Is Masturbation a sin?

[FanofGod1992]

But my real question is, is it a sin if you do it and not look at inappropriate content. Because I do touch but I don't don't look at other women.

 

[Smidlee]

The scriptures doesn't mention it nor does it mention any details what allowed in marriage. In marriage, which is a love relationship, you should ask your spouse what they are comfortable with. It's totally between you and your spouse and no one else. Without a spouse it's totally between you and God. No one can answer that for you.

 

[KitKatMatt]

The only time a masturbation-esque action was condemned in the Bible was when Onan "spilled his seed" outside the body of his dead brother's wife and was punished for it.

And it wasn't even wrong because of "spilling his seed" itself, but because it was his "duty" to impregnate his brother's wife and he refused to do it.

So I'd say no, and no.

 

[Albion]

But my real question is, is it a sin if you do it and not look at inappropriate content. Because I do touch but I don't don't look at other women.

It's still considered a sin.

 

[Bumble Bee]

But my real question is, is it a sin if you do it and not look at inappropriate content. Because I do touch but I don't don't look at other women.

I believe it is a sin. It is a sexual act, and sex is to be reserved for marriage. I myself struggled with this issue for several years and through prayer and time in the Bible finally found the answer I was looking for and the freedom to break from the chains.

 

[truth76]

There are those that have said that the Bible describes masturbation in Genesis chapter 38, and that Onan was put to death for the offense. But this is not true. The Bible says that when Onan “did have relations with his brother’s wife he wasted his sperm on the earth.” (Genesis 38:9) So apparently Onan interrupted sexual relations with Tamar, spilling his sperm on the ground rather than giving it to Tamar. He did this because he did not want to raise up children in the name of his dead brother. And it was for this failure to perform “brother-in-law marriage” that Onan was put to death.

Although the NT say nothing regarding masturbation it does not mean that it gives no direction regarding masturbation.

“Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness.” And 1 Thessalonians 4:4, 5 says: “Each one . . . should . . . get possession of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in covetous sexual appetite such as also those nations have which do not know God.” Such counsel applies to married Christians as well as to those who are single, but even more restraint needs to be exercised by single persons since finding relief of passion by sexual relations is limited to those who are married.

A person who masturbates is putting improper emphasis on sex. He feeds and enlivens his sexual craving in a wrong way. God, however, provided humans the gift of sex to use within the arrangement of marriage. But a masturbator is using sex outside the marriage arrangement for personal gratification. Such a person needs to deaden his sexual appetite in order to please God. He needs to cultivate the self-control that is necessary to de-emphasize sex in his life.

 

[Dave-W]

“Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness.”

What is your scripture reference and what translation is this?

""Such a person needs to deaden his sexual appetite in order to please God.""

Deaden a God-given gift to please Him? That makes no sense.

 

[High Fidelity]

Yes, it's a sin. Whether you watch anything or not doesn't change that.

 

[dayhiker]

I don't see masturbation as a sin. Its never defined as sinful in God's word that I've ever found.
So it seems to me that to say masturbation is a sin is to add to God's Word and thereby saying we know more about it than God does.

I'll add Young's literal translation:
3for this is the will of God — your sanctification; that ye abstain from the whoredom, 4that each of you know his own vessel to possess in sanctification and honour, 5not in the affection of desire, as also the nations that were not knowing God.

What were the nations doing that kept them from God? They were using their bodies to worship idols. That's the big sin from Gen to Rev. So this verse says nothing about masturbation as I read it.

 

[High Fidelity]

I don't see masturbation as a sin. Its never defined as sinful in God's word that I've ever found.
So it seems to me that to say masturbation is a sin is to add to God's Word and thereby saying we know more about it than God does.

That's like saying giving someone poison isn't sin because it's the poison that kills them, not you.

Masturbation creates lust and that's a sin. It's that simple.

 

[dayhiker]

How are you defining lust?

 

[High Fidelity]

How are you defining it if you aren't seeing it as sin?

 

[truth76]

“Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness.”

What is your scripture reference and what translation is this?

""Such a person needs to deaden his sexual appetite in order to please God.""

Deaden a God-given gift to please Him? That makes no sense.

