Is masturbation a sin? Will it send me to hell?

[MyChainsAreGone]

Its not a huge stretch at all. He said if you look at a woman with lust you are commiting adultery with your heart, so how do you mas.turbate without lustful thoughts in your heart? The very next sentence he says if your eye causes you to sin gouge it out. Just looking at a woman with lust is a sin, obviously pleasuring yourself to thoughts of her would be too. If your hand causes you to sin cut it off. He did not change subjects, its one paragraph of the sermon. If someone is talking to you and says one thing and then immediately says another they are related this is how words work. If you use your right hand to lust for a woman that is not your wife its a sin just as EVEN THINKING ABOUT HER LUSTFULLY IS.

Furthermore Id argue that comparing a brother in Christ to the Pharisees over a difference in understanding of the gospel to be false judgement, I forgive you for your false judgement of me and pray God does as well. Try to make your point without casting shade, we are both brothers in Christ.

edit: strangely sometimes this forum changes the word "masturbation" to "touching yourself" but not always, weird..

Your problem is this. You don't not understanding the first thing Jesus said about looking at a woman lustfully.

Jesus didn't say that it was a matter of looking at a woman, so the eye is not the problem to start with.

He said if you look at her with lust. What is lust?

If you look carefully at the Greek word for lust, it means strong desire. And in it's biblical usage, it doesn't just mean a strong desire but also the direct intention and plan to fulfill that desire.

When Jesus said, "with great desire, I have desired to eat this Passover meal with you" He used the word "lust" twice to double emphasize the strength of his desire.

Same Greek word. He fully decided to fulfill that desire.

And that's what lust means, Biblically speaking.

So when Jesus said looking at a woman with lust, it wasn't about the looking, he was talking about the decision to find a way to have sex with her.

That is why he said it was the same as adultery committed in the heart, because literally a person who looks at a woman with this kind of lust has already decided to figure out a way to fulfill that desire and literally commit adultery.

That's not an eye problem. That's a heart problem.

So when Jesus comments about the eye, he's using hyperbole to say that we should really take sin seriously. He's not suggesting that the eye itself is the problem, it never is. Nothing entering into a man can defile a man, Jesus said that himself in Mark 7.

Likewise, the mention of the hand is hyperbole, because cutting off your right hand would never prevent you from sinning equally with the left hand. The point is that we must take it very seriously and excise sin from our lives no matter the cost.

But your interpretation blows away the core meaning of what Jesus was actually teaching about lust.

He was saying that it was really about the heart. Not the looking. Not the eye. And by extension, not the hand.

You are completely out on a limb here trying to make it mean something that nowhere else in all of the Bible is even hinted at is an issue for behavior.

That is very poor exegesis. You can't depend upon a weak interpretation where we have to actually read between the lines to assert what you think it means in order to establish a moral absolute based upon one and only one passage in all of the bible.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for coming up with rules for righteousness when they actually had more biblical basis for their rules than you have for this one!

I tell you again, do not be a Pharisee. Do not try to find rules for righteousness that God does not clearly state directly in the biblical text.

 

[MyChainsAreGone]

...
Furthermore Id argue that comparing a brother in Christ to the Pharisees over a difference in understanding of the gospel to be false judgement, I forgive you for your false judgement of me and pray God does as well. Try to make your point without casting shade, we are both brothers in Christ.

edit: strangely sometimes this forum changes the word "masturbation" to "touching yourself" but not always, weird..

It is not false judgment and I make no apology nor do I seek your forgiveness.

I make the comparison because you are doing what the Pharisees did, exactly that which Jesus rebuked.

Study it for yourself. What was it that Jesus opposed the Pharisees for? What was it exactly?

The Pharisees deeply wanted to follow God's ways and follow God's word. That's clearly true for you as well. You can take that part of it as a compliment if you like.

But in their zeal to follow God's word, they came up with a boatload of additional rules that God never gave, and they promoted them as the mechanism by which someone could follow God's law.

Furthermore, they elevated those man-made rules to the level of the genuine God-made rules. This was the egregious error that Jesus opposed.

Of course, they didn't stop there. They also used their man-made laws as measures of someone's fidelity to following God's laws. Remember how they criticized Jesus and his disciples for eating without washing their hands, or grabbing heads of grain to eat on a sabbath? They consider those things proof positive that Jesus was not in a right relationship with the Father.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would you not judge a young man to be not a godly young man if he practiced masturbation just to relieve the pressure?

That's exactly what a Pharisee would do.

