Is kissing and hugging sinful?

Last updated on June 22, 2024

Question:

I have been in a relationship with a godly Christian girl for a year. I want some advice.

I plan to marry her when she finishes university because of her father’s requirement. In this relationship, we will read the Bible together, pray together, and talk in public. I am attracted to her godly qualities and physical beauty, and she is also attracted to me. Her parents (who are not saved) grew to like me and have great trust in me. We both agreed to save kisses on the lips for the wedding day.

My question is: In this relationship, we hug, and I kiss (peck) her on her forehead, but not always. Is that sinful? I usually kiss my mom on the forehead to show appreciation for her. I do the same for her.

Answer:

Kissing and hugging are not intrinsically sinful. After all, early Christians were told to “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16). An unholy kiss or hug would arouse a passion for sex, and that must wait until marriage. “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, that you do not arouse or awaken my love until she pleases” (Song 2:7). What you describe is not sinful.

Question:

I have been very open when talking to her about our relationship, and I observe that our desire to please God makes us desire each other and want to bond with each other. It is weird, but we are in prayer, and doing that makes us attracted to each other even more.

Answer:

Being attracted to someone you love is normal. You just don’t act on the impulses.