Secondly, although some people may think that even though a couple has not been married, as long as they have a committed relationship, for example cohabitation, they should be allowed to have sex as they are as intimate as married couples, premarital sex is also unacceptable in the Bible. It is because the first time a couple becomes ‘one flesh’ is very special, and this physical union should happen on the day when the two people spiritually unite together by the vows of marriage. Moreover, we can never be sure that the person who we are having a relationship with will be the person we marry eventually. So this may lead to comparison when we marry one person in the end. This can make the marriage less blissful than it should be. Although some people may argue that this can lead to couples rushing for marriage so that they can have sex when they are still young, and these marriages are not likely to be stable, as 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love is patience, love is kind.” The patience and the willingness to wait can be the evidence of the sincerity of our partner’s love. This is also the view of conservative evangelicals and the reason why so many people in the USA join the “Silver Ring” Group.
Thirdly, some people regard sex is an enjoyment or a tool for earning money because we have control of our bodies, so both casual sex and prostitution are also acceptable, but it actually completely violates the Bible’s teaching, as 1 Corinthians 6:16 says, ‘We must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us lonelier than ever—the kind of sex that can never "become one."’ In fact, many people regret after having many experiences of casual sex as they find themselves having lower self-worth and feeling lonelier than before. Teenagers who pursue prostitution as a part-time job often find their material desires fulfilled but their spirits emptier than ever. In fact, having more than one sexual partner is often the cause of catching sexually transmitted diseases, so being physically pure can protect one physically, as 1 Corinthians 6:18 advices, “Run from sexual sin! No other sin as clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.”
In conclusion, I think that sex outside marriage is always unacceptable because it violates the Bible’s teachings and thus God’s will; it can also lead to many unpleasant effects like hurting the spouse’s feelings, having a less blissful marriage, harming ourselves emotionally and physically. We should control our desires and cherish our bodies, as 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 states, “It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honourable.”