 

[Riot42]

Your problem is this. You don't not understanding the first thing Jesus said about looking at a woman lustfully.

Jesus didn't say that it was a matter of looking at a woman, so the eye is not the problem to start with.

He said if you look at her with lust. What is lust?

If you look carefully at the Greek word for lust, it means strong desire. And in it's biblical usage, it doesn't just mean a strong desire but also the direct intention and plan to fulfill that desire.

When Jesus said, "with great desire, I have desired to eat this Passover meal with you" He used the word "lust" twice to double emphasize the strength of his desire.

Same Greek word. He fully decided to fulfill that desire.

And that's what lust means, Biblically speaking.

So when Jesus said looking at a woman with lust, it wasn't about the looking, he was talking about the decision to find a way to have sex with her.

That is why he said it was the same as adultery committed in the heart, because literally a person who looks at a woman with this kind of lust has already decided to figure out a way to fulfill that desire and literally commit adultery.

That's not an eye problem. That's a heart problem.

So when Jesus comments about the eye, he's using hyperbole to say that we should really take sin seriously. He's not suggesting that the eye itself is the problem, it never is. Nothing entering into a man can defile a man, Jesus said that himself in Mark 7.

Likewise, the mention of the hand is hyperbole, because cutting off your right hand would never prevent you from sinning equally with the left hand. The point is that we must take it very seriously and excise sin from our lives no matter the cost.

But your interpretation blows away the core meaning of what Jesus was actually teaching about lust.

He was saying that it was really about the heart. Not the looking. Not the eye. And by extension, not the hand.

You are completely out on a limb here trying to make it mean something that nowhere else in all of the Bible is even hinted at is an issue for behavior.

That is very poor exegesis. You can't depend upon a weak interpretation where we have to actually read between the lines to assert what you think it means in order to establish a moral absolute based upon one and only one passage in all of the bible.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for coming up with rules for righteousness when they actually had more biblical basis for their rules than you have for this one!

I tell you again, do not be a Pharisee. Do not try to find rules for righteousness that God does not clearly state directly in the biblical text.

I never said hes literally telling you to gouge out your eye or cut off your hand, I agree with you that he is addressing the lust in your heart, the very lust you have when you mastu.rbate. I do not agree that it has anything to do with making a decision to plan to have sex with her, the lust comes long before that and Jesus is trying to get to the root of the problem before it bears such wicked fruit. You are commiting a sin when you simply imagine having sex with her according to our Lord. We are called to rise above the law of the OT because the holy spirit dwells within us, this is why Jesus was concerned with internal lust because it grieves the holy spirit. If you honestly think the holy spirit is all well and good with mastu.rbation you dont know him very well. Ask him about it, if he dwells within you as I imagine he does being that you are my brother in Christ he will show you the truth.

I tell you again, do not judge a brother In Christ as a Pharisee because they disagree with you, if you cannot have unjudgmental discussion here I see no fruit being born from continuing discussion with you. The Lords peace be with you.

 

[Riot42]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would you not judge a young man to be not a godly young man if he practiced masturbation just to relieve the pressure?

That's exactly what a Pharisee would do.

Ill let John 5:22 correct you

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

I try my damndest to judge no man out of fear of being judged myself. By judging me whom is your brother in Christ as a Pharisee you are asking the Lord to judge you with the same measure. Since you cannot have earnest discussion with a brother without casting judgement Im ending my discussion with you here.

 

[MyChainsAreGone]

... If you honestly think the holy spirit is all well and good with mastu.rbation you dont know him very well.

There it is. Using a man-made rule to judge someone else's relationship with God.

That my friend is Phariseeism.

And if you think that you understand my position on the matter fully, you don't. I suggest you read the series of articles for which I posted the first link in my first response in this thread.

Be advised brother... Adding to God's word and creating man-made rules for righteousness is a much more grievous sin than you even imagine masturbation to be.

Both Jesus and the writers of the New testament had a lot to say about adding rules of righteousness to what God had said.

But none of them said anything about masturbation. So you tell me. Which one is worse?

 

[Riot42]

I have called you my brother, you have called me a pharasee, Ive asked you to not cast judgement and yet you return to it. You are unable to have fruitful discussion, im done here, get behind me.

I pray God does not judge you with the same measure you have judged me.

 

[partinobodycular]

By judging me whom is your brother in Christ as a Pharisee you are asking the Lord to judge you with the same measure. Since you cannot have earnest discussion with a brother without casting judgement Im ending my discussion with you here.

