about love, love, love. Now there are many types of love, but the most important type of love that Jesus always emphasized is the unconditional love. As Christians, it is always our number one responsibility to love everyone, especially our spouses. So think about it this way: If you truly love your spouse, would you want to have sex with someone else? Probably not. If there is even a very very slim possibly that you might hurt your spouse even a little bit, would you take that risk for your own pleasure? If you truly love your spouse unconditionally, you wouldn't risk hurting them just so that you can have some fun. When you have sex outside of marriage, even if you are single, there is always a chance that it could negatively affect your future spouse. Most normal people would at least feel uncomfortable if they know their spouses have slept with other people. Some people would even be very hurt if they find out about their spouses' sexual history. Also, most people who are promiscuous usually carry "baggages" from past sexual partners, and they'll very likely bring those "baggages" into their future marriage. If you truly love your spouse, you wouldn't want to do anything that could potentially make them uncomfortable; you wouldn't want to take a risk that could weaken the foundation of your relationship. Having sex before marriage is too risky, not only because of the higher risk of acquiring diseases, but also because of the higher risk of potentially hurting your relationship with your future spouse. If you truly love your spouse unconditionally, then you would prioritize your relationship with them above your own sexual pleasure. You would choose to abstain from any sexual act that may potentially complicate your marriage in the future. If you truly love your spouse, you would love them ahead of time, just like how Jesus loved us and died for our sins even before we were born. In other words, premarital sex is one way to *not* love your future spouse.
Great explanation, looking at the bigger picture and considering how it affects your spouse is strong motivator to stay pure.
[9 Things You Should Know About Cohabitation in America (thegospelcoalition.org)](https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-you-should-know-about-cohabitation-in-america/#:) [What Does the Bible Say about Sex Outside of Marriage? (ligonier.org)](https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/sex-out-marriage) [What does the Bible say about unmarried people having sex (i.e. fornication)? (billygraham.org)](https://billygraham.org/answer/what-does-the-bible-say-about-unmarried-people-having-sex-i-e-fornication/) [What does the Bible say about sex before marriage? | GotQuestions.org](https://www.gotquestions.org/sex-before-marriage.html) [Why Save Sex for Marriage? | Desiring God](https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/why-save-sex-for-marriage) [Why is sexual immorality described as sin against your own body (1 Corinthians 6:18)? | GotQuestions.org](https://www.gotquestions.org/sin-against-your-own-body.html)
Funny this was brought up...but a male co-worker who was on the prowl for a girlfriend...at work, met, dated, and married a co-worker. This lady co-worker was a devout Baptist woman, very sweet and kind by the way, he was a guy that probably didn't set foot in church since he was a kid. They dated for about a year, engaged for a few months, then married. He later took the dip in the Baptismal bath (per the social media pics) and was "born again", I guess the condition to date and marry her was to get baptized. But I found out through a friend of hers (another co-worker, yean small circle), that she already had sexual relations with him before marriage. It came up organically, like when they were planning a wedding, a co-worker asked the bride's bridesmaid if she got her lingerie. She laughs and goes, "No, they've already had sex" So it's like "Well, we are getting married anyways, so what's sex before marriage before the wedding day, right?" Now that they are married, it's water under the bridge at that point.
I have wondered about that, it’s fair argument to make but anything can happen in those critical hours before the official wedding(people can even change their mind at the altar 😂) so I’d guess it’ll be better to wait until things are official. After all you’ve come that far, why ruin it at the one yard line.