True Love Waits: Abstinence Program True Love Waits is a movement that many Christian Teenagers are joining in recent months. The True Love Waits Commitment is that a teenager will remain sexually pure until marriage. Many teenagers are taking this a step further by deciding not to date while in High School, but rather to commit to Christ and winning souls for Him. Make the TLW Pledge "Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future mate, and my future children to a lifetime of purity including sexual abstinence from this day until the day I enter a biblical marriage relationship." The Five Commitments of True Love Waits To God: Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." To Yourself: Matthew 22:39 "And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" To Family: Philippians 4:5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. To Friends: John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." To Future Mate and Children: 2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Advice on Abstinence: What is so great about making a pledge to sexual abstinence? You experience a great freedom when you practice abstinence until marriage. Along with this freedom you will enjoy several benefits! You are 100% guaranteed that you won't get pregnant. or get someone pregnant. It's a sure thing that you will stay STD-free! You will be spared much emotional pain and heartache. God will provide a way out from temptation 100% of the time. You will have every opportunity to fulfill your dreams. If you get married one day, you can present yourself pure to your mate. You will be honoring God with your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. What can you do to keep your commitment? Signing the card is the easy part. The test comes when you face the decision of sexual activity. You can't rely on your True Love Waits card to give you strength to make the right choice. You won't find any power in the ring or the words you repeated during a ceremony. The power to keep the commitment starts with God. He gives us the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus Christ. The Spirit is our power. He gives us self-control. Make it a point to be filled with the Spirit every day so you can stay true to your pledge. What if ...? Some people have a past they wish they could erase. A lot of times, we do things we wish we could take back. You may have been involved in premarital sexual activity and wish you could blot it out of your past and be rid of all the memories. Whatever may have happened or whatever your sin, God offers second chances! His forgiveness is a gift. We don't deserve it, but He offers it to us anyway! That's called grace! See Ephesians 1:7 and Colossians 1:13-14. When you decide you want to stay sexually pure from this day forward, then you can experience a second virginity. This second virginity comes by asking for God's forgiveness through Jesus and by committing to stay sexually abstinent until marriage. Reclaiming your purity can give you a whole new outlook and freedom in your life. See 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Ephesians 4:21-24. The bad part is that sin does have consequences, and you may even be dealing with those now as a result of your sexual sin. The good news is that there are people around you who can walk with you through these tough times. Don't be afraid to talk with a counselor, minister, or parent for help. Leaders and parents, order When True Love Doesn't Wait to use as a tool for helping a teen who has had sex outside of marriage.

Frequently Asked Questions about True Love Waits What does sexual purity mean exactly? Sexual purity includes abstaining from intercourse until marriage, but that is not all it means. Jesus said, "You have heard that it was 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" (Matthew 5:27-28). By Jesus' definition, being sexually pure means not even dwelling on thoughts of sex with someone other than a spouse. Until you are married, sexual purity means saying no to sexual intercourse, oral sex, and even sexual touching. It means saying no to a physical relationship that causes you to be "turned on" sexually. It means not looking at pornography or pictures that feed sexual thoughts. Sexual purity does not end with marriage. Marriage partners are supposed to experience sexual love with each other in a way that is fulfilling to both. However, purity means being completely faithful to your spouse in thought and deed. "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral" (Heb. 13:4). Is sex a bad thing? No. God designed us as sexual beings. He invented sex! He also made a place for it--marriage. In Genesis 2:24 God tells of His plan for marriage, that "a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." The sexual relationship makes the two become one flesh. The Bible speaks of sexual immorality, so there must also be such a thing as sexual morality, right? That morality is based on God's plan for sex. If we're in love, isn't it OK? God created sex for a lifetime commitment between one woman and one man. Sex outside of a committed marriage relationship violates God's standards. When you are wearing a wedding ring, you won't have to hope your partner loves you; you will have heard your spouse pledge to you in front of God, your families, and your friends. Anything less cheapens sex. What if things just happen? Sex is not an accident. Sex is progressive, meaning one act leads to another. Things won't "just happen" if you set boundaries and stick to them. If you make the decision now to abstain from sex and to live a pure life, then you will already know the answer before you encounter any compromising situation. Plus, the Holy Spirit gives us self-control to use when we are tempted.