Is Masturbation a sin?

[TheBarrd]

Sin is defined by God alone, not by what someone thinks should be. Without a clear condemnation of it in the Scripture, I believe people err by stating that it is sin. However, there is a verse which could apply here.
1 Cor 6:12
"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."

No doubt, someone will respond that if you read a little further past this verse that it condemns sexual immorality. Agreed. It does. But the Scripture makes no designation that masturbation is immoral. That is a personal belief of many. But, that idea is not in the Scripture.

Perhaps I can shed a little light with a story that a pastor gave many years ago. This pastor loved to play basketball. He played whenever he had the opportunity. He played well, and he was very competitive in the game. He was so competitive that he derived a sense of glee when an opponent was injured and was kept from playing at their peak. And, he would sometimes elbow another player to inflict such injuries. God dealt with him about his attitude. He came to the conclusion that although playing basketball was not technically a sin, it led him into sin whenever he played it, since his competitive nature was so fed with it. He therefore decided that for him, he could not in faith play basketball any longer. He recognized that it was completely ok for anyone else. But a very poor choice for himself.

In all issues that Scripture does not address specifically, the best response is whatever can abide the verse, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.", is allowable for the individual. And, we are not to judge any brother or sister who DOES have the faith to allow that which our own convictions disallow. God is able to uphold that brother or sister who acts in faith, regardless of our own personal convictions.

So, there really is no clear-cut response to your question. Not all men have faith. Just remember, that love builds up.

You deserve a prize for the best answer of all of these.
Unfortunately, all I can give you is my respect and admiration...

 

[StephanieSomer]

You deserve a prize for the best answer of all of these.
Unfortunately, all I can give you is my respect and admiration...

*blushes

 

[JESUSKiDtommy]

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.

So if a person was a daily masturbator five to ten times a day, would that then qualify as masturbation becoming a god to them?... if so does the amount that something like masturbation is done ,,,,,the thing that qualifies it as being a god? My point is that if it's once in a blue moon or ten times a day, gratifying fleshly desires for nothing more than the sake of satisfying fleshly desires, would seem to be wrong, in comparison to a person finding themselves mateless, and depending on GOD to provide them a marriage partner ( IF GOD SEES FIT).... aka there is value in the suffering, not that we are to seek to suffer, but patiently endure when it comes. I would also imagine that within the Kingdom of Heaven, before JESUS left to come here and endure the things HE endured, there were most likely pleasures within HIS existence that would surpass the pleasures of sex... and "IF" there were... HE gave them up.... this is just my two cents and speculation not meaning to start an arguement

 

[Dave-W]

I found this quote saying: Author Tim Challies refers to masturbation as selfish sex. Sex is meant to be an act of service to your spouse, with both of you receiving pleasure. However, according to Challies, when we participate in masturbation we make a mockery of the beautiful act that God created for our enjoyment.

I am still struggling with this, but think of it like this. When you touch you are pleasuring yourself and taking away something special for your future spouse. When you do meet someone you will have had so much pleasure from yourself not knowing what to do with your partner.

And if, for those years you are still single before you get married, those urges are so distracting and intense you find a way to shut them down so you do not have to M to deal with them; and then when you DO get married you find you cannot turn them back on; how much does THAT take away from your marriage partner?

 

[Dave-W]

If the act of "releasing" is a decision made in servitude to the body's desires--rather than a decision made to serve God--then it is a sin.

Does that also hold true for breathing "in servitude to the body's desires?"

 

[Dave-W]

The person was not necessarily a sinner but the condition of uncleaness represents sin: Hebrews 9:11-14

The question I raised was why did nocturnal emission make a man unclean. Was it just a matter of hygiene as one poster suggested, or was there a deeper significance? It is a question readers can answer for themselves.

If it represents sin, then why did childbirth render one unclean? And for varying amounts of time depending on if the child was male or female?

Our Lord was in the same room with, and even touched, dead bodies which was the most intense uncleanness listed in the OT. As a Jewish man "born under the Law;" (Gal 4.4) he would have been rendered unclean as well and had to undergo the sprinkling with the ashes of a red heifer. What did that represent to Him?

