When Jesus uses the word “heart” he is referring here to the center of a person’s entire being. This is why at Across My Heart, we talk about holistic purity: purity involving not just physical actions, but a person’s mind, body, and emotions. Blessed are those whose thoughts and actions strive to reflect the purity of God’s nature.
God put rules in place to protect us, not hinder us from pleasure. He already knows the shame and guilt that come with having an intimate relationship with someone outside of marriage (whether or not you stay together) and the pain it can cause. He also knows the joy and connection a sexual relationship brings within marriage. It's amazing how God designed sex to strengthen the relationship between husband and wife.
Your neckline must be two finger lengths from your collarbone. You can’t watch that movie. Your shorts are too short. You shouldn’t date. Sound familiar?
Like many of you, I grew up in The Purity Movement of the 1990s and early 2000s. To be honest, purity seemed kind of cool at the time. There were giant conferences promoting it, teen pop stars modeling abstinence, and parents buying their daughters fancy rings if they committed to saving sex for marriage.
You could even say that purity was popular.
