I want to reclaim a word that has all but disappeared from our culture. It is a biblical word that is precious to the Lord and should be to every saint. It is the word “virgin.” It means, “one who has not had sexual intercourse.” It is a beautiful, precious term that the secular culture mocks. Even the church is embarrassed by it, preferring “abstinence” or the “V” word. Yet the Lord is not ashamed or embarrassed to speak of virgins. Fifty-two times in the Bible the Lord speaks of virgins. He calls Jerusalem, “the Virgin Daughter of Zion” (2 Kings 19:21). He calls Judah His “virgin daughter” (Jeremiah 14:17). He instructs the high priest and all priests serving in His temple to only marry virgins (Leviticus 21:13,14, Ezekiel 44:22). Finally, He declares through the prophet Isaiah that His Son, the Messiah, would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). God loves the word virgin!

Let’s start a campaign to reclaim the term virgin within the church. So what if the unsaved world despises and mocks it. We can exalt it. Virgin is not only a great term but a very practical term which the church desperately needs. Singles need to proudly declare that they are virgins. We need to teach and encourage our children to go into marriage as virgins. How else will we protect them from pregnancy, STDs, emotional guilt and shame, and the sin of fornication? “Safe sex” is not the answer. Safe sex simply caters to the sinful flesh to do as it pleases. Rather, let us teach our children to remain virgins until they marry. That’s the only real safe sex.

Is virginity a standard for women only? Nope. No double standard here. Both men and women need to marry as virgins. What a sublime joy to discover the mystery of sexuality within the context of marriage together as virgins. By entering marriage as virgins and staying faithful to our marriage vows all our days we have a virtually bullet-proof shield against a host of incurable, life-threatening sexually-transmitted diseases. Premarital virginity and marital fidelity is God’s plan for human sexuality. It is for our good and His glory.

What if you aren’t a virgin? What if you’ve bought the line of the culture and the lie of the devil and given away your virginity? There is a way back. There is hope and forgiveness for you in Christ Jesus. If you repent of your sin He will wash you, sanctify you, and justify you “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). You can never be a virgin again, but you can be pure, forgiven, and right with God.