Can you have sexual arousal without lust?

[walk the talk]

Hi there, for a while now I have had questions rolling around in my mind about sexual arousal and lust. I know that some Christians relate sexual release or self pleasure with lust. But after many years of experience and searching, I have come to the conclusion that if in the right mind, lust can be separate. I also have not read in the Bible that reading moral (where blatant sin is not included) erotic literature is wrong either.

I would like your opinions on this as I feel that a lot of Christians have these questions and are in conflict with one another on this subject including me.

Thanks

 

[JoeyArnold]

Can you play with fire without getting burn?

 

[bertolt]

Well, the problem is the nature of the arousal. In my opinion - and it's only my opinion - the only kind of erotic literature that I could read without sinning is literature featuring my wife and I, in our actual identities. Since I'm not going to be writing that, nor would she, well, that eliminates erotic literature from my reading list, because reading erotic material featuring a woman who's not my wife would not be proper for me.

Speaking entirely personally, I don't see how it would work any other way for anyone else.

Seek sexual release with the one to whom you're married. That's the proper action as Paul writes about it.

 

[JoeyArnold]

Is your body yours to please, to satisfy it's wants, desires, lusts, feelings?

 

[walk the talk]

Hi there, yes you are right if you leave out the song of songs and many other erotic situations that have happened in the Bible for our example to learn from either to stay away from or to be encouraged to practice for a better relationship with your wife.

 

[bertolt]

Your body is God's temple. Your pleasure should be edifying to Him as well.

 

[walk the talk]

Of course it is our body to please, satisfy its wants, desires and feelings. Lust on the other hand you know as well as I that, that is clearly Biblical wrong. When you are hungry you feed it, when you are thirsty you give it water, when you hurt yourself you take care and nurture your body. When you are sexually hungry you, you what? Go to your wife, of course. But does God say not to satisfy your sexual needs yourself if your wife is busy with other things, gone, or doesn't want to? What is worse, falling into sin? I think that God has not mentioned self pleasure in his word for a reason.

 

[walk the talk]

I think that God not only looks down on us as a beautiful creation perfect in his eyes through the blood of our savior, but he also allows us as human beings to find pleasure in ourselves. If you take anything that people do in general, like smoking for example God looks down on that because it is bad for your body. But self pleasure on the other hand has been proven too many times to ignore that it is good for you. Of course sex with your wife is the better option when available.

 

[walk the talk]

That answer is kind of lame, of course you can. Along with many other things that are not blatant sin in this world. Can you race your car without getting in a accident? I suppose you just have to be careful and enjoy the thrill.

 

[JoeyArnold]

Is there a difference between giving your body what it wants & what it needs?

 

[bertolt]

I think so. I want to smoke cigarettes, even though I stopped more than two decades ago; cigarettes are what my body wants, while it needs to continue to avoid them.

 

[walk the talk]

There is, but is it wrong? Do you need that chocolate bar at the checkout or that cool set of earphones that you are wearing on your head in the picture?

 

[JoeyArnold]

It is less about good versus bad & more about good versus better.

 

[walk the talk]

You can make many things good or better depending on your circumstances. Like that chocolate bar, if you are in need of some sugar to give you a boost or you are diabetic or you just want to enjoy it and feel the delicious crunchy sweet taste. Yummy. I won't get too descriptive there if you relate it to my original post, but I think we are getting a little off topic.

 

[JoeyArnold]

Who knows what is best for our lives?

 

[walk the talk]

I agree, sometimes God gives us the freedom to decide for ourselves.

 

[WinBySurrender]

I know that some Christians relate sexual release or self pleasure with lust.

Not true. Only if that release is achieved outside of marriage is it lust. Within marriage, there is no lust, only love and a desire to please your spouse. Outside of marriage, all of it is lust. Sorry to burst your bubble.

 

[JoeyArnold]

We are told to focus on the things that we know are right instead of diving into the What If Game World.

 

[William II]

Not true. Only if that release is achieved outside of marriage is it lust. Within marriage, there is no lust, only love and a desire to please your spouse. Outside of marriage, all of it is lust. Sorry to burst your bubble.

I think it can be lust inside marriage too, as lust is desire. Nothing wrong with that though.

 

[walk the talk]

We are told to focus on the things that we know are right instead of diving into the What If Game World.

Hi there, the what if is part of our world if we didn't have what if to deal with we would all be Gods little puppets and I don't think he would want that. I know that he wants us to love him through our choices to please him and obey his commands, I feel better knowing that.