Hello. I’m not quite sure if I’m posting in the correct area because I’m new to the site and forums in general, but here we go. I’m a 17 year old boy and lately I have been curious about this issue in the church. I would tend to lean more towards it NOT being sinful. However, I’m open to having my mind changed. I’ve researched this quite a bit and gathered various answers from both sides of the debate. Most answers I’ve gathered against masturbation involve scripture twisting or just aren’t logically sound (at least that is how I see them). I’ve asked my parents and pastors with no real answer. Obviously living in the United States, I cannot get married legally unless I have parental consent (I do not). So Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 7:9 doesn’t help since our cultures are different. So, that said, what are your thoughts?
Be careful not to be searching for what your itching ears want to hear vs what you know to be right. I was like you too once, and to be honest I was deceived for a time to think that masturbation was ok, but something deep down kept nudging at me telling me it wasn’t.
I’ll never forget the day I decided to not continue in that action. I was outside of a classroom about to take a test, and I thought to myself something along the lines of, “If I’m wrong about this masturbation issue, it’s just not worth the risk of that being the case, so I will just decide to not do this any more.”
And I kid you not I felt so blessed at that very moment, it was as if God and His angels were acknowledging that I had made the right decision. I don’t want you to fall into the same trap I was in. You say you did your research, well I’m assuming that just means you read the same articles on the internet that I did, especially the ones that made excuses for why they thought masturbation was not a sin. Don’t listen to them, they’re wrong and they’re just trying to justify it.
All the sex is meant for marriage aside, and the fact that masturbation is recreating a thing that is meant for two people, and those two people to be married aside as well, you know that if you were to stand before Jesus and His throne and justify that what you did was ok, those people who wrote those articles justifying, and even people here on Christian forums that might say it is ok, none of them will be there to defend you. I think you’ll agree you’ll have a hard time justifying those actions before Jesus.
Now look at that verse you posted about how it’s better to get married than to burn with lust, are you saying you can’t wait one more year to get married? Jacob waited for seven years to marry Rachel, don’t you think you can wait till you’re married too?
Now that I’ve told you I believe it’s a sin I want you to know I really do emphathize with you because as a 27 year old male who also wants to get married someday it’s not always easy being single, but some role models such as Paul and Jesus who were single showed me that it’s not impossible to live life as a single person, and in your case you very well may get married, and I hope it’s to a wonderful person. So why not wait, and until that day ask God for the strength to resist any temptations that may come your way.
That is all. If you can take anything away from this it is that I hope you really consider if it’s worth the momentary pleasure with the possibility that what you’re doing is wrong. I personally know it’s wrong especially from accounts of people who have had experiences of being shown Hell by Jesus and people that ended up there for things like masturbation. It’s just not worth it
