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True Love Declares—and Submits to—God's Standards

God is love. God defines love. When you’re looking for real love in life, always remember that real love always honors God’s standards. We humans who have universally broken God’s standards have an especially hard time understanding this principle, but God is clear.

The Bible says, Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. … You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NLT).

The Bible is often blunt for our own good, and the blunt truth is that any sexual intimacy outside the context of one man and one woman in marriage is not love. It’s sin. Pre-marital sex isn’t based in love, it’s based in lust. Extra-marital affairs don’t happen because we fell out of love with our spouse or fell in love with someone new. They happen because of sin. Homosexual activity isn’t based in love, it’s rooted in sin. Real love always honors God’s standards of righteousness.

What happens if you’ve already blown it? If you’re having sex outside of marriage? If you’re involved in a homosexual relationship? That’s where God’s overwhelming grace comes in. The fact is, we’ve ALL blown it in one way or another, and there is forgiveness because of the cross. Jesus paid the ultimate price to free us from sexual immorality and every other kind of sin. Turning to Him and trusting Him brings forgiveness, freedom and a fresh start, no matter what our past looks like.

Real love always honors God’s standards. God is clear about this truth for our own good. And He is also clear about His grace for our good as well.