Question: "Why is sexual purity so important?"
Answer: God gave man and woman the joy and pleasure of sexual relations within the bounds of marriage, and the Bible is clear about the importance of maintaining sexual purity within the boundaries of that union between man and wife ( Ephesians 5:31 ). Sexual purity is NOT impossible, if make a determination to be, you shall be. Get the Books at the end of this write up.
There are good reasons for young men and women to remain pure until they get married:
•Sexual purity protects a person from STDs such as HIV AIDS, Staph, etc...
•Sexual purity protects one's hope for eternal life.
Sexual purity increases the moral climate of society and friends.
•Sexual purity for a single is wonderful training for the foundation of a beautiful marriage.
• Sexual purity protects a single from great sexual frustration.
•Sexual activity can hurt your body in major ways!
•Sex messes up your dates.
•Being sexually active leads to a reputation that diminishes your better associations.
•Sex before marriage is not consistent with true love.
•Previous sexual activity will hurt your marriage and children.
•Your body is not yours to do with as you may please.
•Sexual immorality leads to eternal death.
Humans are well aware of the pleasing effect of this gift from God but have expanded it well beyond marriage and into virtually any circumstance. The secular world’s philosophy of “if it feels good, do it” pervades cultures, especially in the West, to the point where sexual purity is seen as archaic and unnecessary.
Yet look at what God says about sexual purity. “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 honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God. . . . For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” ( 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 , 7). This passage outlines God’s reasons for calling for sexual purity in the lives of His children.
First, we are “sanctified,” and for that reason we are to avoid sexual immorality. The Greek word translated “sanctified” means literally “purified, made holy, consecrated [unto God].” As Christians, we are to live a purified life because we have been made holy by the exchange of our sin for the righteousness of Christ on the cross and have been made completely new creations in Christ ( 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 ). Our old natures, with all their impurities, sexual and otherwise, have died, and now the life we live, we live by faith in the One who died for us ( Galatians 2:20 ). To continue in sexual impurity (fornication) is to deny that, and doing so is, in fact, a legitimate reason to question whether we have ever truly been born again. Sanctification, the process by which we become more and more Christlike, is an essential evidence of the reality of our salvation.
We also see in 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 the necessity of controlling our bodies. When we give in to sexual immorality, we give evidence that the Holy Spirit is not filling us because we do not possess one of the fruits of the Spirit—self-control. All believers display the fruit of the Spirit ( Galatians 5:22–23 ) to a greater or lesser degree depending on whether or not we are allowing the Spirit to have control. Uncontrolled “passionate lust” is a work of the flesh ( Galatians 5:19 ), not of the Spirit. So controlling our lusts and living sexually pure lives is essential to anyone who professes to know Christ. In doing so, we honor God with our bodies ( 1 Corinthians 6:18–20 ).
We know God’s rules and discipline reflect His love for us. Following what He says can only help us during our time on earth. By maintaining sexual purity before marriage, we avoid emotional entanglements that may negatively affect future relationships and marriages. Further, by keeping the marriage bed pure ( Hebrews 13:4 ), we can experience unreserved love for our mates, which is surpassed only by God’s enormous love for us.
other Benefits of Sexual Purity as a Young Man/Woman
One: Your relationship with God. Your relationship with God will benefit from you honoring God and obeying Him. It’s clear from God’s Word that you should be sexually pure.
Two: You’ll have a better wife. Choosing to honor God now will filter out potential matches who aren’t so interested in honoring God. If your girlfriend now chooses to be faithful to God alongside you, then it is a good indicator that she is obeying God because she truly loves Him and wants to grow in her relationship with Him. she is not just trying to please you. If she is faithful now, she’ll be faithful twenty years from now.
Three: No guilt and shame. We all struggle with guilt and shame to some degree, but you won’t be struggling with it concerning your sexual purity if you choose to obey God and practice sexual purity. It’s worse to be someone claiming to pursue God who intentionally doesn’t honor God than it is to be someone who doesn’t pursue God at all and is honest about it.
Four: Credibility. You won’t lose it! This includes the credibility you have right now but also the credibility you’ll have in the future in instructing younger people–perhaps even your own children–on this very same topic.
Five: Establish headship in your future marriage.
Christian men are called to be the head of the home. This isn’t about privilege, but about answering to God first for the marriage and family’s health. Start taking headship now by honoring God in your life and relationships. This will have long-term benefits for your life and your eventual marriage.
Recommended Resource: Why True Love Waits by Josh McDowell .
Men - Every Young Man's Battle : Strategies for Victory in the Real World of Sexual Temptation by Stephen Arterburn .
Women - Every Young Woman's Battle: Guarding Your Mind, Heart, and Body in a Sex-Saturated World by Shannon Ethridge

This is the Nairaland's Religious Post of the Year. Admin move this to FP
This has been so helpful, especially as regards dealing with sexual temptations.