Is masterbating considered a sin?

[tteague81]

I know God is all for sex in marriage. But what about taking care of business yourself?

 

[David Pratt]

1. [Lasciviousness = without natural affection: Bestiality, necrophilia, incest, rape, homosexuality, sex-change, group sex, masturbation, sexual gratification with non-living objects, adultery, fornication, provocative attire, prostitution, pornography, etc.,]



King James Version Bible


Jeremiah Chapter 17

9. The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?


Mark Chapter 7

21. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22. Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.


Matthew Chapter 5

27. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.


Galatians Chapter 5

19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.


Ecclesiastes Chapter 7

20. For [there is] not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.


Romans Chapter 3

23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;


1 John Chapter 1

10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.



Revelation Chapter 3

5. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.


Revelation Chapter 2

7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.


Revelation Chapter 22

14. Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.


Jeremiah Chapter 17

10. I the LORD search the heart, try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.

 

[renewed21]

Not many takers Tammy. LOL. Well, IMO I sk myself do my actions, thoughts or deeds glorify God. In that regard, yes masterbating is a sin. That being said, IMO it doesn't carry the weight of a majority of sins do.

 

[savedfromdistruction]

There is only one righteous manner for any person to engage in sexual behavior given in the bible and it is with a spouse.
Hebrews 13:4
Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Even to look on another with lust is adultery because it is what the mind is doing that is sin. The same with this issue as it too would be adultery.

 

[Boidae]

Even to look on another with lust is adultery because it is what the mind is doing that is sin. The same with this issue as it too would be adultery.[/quote]

So, can you commit adultery against your spouse with only thoughts of your spouse while masturbating.

I believe that the act of masturbation itself is not a sin, however the thoughts that accompany it can lead you into sin.

I am looking at this from a married man's perspective and as long as your thoughts remain on your spouse, then I do not believe that it's a sin. For me, my wife doesn't have much of a sex drive so I can go weeks or a month or more before we have sex, so I do touch as I have a very high sex drive.

My thoughts remain on my wife while I do so and only on her.

 

[Reformed Baptist 1689]

Masturbation is self fullfillment, pure and simple, and as such it is directly opposed to a biblical view od sexual satisfaction which is built around a mutually beneficial realtionship. So yes it is a sin and perhaps more Christains need to take the time to understand that marriage is about giving rather then taking as modern society suggests

 

[GeorgiaGuyinAtlanta]

Masturbation is self fullfillment, pure and simple, and as such it is directly opposed to a biblical view od sexual satisfaction which is built around a mutually beneficial realtionship. So yes it is a sin and perhaps more Christains need to take the time to understand that marriage is about giving rather then taking as modern society suggests

In the sexual sense, giving what? Pleasure? By that reasoning, there must also be someone receiving it and enjoying it. Thus, they are technically "taking it".

You know, I've wondered individuals who cannot find a person in which to marry, for any variety of reasons, and yet they are supposed to act as though the natural urges that God put inside of us don't exist?

I don't know of any unmarried man who in the long term has been able to keep himself from masturbating.

It's as if God gave people this urge, but engaging in acts which this urge has created are sinful.

What's the purpose of this urge, if one is unable to have a mate.

I realize that the urge lessens with age, due to hormonal factors, but it seems to me as one seeking to perform a bodily action, much the same way as one has an urge to drink or eat. I understand the lusting thing, but the urge is merged with the lusting thing, by and large.

 

[toLiJC]

in principle due to various reasons the having sex can not be recommended, for example, how we can say to someone else: "you must have sex", or: "do it twice a day"?!, it would be like saying: "eat five times a day", or: "gorge five kilograms a day", such things are different for each person i.e. the natural/normal needs and quantities, e.g., some eat pork, others do not like, thirds partake less, quarters are sensitive, etc., however if someone somehow fails to restrain itself, it is appropriate to forgive, anyway personally i dare not recommend whatever masturbation, but also i never judge, more important is to be not used violence against another human, and as a conclusion, the intimate things are very delicate - may God take care of deficiencies

Blessings

 

[torcot]