I do believe that you need to chill. Anyone who has participated in forums such as this one long enough, or in real life, knows that different people have different ways of expressing themselves, they may cuss and swear, curse to no end, and call you an idiot, or a Pharisee, or worse, but that's just them being who they are, and saying what they believe, perhaps a bit more colorfully than you're accustomed to, but so be it. Learn not to take offense. Learn instead to listen with patience and understanding.

So someone called you a Pharisee, big deal. You've probably been called worse. I know I have. But don't rebuke them, that may be necessary in defense of others, but in defense of ourselves, the turn the other cheek thing still applies.

So if you get nothing else out of this discussion, here's hoping that you'll at least garner a tiny bit more patience. It can do wonders.

Anyway, just my thoughts, no offense intended.

 

[partinobodycular]

I have called you my brother, you have called me a pharasee, Ive asked you to not cast judgement and yet you return to it. You are unable to have fruitful discussion, im done here, get behind me.

By comparing you to a Pharisee he's trying to make a point. Correct or not, you should listen.

 

[Riot42]

​

I do believe that you need to chill. Anyone who has participated in forums such as this one long enough, or in real life, knows that different people have different ways of expressing themselves, they may cuss and swear, curse to no end, and call you an idiot, or a Pharisee, or worse, but that's just them being who they are, and saying what they believe, perhaps a bit more colorfully than you're accustomed to, but so be it. Learn not to take offense. Learn instead to listen with patience and understanding.

So someone called you a Pharisee, big deal. You've probably been called worse. I know I have. But don't rebuke them, that may be necessary in defense of others, but in defense of ourselves, the turn the other cheek thing still applies.

So if you get nothing else out of this discussion, here's hoping that you'll at least garner a tiny bit more patience. It can do wonders.

Anyway, just my thoughts, no offense intended.

James 4:11​

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law.

No offense taken from you Brother, however just because this is an internet forum does not release us from our obligation to what the bible tells us on how to treat one another with the same respect we would afford to Christ himself. Infact because this is a public forum I would argue that we should rise above slandering each other, for many non believers are here reading our words and seeing the example we set and even using it against Christ. Why do you think the secular world is constantly pointing at us and saying we dont practice what we preach? Why does the secular world constantly call Christians hypocrites? Because we slander one another over nonsense giving them ammunition to do so.. We should strive to set a good example for non believers to point to and say "Look at how Christians respect and love one another even in disagreement" not "See, look how Christians slander one another with disrespect over a simple disagreement."

 

[MyChainsAreGone]

​

James 4:11​

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law.

No offense taken from you Brother, however just because this is an internet forum does not release us from our obligation to what the bible tells us on how to treat one another with the same respect we would afford to Christ himself. Infact because this is a public forum I would argue that we should rise above slandering each other, for many non believers are here reading our words and seeing the example we set and even using it against Christ. Why do you think the secular world is constantly pointing at us and saying we dont practice what we preach? Why does the secular world constantly call Christians hypocrites? Because we slander one another over nonsense giving them ammunition to do so.. We should strive to set a good example for non believers to point to and say "Look at how Christians respect and love one another even in disagreement" not "See, look how Christians slander one another with disrespect over a simple disagreement."

Wow, do not misconstrue my words.

I never spoke evil of you. I don't I actually directly called you a Pharisee.

I encouraged you to NOT be a Pharisee.

I showed you that by creating a man-made rule for righteousness and judging others according to that rule you made, you were acting like a Pharisee. You were doing exactly what the Pharisees do. I was warning you that that action is one that was harshly criticized by our Lord Jesus.

And, I will remind you yet again, being a Pharisee is not all bad. Even the apostle Paul at the end of his ministry and near the end of his life stood up in public and said, "I am a Pharisee!"

So, part of it is a compliment. You care about God's word and you care about God's rules for our lives.

But the danger for all of us is to make sure that we do not elevate our own notions about truth to the level of God's revealed truth.

And, again, repeating myself, that was the mistake that the Pharisees made. That is what I see you doing. And you shouldn't do it.

DON'T be a Pharisee!

By the way, I did call you "Brother."

I don't think I ever directly called you a Pharisee.

 

[MyChainsAreGone]

Wow, do not misconstrue my words.

I never spoke evil of you. I don't I actually directly called you a Pharisee.

I encouraged you to NOT be a Pharisee.

I showed you that by creating a man-made rule for righteousness and judging others according to that rule you made, you were acting like a Pharisee. You were doing exactly what the Pharisees do. I was warning you that that action is one that was harshly criticized by our Lord Jesus.

