Purity or Covenant

Scene 1:

Walking down the aisle. You see Jesus waiting for you. You stand face to face. He puts a ring on your finger and calls you his. Saved by His grace alone you have now entered into a covenant with the Lord. 

Scene 2:

Walking down the aisle. You see your future husband waiting for you. You stand face to face. He puts a ring on your finger. You put a ring on his finger. You vow to be devoted to one another. Your wedding night approaches, you have now entered into a covenant with each other.

Which of these scenes have you experienced? Most people, probably the second one. But did you know that Christ called us to him first, before anyone else? That he should be the first one we walk to instead of our future spouse? 

Of course we show this by accepting Christ as our Lord and savior, being baptized, and then living among other believers. There are also some of us who show this outward following of Jesus by wearing a promise or purity ring on our finger. And this is the outward symbol I want to dig into.

Growing up in youth group I remember the sayings, “true love waits,” “don’t have sex before marriage”, “sex starts in the mind”, etc. So as girls (and maybe guys too), we get this ring to symbolize purity. That we will wait until we get married. 

Recently I purchased a ring that I now wear, but this ring doesn’t symbolize purity. It symbolizes a covenant with the Lord. And here’s the difference.

To say I am going to remain pure puts the pressure of perfection which is unattainable in these human bodies. To say I will remain pure says I will not have sex until I get married. However, we’ve now entered a false hope of the future because I don’t know the Lord’s plans. I may not have physical sex, but my thoughts are hindered by the world. I might not be called to marriage, maybe I’m called to singleness. Is the Lord enough for me then? 

Sexual temptation is something real and something hard. We most often hear of it with men, but women also struggle just as hard. Our world has normalized sex and made it ok to do or experiment with and that wasn’t God’s original plan for it. We either wear a cap of shame for thinking about such things, or we normalize it and say it’s not a big deal; both approaches are wrong. It is a God given gift meant between one man and one woman, shared intimately together. 

When a female wears this ring, there’s this hope that one day she will get married, and that she will remain pure until her husband comes. Now I’m very positive that there are women who stayed virgins until their wedding night, but what about their thoughts? Sex just isn’t a physical action, it does start in the mind. What if the Lord calls you to singleness? Will you find satisfaction in knowing that?

Purity – freedom from immorality, especially of a sexual nature.

Now hear me when I say, yes there is freedom in Christ. When we accept Him over our hearts we walk in that freedom and we have all authority to say to those temptations, be gone in Jesus name. But it’s not always that easy. The battle is strong. 

Covenant – A covenant is a chosen relationship or partnership in which two parties make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal.

For example – a husband and wife that vow to be together forever, and reach a goal of raising children. 

A covenant gives more room than what I feel is the box of purity. When we enter into a covenant we are saying Lord I choose you and choose to obey and follow you. As a ring in marriage represents devotion to one person, so should wearing a ring (while single) represent devotion to the Lord. 

Now I’m not throwing out the word purity or saying, throw caution to the wind. The Bible tells us to think highly of such things (Philippians 4:8). I’m saying that when you decide to wear a ring on your finger, understand that there is more than just sex at stake. It’s a partnership with the Lord, just as it would be a partnership with your husband or wife. It says that I will vow to fight with every inch of my body to remain pure, and follow the ways of Jesus. 

For me personally this ring says:

Lord, I enter into a covenant with you. I understand that I am saved by your grace alone and choose to follow the ways of Christ. To live in such a manner that reflects the fruits of the Spirit. Knowing that I will fail daily, but that your mercies are new each morning. Knowing that I will struggle with temptations but that I will face each one with the armor. Knowing that I will unfortunately give into temptations and at times will fail the battle, but knowing that you have surrounded me with your spirit and with fellow believers to cover me in prayer. Accepting that I walk to you whether you have called me to singleness or marriage and understanding that my value and identity on this earth is found only in you. With this ring, I vow my Covenant to you Lord.