Inevitably questions similar to this come up during my visits to the jail. I have looked a great deal into this so as to give them a decent answer. The most basic answer is that yes, anything that is to be performed by a husband and wife as a couple, only performed by an individual is sin. The Bible is clear that sex is made for uniting the husband and wife as one. And Remember, the union between a man and his wife is representative of the trinity, and also Christ and his bride; the church. As a man it is for me to treat my wife as Christ would treat his church, this includes the bedroom. Masturbation nearly always follows lust and looking on a woman with lust is adultery in God's eyes. Lust objectifies women and has only one purpose, to use the woman as something only for the man's pleasure. There is no love involved and no oneness with your spouse.

 

[IisJustMe]

I know God is all for sex in marriage. But what about taking care of business yourself?

Don't.

 

[98cwitr]

Buying a new pair of shoes when you have shoes in the closet is self-fulfillment.

 

[revrobor]

One of those subjects that has been beat to death on Christian websites. The fact remains no matter how hard you try it is not addressed anywhere in Scripture. If one lusts while doing it then it is the lust that is sinful not the act.

 

[Reformed Baptist 1689]

In the sexual sense, giving what? Pleasure? By that reasoning, there must also be someone receiving it and enjoying it. Thus, they are technically "taking it".

Did you notice the word 'mutually' in post?

You know, I've wondered individuals who cannot find a person in which to marry, for any variety of reasons, and yet they are supposed to act as though the natural urges that God put inside of us don't exist?

And I wonder if you have read 1 Cor 7

1 Corinthians 7:8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion

According to Paul you either marry or you control yourself - no other option.

As for putting a side God given urges, what urges are you talking about? Lust? Is that a God given urge or is it part of our fallen nature? Your reasoning is deeply flawed if you think that because we have urges God must want us to fullfill them by whatever means we can, where does such reasoning end? What about the paedophile and his urges - are they right?

I don't know of any unmarried man who in the long term has been able to keep himself from masturbating.

Really, if that is true then I am very, very sorry for you. However I don't a single man in this world that has been able to keep himself loving God with all his heart, all his mind, all his soul and all his strenght or love his neighbour as himself 24/7 - but that doesn't make it OK, rather it simply means we are sinners!

It's as if God gave people this urge, but engaging in acts which this urge has created are sinful.

And you will point out where in the bible we read that God has given us the urge for selfish personal gratification rather then a command to love sacrificially?

What's the purpose of this urge, if one is unable to have a mate.

Perhaps it is a sinful urge, and the purpose of it is that God might be glorified by victory over it?

I realize that the urge lessens with age, due to hormonal factors, but it seems to me as one seeking to perform a bodily action, much the same way as one has an urge to drink or eat.

Er no...catagory error...eating and drinking are urges given to us to survive and clearly existed prior to the fall, so they are 'very good' however gluttony is sin is it not? Gluttonly is the fallen extreme of the urge to eat - such urges as you talk about are the sinful extreme of a desire to satisfy oneself outside of the God ordained means.

I understand the lusting thing, but the urge is merged with the lusting thing, by and large.

That is because to two go hand in hand.

 

[Reformed Baptist 1689]

One of those subjects that has been beat to death on Christian websites. The fact remains no matter how hard you try it is not addressed anywhere in Scripture.

I am sorry I have to disagree most strongly - the subject might not be dealt with directly and graphically as we do today - however it is dealt with in the bible. For example turning to 1 Cor 7 we read;

1 Corinthians 7:2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (1Co 7:2 NKJ)

Now notice carefully what Paul is saying. He begins by explaining that the way to avoid fornication is to be married - so by implication any sort of sexual gratification outside of the union is fornication. hence masturbation is fornication and fornication is sin - the type of sin we read the church was to avoid (Acts 15:29).

Paul moves on and in v3 he explains that the husband is to satisfy the wife and the wife is to satisfy the husband in this realtion. No permission is granted for either to satisfy themselves.

V4 explains why - neither partner has authority over their own body in this matter. I don't think Paul could have said any more clearly, but yet also delicately at the same time. We do not have a right to treat our own bodies in this fashion and merely seek personal fullfillment!