And, I will remind you yet again, being a Pharisee is not all bad. Even the apostle Paul at the end of his ministry and near the end of his life stood up in public and said, "I am a Pharisee!"

So, part of it is a compliment. You care about God's word and you care about God's rules for our lives.

But the danger for all of us is to make sure that we do not elevate our own notions about truth to the level of God's revealed truth.

And, again, repeating myself, that was the mistake that the Pharisees made. That is what I see you doing. And you shouldn't do it.

DON'T be a Pharisee!

By the way, I did call you "Brother."

I don't think I ever directly called you a Pharisee.

Okay. I just went back through all of my posts to you.

I never did call you a Pharisee.

I never did judge you. ("Judge" = "condemn" in the passages you referenced about not judging a brother)

I called out poor exegesis on your part, and I warned you about the dangers of elevating man-made rules to God-made rule status.

And a discussion like this, the whole point of it is to make assertions and to have them challenged.

The OP asked a biblically-based question. You gave what you believed to be a biblical answer, and I gave what I believe to be a more accurate biblical answer.

You made assertions about what Matthew 5 means. I have challenged it. I have called it what it is, the crafting of a man-made rule that is not justified by the text.

So I ask you, why has your response to that been to take it as a personal affront and claim that I have called you names when I clearly have not?

You accused me of slander, but I have only addressed the claims that you have made and what they mean.

I have not slandered you, but it could be argued that you have slandered me. For you made claims about me and my communication in this forum that are demonstrably untrue.

Have I misspoken?

 

[partinobodycular]

No offense taken from you Brother, however just because this is an internet forum does not release us from our obligation to what the bible tells us on how to treat one another with the same respect we would afford to Christ himself. Infact because this is a public forum I would argue that we should rise above slandering each other, for many non believers are here reading our words and seeing the example we set and even using it against Christ. Why do you think the secular world is constantly pointing at us and saying we dont practice what we preach? Why does the secular world constantly call Christians hypocrites? Because we slander one another over nonsense giving them ammunition to do so.. We should strive to set a good example for non believers to point to and say "Look at how Christians respect and love one another even in disagreement" not "See, look how Christians slander one another with disrespect over a simple disagreement."

Just as an FYI, if you look at my profile you'll see that it says 'Agnostic'. And you're right I do pay attention to how people treat each other, and how easily they get offended. But I also pay attention to how fervent people are in defense of their own personal interpretation of scripture, and sometimes I must admit that I too think that they act a lot like Pharisees. Too wrapped up in the letter of the law to fully embrace the spirit of Micah 6:8. I realize that I have no right to tell you how to interpret scripture, (But then again I'm fine with us disagreeing) I'm just suggesting that from my perspective as an Agnostic, we can all be a little slower to take offense with the words of others, and that I do care about.

This whole patience and tolerance thing has been a goal of mine for a long time and I'm still working on it. But some days, if I'm really patient, I can even fool people into thinking that I'm a Christian.

 

[zippy2006]

I tried to look for answers everywhere but it only confused me more because it was a different answer everytime.

Yes, it is a sin. It is a selfish perversion of God's gift of sexuality, which was created for the sake of self-gift, marriage, and procreation.

You posted in the non-Christian section, and I am not going to go on arguing with the lusting unbelievers here. I would suggest ignoring any advice you receive from nonbelievers on this subject. Nevertheless, here is a short video you might find helpful:

 

[Roderick Spode]

Hello. Ever since I started to take seriously my walk with God I've been wondering if masturbation is a sin or not. I have to be honest, I once was addicted. I used to do it even if I didn't feel the urge, sometimes I couldn't focus on studying, I'd stay awake till late night. I got addicted to inappropriate content too. I was sure it was ok, I used to be controlled by lust. But then God convinced me and I decided to let go and it has been easier than I thought, he gave me so much strength. I remember that I didn't even care about waiting until marriage. He changed my mind about this too and I'm so happy with this choice! Let's go back to masturbation again. I rarely feel the urge now; I still do sometimes tho, and with "sometimes" I mean once a month and a half/two months. I gave up on inappropriate content and anything erotic that I used to read or listen to, thanks to God. The urge that I feel isn't because I thought about something sexual by the way, I thought I had to make it clear since some people say that it's something we shouldn't think of (and I agree). I'm trying my best to live according to God's word. Would it still be a sin? I really don't want God to give up on me and to be disappointed because of this. I'm a 16 year old girl and I obviously can't get married. I tried to look for answers everywhere but it only confused me more because it was a different answer everytime.

