Clara and her boyfriend memorize Bible verses together. They also have premarital sex.

You know, maybe she's got a point when she says that the church makes purity far too complicated and unrealistic. But there's a pretty simple solution to that, and I believe our generation -- hers and mine -- could actually lead the way in rediscovering it. It goes something like this: First, you decide to obey. And then you follow through.

I'm not saying people still wouldn't make mistakes, or that God's grace and forgiveness wouldn't be necessary. We're all sinners here. But you can't even begin to come close to obedience if you don't understand the need to obey, or have the will to obey, in the first place.