In v5 we see the final nail in the coffin - especially for males. This verse forbids one partner refusing the other satisfaction. Sex is not about selfish self fullfillment - it is about giving the other person what they need. Now how can we do that if we haqve just satisfied ourselves!

So yes the subject is dealt with in scripture, we could look further, we could look at the need to be christlike for example, and ask if he needed such things? If not, why do we? We can look at everything positive the word of God teaches about the union of husband and wife and see that no other human realtionship is honoured like this relationship is! That it pitcures the relationship between Christ and his church - does the God who gave us everything, what us to keep something back from our wives for himself?

If one lusts while doing it then it is the lust that is sinful not the act.

And here you assume that one can seperate lust from the act? My friend, if there is no lust why is the act needed in the first place? At the very least the person desire the endorphin rush that an [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] produces. Like an addict lusts for their next fix it is an addiction that creates a lust even if one wasn't present at the beginning!

 

[dies-l]

One of those subjects that has been beat to death on Christian websites. The fact remains no matter how hard you try it is not addressed anywhere in Scripture. If one lusts while doing it then it is the lust that is sinful not the act.

I would add to this that the Bible tends to be a quite explicit about what is and is not "sexual sin". The fact that masturbation is never mentioned would indicate that either it is not inherently sinful out that the biblical authors were unaware of its existence.

 

[revrobor]

I am sorry I have to disagree most strongly - the subject might not be dealt with directly and graphically as we do today - however it is dealt with in the bible. For example turning to 1 Cor 7 we read;

1 Corinthians 7:2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.(1Co 7:2 NKJ)

Now notice carefully what Paul is saying. He begins by explaining that the way to avoid fornication is to be married - so by implication any sort of sexual gratification outside of the union is fornication. hence masturbation is fornication and fornication is sin - the type of sin we read the church was to avoid (Acts 15:29).

Paul moves on and in v3 he explains that the husband is to satisfy the wife and the wife is to satisfy the husband in this realtion. No permission is granted for either to satisfy themselves.

V4 explains why - neither partner has authority over their own body in this matter. I don't think Paul could have said any more clearly, but yet also delicately at the same time. We do not have a right to treat our own bodies in this fashion and merely seek personal fullfillment!

In v5 we see the final nail in the coffin - especially for males. This verse forbids one partner refusing the other satisfaction. Sex is not about selfish self fullfillment - it is about giving the other person what they need. Now how can we do that if we haqve just satisfied ourselves!

So yes the subject is dealt with in scripture, we could look further, we could look at the need to be christlike for example, and ask if he needed such things? If not, why do we? We can look at everything positive the word of God teaches about the union of husband and wife and see that no other human realtionship is honoured like this relationship is! That it pitcures the relationship between Christ and his church - does the God who gave us everything, what us to keep something back from our wives for himself?



And here you assume that one can seperate lust from the act? My friend, if there is no lust why is the act needed in the first place? At the very least the person desire the endorphin rush that an [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] produces. Like an addict lusts for their next fix it is an addiction that creates a lust even if one wasn't present at the beginning!

That's quite a stretch but you are mistaken. You can try to force it into any Scripture you want but it still doesn't fit. It is not addressed in the Bible. The act does not necessarily "deprive" a wife of anything. And finding the act pleasurable is not a lust. I'm not endorsing it but you can't go to the other extreme and make the act a sin.

 

[David Pratt]

Genesis Chapter 38

9. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

10. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.



Question

Can anyone fully explain why Onan was killed?

 

[dies-l]

Genesis Chapter 38

9. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

10. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.



Question

Can anyone fully explain why Onan was killed?

It would seem to be an act of outright disobedience.

 

[revrobor]

Genesis Chapter 38

9. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

10. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.



Question

Can anyone fully explain why Onan was killed?

For his disobedience (not for spilling his seed in the ground which some try to say is masturbation but was actually a natural [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][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]).

 

[Boidae]

Genesis Chapter 38

9. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

10. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.



Question

Can anyone fully explain why Onan was killed?

Definitely not because he masturbated.

It's because he had an obligation to impregnate his brother's wife and did not.