By Carmen Fowler LaBerge with Scott Lamb
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) just issued the results of a study the commissioned. The study reveals:
“[T]he number of unmarried evangelicals ages 18-29 who have been sexually active is much lower than previously thought.Fifty-six percent of unmarried evangelical Millennials claim they have never been sexually active.”
According to these stats, Evangelical Millennials who claim the most rigorous Christian faith, also practice Christian sexual chastity at the highest rates.
This is good news to hear and an affirmation of the words of Jesus, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments,” (John 14:15). Indeed, this survey gives evidence of this connection, and it is always joyful to see evidences of divine grace in the lives of those who speak most clearly that they have been born again.
Furthermore, it is good to see pollsters that truly took serious the need to “define the terms” for what it means to be an “Evangelical.” As the press release notes, “A common criticism of some of the other research on evangelicals is that there is no measure of how serious they are about their faith or how involved they are in it.”
So, how did the survey determine that the respondents were serious about their faith and practice?
Respondents of that age were qualified for the study if they met the following criteria:
• They attend worship services at least once in a typical month
• The church they attend is a Protestant church
• Rejecting other theological positions on life after death, they believe they will go to heaven when they die because they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior
• They strongly agree with all of the following statements:
- The Bible is the written word of God and is accurate in all that it teaches
- You have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in your life today
- Eternal salvation is possible only through Jesus Christ
- You, personally, have a responsibility to tell other people about your religious beliefs
That is a strong list of qualifications to determine one’s Evangelical credentials – certainly better than other polls which merely connect denominational affiliation with Evangelical status.
Finally, the survey also reveals:
“[S]exual activity is more common among older Millennials. While 63 percent of unmarried 18-23 year olds have never been sexually active, only 46 percent of the 24-29 year olds could say the same thing.
A 17 percent drop-off in sexual chastity from the 18-23 year old group to the 24-29 year old group provides evidence of the difficulty in maintaining sexual purity throughout an entire decade of singleness as a twenty-something.
What is the church’s response to this? I hope our teaching does not subtly imply a less restrictive sexual ethic to Christians simply on account of their advancing age. Sexual purity has the same boundaries whether we are working with high school sophomores or singles who are forty. And, praise God, the same Holy Spirit lives within the life of all Christians, producing self-control as a fruit of His ministry.
“If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7)
Footnote
“About the “Sex & Unexpected Pregnancies: What Evangelical Millennials Think and Practice,” was conducted by Grey Matter Research for the National Association of Evangelicals.