I was using the NWT but here are a few from various other Bible translations. The scripture is Colossians 3:5

Amplified Bible

So kill (deaden, a]">[a]deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).

International standard version

So put to death your worldly impulses:a]">[a] sexual sin, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).

King James Version

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
(Mortify means to deny, subdue, or control)

God has provided marriage as the sole arrangement in which to satisfy sexual desires.

 

[truth76]

I don't see masturbation as a sin. Its never defined as sinful in God's word that I've ever found.
So it seems to me that to say masturbation is a sin is to add to God's Word and thereby saying we know more about it than God does.

I'll add Young's literal translation:
3for this is the will of God — your sanctification; that ye abstain from the whoredom, 4that each of you know his own vessel to possess in sanctification and honour, 5not in the affection of desire, as also the nations that were not knowing God.

What were the nations doing that kept them from God? They were using their bodies to worship idols. That's the big sin from Gen to Rev. So this verse says nothing about masturbation as I read it.

Although not specifically mentioned in scripture masturbation is a spiritually unhealthy habit,because it instills attitudes that foster self-centeredness and corrupt the mind.A masturbator may also grow to view others as mere sex objects—tools for sexual satisfaction. Sex becomes separated from love and is relegated to a reflex that gives momentary pleasure and relieves sexual tension. But that relief is only temporary. In reality, instead of deadening the body’s members “as respects sexual immorality, uncleanness, [and] uncontrolled sexual passion,” masturbation arouses them.—Colossians 3:5

The apostle Paul wrote: “Beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1

 

[dayhiker]

To me lust in the Bible is a word for desire. The desire can be good or bad. From the times its used in the Bible about half the time its used for good desires and about half the time its used for bad desires.

The usual connection to lust that people think of is Mt.5:26. the context of Jesus' remarks are the 10 commandments. The immediate context is the command to not commit adultery. Using this as the meaning of lust in a sexual context, lust would then be a desire commit adultery or take with an other man's wife as defined in a few verses in the OT. Again the context that Jesus is taking about. So I've never masturbated and had it create a desire to commit adultery. Pretty much ever man I've asked if this was the case has told me no. So I don't see masturbation creating a sinful lust.

 

[dayhiker]

Well, they say 98% of men and close to that many women, touch so we all must be unhealthy, self-centered and corrupt of mind. Except I've never personally experienced that with all my years of enjoying od creating me a sexual being.
Yes, masturbation does give temporary relief, but then making love to ones spouse also gives temporary relief as well.
I've never found masturbation to deaden the body's members.

So I'd say your list is just plain made up and wrong.

Although not specifically mentioned in scripture masturbation is a spiritually unhealthy habit,because it instills attitudes that foster self-centeredness and corrupt the mind.A masturbator may also grow to view others as mere sex objects—tools for sexual satisfaction. Sex becomes separated from love and is relegated to a reflex that gives momentary pleasure and relieves sexual tension. But that relief is only temporary. In reality, instead of deadening the body’s members “as respects sexual immorality, uncleanness, [and] uncontrolled sexual passion,” masturbation arouses them.—Colossians 3:5

The apostle Paul wrote: “Beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1

 

[High Fidelity]

Well, they say 98% of men and close to that many women, touch so we all must be unhealthy, self-centered and corrupt of mind. Except I've never personally experienced that with all my years of enjoying od creating me a sexual being.
Yes, masturbation does give temporary relief, but then making love to ones spouse also gives temporary relief as well.
I've never found masturbation to deaden the body's members.

So I'd say your list is just plain made up and wrong.

Doesn't make it any less wrong.

 

[Cearbhall]

But my real question is, is it a sin if you do it and not look at inappropriate content. Because I do touch but I don't don't look at other women.

Some Christians will tell you that it's only a sin if you're committing "adultery in the heart" by lusting after another person. Others will tell you that sexual pleasure is a sin when it's not open to creating life. Still others will tell you that there's nothing wrong with it. There's no one answer.

 

[KitKatMatt]

Are you OK?

 

[dayhiker]

Just shows those that think its wrong don't have much to stand on.

Doesn't make it any less wrong.