Boundaries. The "B Word." It might actually be the scariest part of relationships.

BOUNDARIES. Yeah, I know, spooky. In order to date successfully, you have to have boundaries in your relationship. However, that is difficult to balance when you're dating to marry.

There must be boundaries between the two of you at all times, even as you fall deeper and deeper in love with that person. If you abandon boundaries in a dating relationship, you begin to treat your girlfriend as a wife, or your boyfriend as a husband and that is unsafe.

Your girlfriend or boyfriend should not be the highest priority in your life. They should be a priority, but not the highest priority. Honestly, it is difficult to say specifically where each relationship's boundaries should be.

But, there are universal pieces of wisdom that, though they may apply differently in each relationship, can be accepted by any relationship.

1. Spend time apart.

Now, I know everyone's hypocrite meter is going off since last week I said, "Sacrifice time for each other", but everything in moderation. You spend time by a fire to warm up and escape the cold bite of the world around you, but you don't stay too close to the fire otherwise you get burned. This concept is true in relationships as well.

Spend time together to enjoy each other's presence, but don't let yourself get burned by spending all of your time with your boyfriend/girlfriend and losing friends, and sometimes family, because you don't spend any time apart. Make a boundary of time apart in your relationship, it is worth it I promise.

2. Keep your money separate.

As more and more couples commit to everything but marriage so early on now, I feel as if this should be stated. It's necessary to talk about money in your relationships, but keep it at just talk.

A dating couple should not share a bank account. Before you are married, you are not meant to be held accountable financially by your boyfriend or girlfriend. In other words, you should not have to answer for what you spend or save to your boyfriend/girlfriend.

As your relationship deepens you'll notice that you both desire the same things financially, but allow the desires to be shared, not the accounts. This keeps a breakup, even though it is not ideal, easier, since your money isn't tied together, yet.

3. Keep your bodies separate.

Before I go any further, and before anyone rolls their eyes at a purity claim, let me say that I know from experience this is the hardest boundary to adhere to. As someone who has broken every sexual boundary imaginable and then, through Jesus' grace, tried to crawl back and rebuild those boundaries, it is one of the most difficult things I have ever done.

I have fallen from grace and been rebuilt by God's love and authority, but I know the struggle of keeping physical boundaries in a relationship. I know how hard it is to fall in love, and have an increase in desire for the person you love, and not being able to fulfill all those desires.

But, coming from someone who compromised too much, I implore you to maintain physical boundaries in your relationship. "Zach, you're just pushing your morality on the world." Really? Let's get down to the facts. If you only sleep with one person, and that person only sleeps with you, it is impossible to get an STD.

If you wait until marriage to have sex children aren't seen as unwanted inconveniences, but as wonderful additions to a family. So maybe I am pushing my morality, but I don't care, the hook-up culture that started in the 70's has left people terrified of relationships and that is heartbreaking and foolish.

I've been on both sides of the purity coin, and I can testify that purity is better, especially since there are no "unintended consequences" with purity.

But that doesn't make the battle for purity any less difficult. You will still find each other sexually attractive. My advice here is two-fold.

1. Build (or rebuild) your relationship on Jesus. Instead of aiming to please the other person, aim to please God. Work as a man of God, and a woman of God towards the goal of marriage. For a clearer picture of what I am talking about referring to Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21.

2. Be responsible. Watch how you touch each other, and talk to each other. Be wary of your alone time, and how many people are with you. Have a few people that can always check on you to see how you're doing. Emily and I have this in our relationship and it's beautiful to see the friendships that have blossomed because of it.

Now that everyone is all good and guilt filled, allow me to remind you of something. Jesus' grace is enough to cover whatever you've done. I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it.

No matter what boundary you've broken with your boyfriend or girlfriend, God can redeem you. I am living proof. Turn from your sin and follow Jesus and His love will break everything you are a slave to in this world.

There is nothing done that cannot be covered by grace, and there is no point you could get to where repentance is not an option.

I hope this helped. Being vulnerable with my struggles on such an open platform was difficult, to say the least, but my prayer is that through my breaking sexual boundaries, others will learn how to not break them. I do not mean to highlight my sin, only to magnify the power of the cross in my life. My prayer is that relationships are restored and redeemed through this series that I've done on dating.

Get ready for a new topic next week, I'm not sure yet what it will be on, but stay tuned to find out. As always, if this was helpful in anyway, give it a like and share to maybe help other people. Y'all be good.