No graphics. No fancy fonts. Just words.
Tonight my youngest daughter is going to her “homeschool” prom. Yes, home-educated kids DO have lives and opportunities for socialization. The dress she chose is a beautiful, long, white gown worthy of a princess – of which she is.
This morning I mentioned to my wife how that after all she’s been put through…all she’s had to endure…white was an appropriate choice. My wife replied, “Because Jesus makes us clean.”
Then, like a flood, all of the vitriolic comments from writers, bloggers, columnists, celebrities, and even so-called Christian youth ministers came washing over my mind. Look them up, if you like, but I’m not going to give them the courtesy of a link on my blog.
Oh, but what the heck. Here’s just two names: Selena Gomez (done with the purity ring); Rachel Held Evans (“Christians idolize virginity”). You have to go look ’em up yourself.
They condemn parents and preachers like me within the fast-dwindling conservative subculture called “right-wing” Christianity, for seemingly elevating “purity” and “virginity” to an iconic, or even sacramental level. They lash out at us for celebrating sexual abstinence and purity before marriage. They say we put too many pressures on young girls and then devalue them once they make a mistake.
News Flash: It doesn’t matter what my daughters do… You mess with them and you’ll find out how valuable they are to me. Don’t count on grace. That is NOT hyperbole.
Here’s the thing, though. Do you want to know why so many social liberals – the same kind who now want my little girl to share a shower stall with a man, should he decide that day he’s a woman – want to denigrate, degrade, and devalue purity, chastity, and virtue? It’s pretty hellaciously simple.
The desires of the flesh, pure and damned (literal context) simple.
You see, it’s not about standards being too high. It’s not about restricting a person’s rights to have fun. No, it’s all about hating God’s plan for waiting till marriage and wanting everything now … with no regrets, no condemnation, and no consequences.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read and listened to the complaints from women who say we put too much of a premium on virtue, on sexual purity. I’ve heard so many, frankly, that the fleshly, sinful part of my nature begs me to let it punch one of them! Yet, what are they really saying when they cry for loosening the reigns, relaxing the standards, providing the condoms and clean sheets, and accepting the casual oat-sowing that dating has become?
This is what they are actually saying, and a lot more…
- I know better than God.
- My sexual passions are more important than my spiritual fulfilment.
- Who cares about marriage? That’s later; this is now.
- My spouse? Who gives a flip what baggage he/she will have to deal with 20 years from now? Take it or leave it.
- I have no concept of, nor do I care to understand the “greater mystery” of marriage.
- I will never have to answer to God for what I do. And if I do, He will understand, so I’m not going to worry.
- Parents, why don’t you leave your children alone?
For those of you out there who might like to leave a nasty comment, well, that’s up to you. However, I, for one, refuse to condone your Corinthian perversion of what God designed. I refuse to lower my standards.
My desire is for every little girl and boy to grow up and experience God’s perfect design for marriage. Unfortunately, none will … and none of us have … because we’ve all sinned since Eden. Nevertheless, virtue and purity are the ideals for which we should strive! By doing so we honor God’s creation and expose the lies of the Enemy who only wants to steal, kill, and destroy.
So, I like the white dress. I like what it symbolizes, whether Haley realizes it or not.
But who am I? I’m just a dad. And I love my daughter.
The following is the outline I took to with me to the pulpit Sunday morning. It starts off with some arguments against the “once-saved-always-saved” position. The next part lists six basic arguments in favor of the eternal security of the believer.
Selah. A musical notation calling us to pause, to rest for moment and consider what has just been said. In this verse David asks God to let his enemy “persecute” him and essentially pound him into the earth! Why? Let’s think about it.
Oh, but it was a blast! I even got to tease my daughter a little, making her think I was going to show one of her “baby in the bathtub” pictures on the big screen behind me 🙂 Instead, I had them put up a picture of Baby (her dog) in the bathtub.
Little girls, as well as little boys, can get downright mean with the things that they say. However, they have no idea of the lasting consequences of their teasing. They have yet to sit through months or years of counseling.
The Recovering Legalist 