Why is virginity so important in the Bible?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

A virgin is someone who has never engaged in sexual relations; virginity is an important concept in the Bible. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is often referred to as the Virgin Mary because she became pregnant with Jesus as a miracle from God without having had sex (Luke 1:27, 1:31). Scripture indicates that sex outside of marriage is immoral (Deuteronomy 22:13-21; 1 Corinthians 7:2), so Christians must remain virgins until they marry. What believers do with their bodies matters because a Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (Corinthians 6:18-20), losing virginity before marriage dishonors God. Since marriage symbolizes Christ’s relationship with the Church, virginity represents a commitment to God (Ephesians 5:31-32). God desires purity in body, mind, and heart.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• A woman’s virginity was so important that it was part of Old Testament law (Deuteronomy 22:13-21). God’s moral standards do not change.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Bible defines sex outside of marriage as a sin because it is a form of sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 7:2). Believers are called to remain virgins until after they’re married.
• Virginity is an act of obedience to God. First Corinthians 6:18-20 says, "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." Sex outside of marriage does not glorify God.
• Virginity is also a physical sign of being made into a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). When we accept Christ as our Savior, He forgives us for our sins and begins to make us more like Him (Ephesians 4:24; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7). As new creations, we begin to exhibit Christ-like characteristics such as self-control. By abstaining from sex outside of marriage, we exercise control over our physical cravings and emotional impulses. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23).
• The apostle Paul describes marriage as representing Christ's relationship to the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32). In this relationship, both Christ and the Church are monogamous, and virginity symbolizes a commitment to God. As believers we are to have only one God and not put anything before Him (Exodus 20:3; John 15:1–17; 1 John 5:1–4, 21).
• The unmarried who are no longer virgins still have the opportunity to obey God by choosing abstinence. Christ cleanses us from our sin and renews us in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17–21; 1 John 1:9). While we may not be virgins physically, the posture of our heart can be pure when we commit ourselves to God alone.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

If you still have a landline, watch DVDs, and own a checkbook, you might be called “old fashioned”---and it likely won’t be a compliment. Modern society often looks down on those whose lives don’t align with the times. This includes sexual ethics. Believers’ views of sex are out of sync with today’s culture. To modern society, virginity until marriage seems as outdated as reading print newspapers. But God does not change (Hebrews 13:8), and the moral truths outlined in the Bible are timeless–including about virginity until marriage.

Young people, especially, are pressured to ignore biblical sexual ethics and replace them with what the culture deems right. That’s why it’s so important for the church to explain to younger believers (and remind all believers) why sexual purity matters to God and how their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. The church can offer clarity, such as explaining that “virginity” applies to all sexual activity before marriage, not just “going all the way.” Equipping congregants in this way prepares them to resist temptation and helps them understand they serve a God who desires purity in body, mind, and heart.

UNDERSTAND

• Virginity before marriage is commanded in Scripture as part of God’s design.
• Virginity honors God because our bodies are His temple, and purity shows obedience and self-control.
• Virginity before marriage symbolizes faithfulness to Christ, reflecting the covenant between Him and the Church.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit influence the way you view sexual purity?
• How do you feel pressured by culture to compromise on God’s standard of virginity before marriage?
• How can you strengthen your self-control and dependence on God in areas of temptation?

ENGAGE

• How does the Bible’s teaching on virginity and purity challenge modern cultural views on sexuality?
• What does the connection between marriage and Christ’s covenant with the Church teach us about God’s design for relationships?
• How can the church better support believers in living out God’s call to sexual purity?