 

[Cearbhall]

I found this quote saying: Author Tim Challies refers to masturbation as selfish sex.

If that's selfish, then I'm perfectly fine with being a habitually selfish person.

When you touch you are pleasuring yourself and taking away something special for your future spouse.

Does my body have a set limit of lifetime [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] that I'm not aware of?

 

[Chicken Little]

anything that owns and controls you can be a sin. but He says

1Co 6:12

¶
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power ( to be controlled ) by any.

You and His spirit are to master your own body and it's needs .

 

[riona]

If that's selfish, then I'm perfectly fine with being a habitually selfish person.

Does my body have a set limit of lifetime [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] that I'm not aware of?

That's right.. you're like a chicken, only able to lay so many eggs, then the process stops altogether. Once you've laid all your eggs, it's the chopping block.

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

anything that owns and controls you can be a sin. but He says

1Co 6:12

¶
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power ( to be controlled ) by any.

You and His spirit are to master your own body and it's needs .

So you admit you are trying to make lawful things unlawful?

 

[Dave-W]

So you admit you are trying to make lawful things unlawful?

That is a tactic of the devil - make something that is lawful appear to be sinful so the person believes it to be a sin and it becomes sinful to them.

 

[Chicken Little]

So you admit you are trying to make lawful things unlawful?

so I don't admit any such thing.
that statement is given only to christians who are "righteous" ( thus in right authority/ or under right authority/ HIs authority ) He is author and finisher of our faith and lover of our souls . the person that scripture is talking too understands how and why they are 'righteous' and also understand that they are not their own and they must fight what He asks them to fight/ overcome against those thing in themselves sometimes forever, sometime for seasons. They have learned by hard lost battles to only fight the battle He is tell us to fight for this day .

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

so I don't admit any such thing.
that statement is given only to christians who are "righteous" ( thus in right authority/ or under right authority/ HIs authority ) He is author and finisher of our faith and lover of our souls . the person that scripture is talking too understands how and why they are 'righteous' and also understand that they are not their own and they must fight what He asks them to fight/ overcome against those thing in themselves sometimes forever, sometime for seasons. They have learned by hard lost battles to only fight the battle He is tell us to fight for this day .

So it doesn't condemn masturbation. I see.

 

[RDKirk]

Does that also hold true for breathing "in servitude to the body's desires?"

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid!
Know ye not that to whomever ye yield yourselves as servants to obey, his servants ye become whom ye obey, whether of sin which leads unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

So what do you make of that? A pterodactyl? Physical urges--any physical urges, including the urge to touch--become sinful for a Christian when he allows them to control his decisions.

 

[TheBarrd]

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid!
Know ye not that to whomever ye yield yourselves as servants to obey, his servants ye become whom ye obey, whether of sin which leads unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

So what do you make of that? A pterodactyl? Physical urges--any physical urges, including the urge to touch--become sinful for a Christian when he allows them to control his decisions.

So, anything that gives pleasure must be avoided by a Christian, lest it lead him into sin...
is that how you read these verses?

 

[Chicken Little]

So it doesn't condemn masturbation. I see.

current law doesn't condemn pooping in your neighbors yard either , but it is not advised. It is good for us to control our bowels.
no matter what you FEEL like doing !

 

[Cearbhall]

current law doesn't condemn pooping in your neighbors yard either , but it is not advised. It is good for us to control our bowels.
no matter what you FEEL like doing !

Are you suggesting that we shouldn't poop in private, either...?

 

[KitKatMatt]

Are you suggesting that we shouldn't poop in private, either...?

 

[Chicken Little]

N

Are you suggesting that we shouldn't poop in private, either...?

this is one dorky question ! do you have no common sense? well it appears you do not.
O! oh NO! pooping is good for you , Pooping where you should poop is good.
pooping around those who really love you and strongly committed to you is also advised.

but pooping in your neighbors yard ( if not illegal already in your area ) then it should be or will be made Illegal if you do it too often, as it should be criminal and you should be locked away with others who refuse to control their urges.

 

[KitKatMatt]

I am failing to see how pooping in your neighbors yard is related to masturbating.

Unless you're masturbating in your neighbors yard? In which case, that's a much, much smaller audience to address.