* Clear conscience with God-The bible says, “the pure in heart shall see God.”(Matthew 5:  If you are living holy before God then you will not have a need to hide yourself the way Adam and Eve did in the garden after they sinned. They had been walking around with no idea they were naked. But, after they sinned against God, they realized their unclothedness and hid themselves because they were now afraid to face Him.  “… I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” (Genesis 3:10)  Resting in the knowledge that you have been obedient to God in this area of your life will give you a clear conscience with God and peace within your soul.

* No emotional baggage going into marriage-  As we mentioned before, sex is a complex experience that involves your mind, body, and soul.  Because you love from your heart and your heart is intricately involved in the emotion of having sex, every sexual encounter outside of marriage represents a piece of your heart that has been given away.  Every time you get hurt or disappointed or betrayed (as will likely happen outside of marriage) you store more emotional baggage that will be taken into your marriage and ultimately cause conflict.

* No risk of pregnancy-Other than abstinence, there is no 100 percent foolproof method of birth control, even when directions are followed correctly.  Failure rates in preventing pregnancy over twelve months of use are reported as follows:

Implant 2.4%
Pill 9%
Diaphragm & cervical cap 13 %
Male condom 15%
Withdrawal 26%
Spermicides 28%1
If you are not having sex then you have no reason to worry about faulty contraceptives or unwanted pregnancies.

* Respect-I read a report that asked teens what they thought about their peers who were not sexually active. Their responses were that they thought they were, “smart,”  “they respected them,” and thought they were, “strong.”  In high school people knew I was a virgin.  Guys would say things like, “Man, don’t even try anything with Carmen she’s not having that.”  They were not saying this negatively, but out of respect.   They knew they could not treat me any kind of way or do anything they wanted to with me and that was cool.  On the other hand, there were many girls who the boys openly “dogged” in the middle of the school lounge telling everybody what they had done with them and how easy they were.  I would always feel so embarrassed and hurt for the girl they were talking about.  Bad decision making had ruined their reputation and tainted the remainder of their high school years.  Protecting your purity also aids in protecting your reputation.

* No risk of STD’s-Most sexually transmitted diseases come from some type of sexual contact.  If you are not having sex then the chances of you contracting a sexually transmitted disease are significantly lower.

* Longer lasting relationships-Most couples who engage in premarital sex break up.  If you want a long lasting relationship you have to wait until you are married to have sex.  Remember that love can’t wait to give and lust can’t wait to get.  Lust can be described as an obsessive, compulsive, preoccupation with sex.  If your boyfriend is always talking about, thinking about, or trying to have sex with you, chances are your relationship is not going to last long. Waiting until you are married to have sex allows you the chance to develop more in depth relationships that are not merely focused on physical pleasure.  And, you have the added bonus of knowing that you are not being pursued solely for sexual reasons.

* Sense of security-Imagine walking down the aisle on your wedding day.  You look so beautiful dressed in white and your groom (who isn’t who you thought it would be) looks so handsome.  You think to yourself, “Boy am I glad I didn’t have sex with Mike.  I would have missed out on this special night when my husband and I will have sex for the first time in our lives with God’s approval.” Although teenage romances can seem like they will last forever, realize there is a 98 percent chance you will never marry the person you date in high school, so it is better to keep yourself pure for your future husband.  Knowing that your spouse was able to control himself sexually in a sex-crazed world is a good sign that he will be faithful in the marriage.

* No sexual reference points in marriage-  If you and your spouse have never had sex with anyone before you got married, then there will be no comparing and no being compared sexually with someone else in the marriage.  No flashbacks and no points of reference other than what you two discover together.  Major bonus point!  This also will give you more respect for your spouse because you will not feel cheapened by his former experiences and vice versa.