Dear Young People,

We will be discussing a number of disturbing trends that can be observed in our times. In this issue, we will deal with one of them—Safe sex.

All over the world, ever since AIDS began to spread, governments have encouraged and aggressively campaigned for what is known as ‘safe sex.’ Young people are taught that it is OK to have sex so long as they are careful to use condoms to protect themselves from the AIDS virus. The truth is that using condoms does not guarantee safety.

Governments are not worried about what is right or wrong. They are not even interested in the complete safety of individuals. They are more interested in keeping the number of AIDS cases in the country as small as possible. Sensible parents everywhere have objected to this and have said that children must be taught that safest sex is no sex.

However, what most of these parents believe about the matter is simply ‘No sex till you are an adult.’ What does the Bible say? The Bible says, ‘No sex, even if you are an adult unless it is between a man and a woman who are married.’ Sex outside marriage is an abomination to God.

Sex is a language given for the husband and wife to communicate the love God has given them. It is a language that is to be used only in marriage. No one must attempt to speak it outside marriage. This is what God expects of us.

Did you know that the Bible foretells that in the last days, people will not care about what pleases God anymore.

2 Tim 3:2-5 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

These are the signs of the end of the age. People of the earth will be like this. Let us stand apart from others and shine as lights for the Lord.

You will find out as you grow up and go to college or begin to work, that the more you follow after Jesus, the more you will become different from your friends. You will notice that their interests are on worldly things all the time. Sometimes, they will try to make you do things that are against the principles that you have learnt from the Bible. It takes a lot of courage to say ‘no’ when faced with peer pressure. The Lord will protect you but He wants your cooperation. Are you prepared to take this course?

Only in the assembly will you meet others who take care to obey God. So make it a point to be present everytime the church meets. After being with unbelievers all through the week, it is so refreshing to be in the company of God’s people.

(Nahomi Dhinakar; Published in Youth Column of Dhyanamlar Feb I 2004) Click here for other Youth Column articles