VIRGINITY IS NOT ENOUGH

There are two scenarios of virginity benchmarks in the Scripture that carry profound lessons about what you are becoming as a young man. They are loaded with pointers that emphasize the fact that virginity is never enough. It is important to be a virgin, and that connotes an undefiled testimony. It speaks of separation from corruption, pollution and the ways of the world. But separation alone is not enough. No, you have to do more. The other parameters revealed in these two occurrences are what you must imbibe to truly shape what you are becoming.

The rise of Esther in place of Vashti is one laced with lessons. The queen fumbled and ignored the instructions of the king, and the verdict was given to replace her. The criteria for a suitable replacement included virginity, beauty and other qualities. However, you cannot meet the basic requirement if you are not a virgin, even if you have the most beautiful face on earth. What the king will choose must not be defiled. The royal crown cannot be subjected to ridicule. That is the first lesson for you, young man. You cannot become useful in God's hands while deliberately living in sin and worldliness. You cannot become His design for your life while living a carefree and careless life. There is a standard you must first meet. There must be separation.

Several young ladies made it to the list. They were taken into the palace for beautification and preparation, learning the acts and manners of the palace. They were to receive training and be prepared for selection. Only one of them would eventually occupy the position of queen. That is where you see the separation of the excellent from the average; the separation of the best from the better. At that point, your virginity is no longer the major differentiator. Your virginity has served its purpose as a foundation, but now, VALUE begins to speak. Sacrifice begins to talk. Obedience to instructions takes preeminence. Denial of pleasure becomes central. While several maidens may have been carried away by comfort and self-indulgence, Esther maintained her values, her discipline, her prayer life, her sacrifice and her denial of self-gratification. She maintained her stand against lust and preserved herself for the purpose ahead. When she was eventually chosen, the other virgins learnt a powerful lesson: virginity was never enough to earn a place as queen.

Learn from her, young man. Dedication, sacrifice, value, delayed gratification, denial of self-pleasure and obedience to the instructions of the Holy Spirit, as revealed in Scripture, are essential to keep you fit for your own queenly role. There is a place your purity can take you, but there are places your character must sustain you.

The other scenario is that of the ten virgins spoken of by Jesus in a parable. They qualified as brides waiting for the groom because they were virgins. But you see, virginity was never going to be enough. Learning to do what is necessary and required for your journey is extremely important. Putting deliberate effort into your spiritual life is paramount. Deliberate actions, deliberately working out your salvation with fear and trembling, are important. Deliberately feeding on God's Word for yourself is important. You cannot survive spiritually on what somebody else has eaten. You must have your own oil.

Yes, you are born again, and you are now living the life of God. You have the life of God in you, but you must eat to grow; otherwise, you may become spiritually weak. You must drink from the water of life continuously; otherwise, spiritual dehydration may set in. You must take in all the nutrients required for your spiritual growth if you intend to finish well, so that the door will not be locked against you and you will not be regarded as foolish. What a tragedy it would be to begin with purity and still end without preparation.

They may now ask, why were you a virgin in the first place? It is like a virgin lady or man getting married and believing that virginity alone will be enough to keep the home. No way. You must work. You must watch and pray. You need devotion, dedication, discipline, sacrifice, wisdom and everything you can give to truly end well. Virginity can preserve your beginning, but it cannot guarantee your finishing.

There are clouds of witnesses who also walked through this phase, chaste and undefiled, but their lives will tell you the same thing: it takes more than being a virgin. Purity is the foundation, not the destination. Separation is the beginning, not the achievement. What are you doing with the purity you have preserved? What are you becoming after saying no to the things that destroy others? Do not merely remain a virgin; become a vessel. Do not merely preserve your body; build your character. Do not merely avoid sin; become useful in the hands of God.

Reference Esther 1–2, Matthew 25

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