As Sandman said, there's really nothing directly mentioned in the bible about it. I personally believe it is sin though. There are a number of things that are most likely sin not mentioned in the bible, but may fall into a category referred to in the bible. I would say most of the time the act involves a form of lust, although I suppose one could have a blank mind at the time. We do have pure physical needs, but I think it's a product of what we let in our eye gate, and entertained in our mind.

The fact is whatever we do is in plain sight of God. If we're uncomfortable with what we're doing, it's probably the Holy Spirit's conviction. I think that's why you stopped. Would a child of God go to hell for it? I believe in the security of the believer. I think it's another reason to thank God for mercy, forgiveness, salvation, etc. I believe God is giving you strength to master it.

 

[Lukaris]

To the OP:

It is a sin and one that affects most people probably. Don’t brush it off, don’t panic either or let it prevent you from doing good otherwise, don’t do good works as trying to bargain over this just try to do good day by day.

Remember the Lord’s commandments. See Romans 13:8-10

The Lord forgives us as we confess our sins.
See: 1 John 1:5-10.

 

[enoob57]

Basically, The Word of God says this:
1 Corinthians 7:8 (KJV)
[8] I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
[9] But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
Accordingly, the only suggestion for the burning is marriage....

 

[Miles]

Basically, The Word of God says this:
1 Corinthians 7:8 (KJV)
[8] I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
[9] But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
Accordingly, the only suggestion for the burning is marriage....

It is better to marry than to burn. When people desire desire each other to the extent that they lack self control, marriage is recommended. To even merely look at a person with such intent encapsulates the Biblical definition of lust.

The sin of lust is tied to things like idolatry and covetousness. One can have a lust for money, a lust for a partner, a lust for power, or a lust for numerous other things. If we turn having a fling, or even finding a spouse (there's no guarantee that the attractive person we lock eyes with across a crowded room is compatible), into an idol then we are sinning. Likewise, if masturbation becomes an idol or a matter of coveting then we are likewise engaging in sinful behavior. The desire of our heart should be God.

Neither sexual feelings nor masturbation are condemned in the Bible. It would have been easy to do so, with clarity and repetition, if that was the problem. He created most of us to be sexual beings. However, that doesn't mean we should turn these desires or physical activities into idols, or that we should covet what isn't ours. That's a personal matter between them and the Creator. Just that the existence of sexual feelings, and presumably masturbation, in one who has self control isn't condemned in the Bible. At least until they find somebody who truly captivates them to the extent that they can't resist each other. In which case, it is recommended that they marry.

Personally, I would recommend that a young person (or older single) focus on other things. Study, exercise, travel, etc. and not worry too soon about finding a partner or get hung up on the topic of masturbation. A Christian should avoid coveting, or turning anything into an idol... which in a sexual context is lust... but we should also acknowledge that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

 

[partinobodycular]

The sin of lust is tied to things like idolatry and covetousness. One can have a lust for money, a lust for a partner, a lust for power, or a lust for numerous other things.

Don't forget the lust for religiosity, and self-righteousness... those are things too, and perhaps more pertinent on a forum that caters to that ilk.

Just saying... not accusing.

 

[enoob57]

Neither sexual feelings nor masturbation are condemned in the Bible.

We will just have to agree to disagree on this.... I believe when the pinpoint is not expressed the broad sweep must all be considered. Other than that one seems to assume upon the text.

 

[Miles]

Don't forget the lust for religiosity, and self-righteousness... those are things too, and perhaps more pertinent on a forum that caters to that ilk.

Just saying... not accusing.

I would categorize what you're talking about under "numerous other things". Possibly under lust for power as well. There are certainly those who use religiosity as a bludgeon to wield over others. It's unfortunate, and more than a little ironic, because the focus should be on our relationship with God. Not outdoing the other guy or gal. Some of it may be written up to human nature, as people compete to be "holier or otherwise superior to thou" in other aspects of their lives. The Gospel is clear, however, that each of us is equal in God's eyes, prone to sin, in need of forgiveness, forgiven, and should extend that forgiveness to others. If only more paid attention to this as it's the main point.

We will just have to agree to disagree on this.... I believe when the pinpoint is not expressed the broad sweep must all be considered. Other than that one seems to assume upon the text.

I agree that we should look at the context, including the broad sweep as you said, along with ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom. What I've seen happen is that some people obsess about this issue. They try as they might to not think about the "green elephant" or whatever and as a result they can't help but fixate on green elephants. The thought that we might consider somebody attractive without it being lust can make it easier to see them as human like us. An imperfect individual rather than someone to obsess over. It can break a vicious cycle.