Is it Wrong to Touch Before Marriage?

It's not wrong, but it has a danger to it.

Fornication is clearly wrong, and the Biblical advice is...

“Flee fornication...” 1 Corinthians 6:18

Here are two quotes I've heard that I think are good advice.

He who keeps off the ice will not slip.

He who wants to keep from harm must keep out of harm's way.

That's the safest way.

If all couples didn't touch till after marriage, there would be a lot less problems! Touching before marriage can make the temptation stronger. Also, until you're married there's always a possibility that something will happen to break the relationship.

When my husband and I got engaged, we chose not to touch at all until after marriage. That way there was no possibility of going too far. I have no regrets and would do the same again.

Here is a devotion from my devotion book which is nearly published. I heard the buggy driver story in a sermon once a long time ago and it's stuck with me ever since.

The principle from this story can apply to touching before marriage.

Stay Away from the Edge

Abstain from all appearance of evil.

—1 Thessalonians 5:22

A man needed a buggy driver to drive his children to and from school every day. The only problem was that the road was very dangerous. On one side of the road was a rocky ravine, so he wanted to get the best buggy driver possible. Three men applied for the job. They each took the father for a drive to show him how well they could drive. The first driver was very clever, but the poor father nearly died of fright because he drove as close to the edge as possible, eager to show off how clever he was because he could drive on the edge without falling off. The second driver was a bit more reasonable. He wasn’t quite as daring as the first man. He didn’t drive on the edge, but he wasn’t far from it, either. He was safer than the first man, but not by much. The third and last driver kept as far away from the edge as he possibly could, so there was no chance of falling over the edge.

Which driver do you think the father chose? The clever guy who could drive on the edge? The guy who kept a short distance away from the edge? Or the guy who stayed well away?

Of course he chose the one who stayed far from the edge. He could trust him, and he knew that no matter how windy it was, the buggy wouldn’t likely fall because it was well away from the edge.

There are some things in life that, like the road in the story, are dangerous. Some of them are not clearly wrong, but if you do them, you are close to the edge and in danger of getting hurt. You might be strong enough to do them without “falling off,” but there’s a good chance you might “fall” and get hurt. The “winds” of temptation might blow you over. Also, you never know who is following you. You might be strong enough not to go too far, but someone who is following you might be weaker than you, and he or she might fall.

If you stay far from the edge, some people will think you’re over the top. But it’s better being a bit “over the top” than “down the bottom” with a messed-up life.

Can you think of any things that are dangerous? What about smoking, drugs, and alcohol? These are just a few obvious ones. There are many dangers associated with these—becoming an addict, destroying the body God gave you, and losing control of yourself and doing things you’ll regret.

You may come across other things during your life that have a danger to them. Remember this story. Will you walk on the edge? Will you keep a little distance away? Or will you stay far from the edge so that there’s no danger of falling and getting hurt?