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hey! people can throw a "Christian" before anything, it sure doesn't really mean anything these days........Its funny (well not really) but as culture continues to slide ever so slowly downhill, less and less people care about holyness and purity, I'm sure in another fifty years folks won't even reconize the bible as a basic foundation for ones faith. there will probably be "Christian" porn sites, that have married couples giving instruction on great Christian sex, and Christian touching yourself sites that teach all sorts of self stimulating technics, and devices that can be purchased....its just one of the signs the bible points out in the end times
Not sure you can equate masturbation with the end of times... that's a bit presumptuous, don't ya think?
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
galatians 5:16
I think if you are doing it because you enjoy it, that is different than if you are lusting while doing it.
I agree
People can throw around scriptures that say walk by the spirit, etc...but walking by the spirit would mean to give up TV, computers, movies, oh...and then obesity and over eating is living by the flesh... we are supposed to love our neighbor more than ourselves. When is the last time you saw someone go feed their neighbor before they stuffed their own face.
That's not quite right. The Holy Spirit makes the life of Jesus real within us and that means we become more fully human, not less. Whereas we must show some discernment based on our maturity and what we can safely handle, being a Spirit led Christian does not automatically mean giving up all that we can enjoy within appropriate values.
John
NZ
I agree, but if you go by the bible and took it literally then we would not own a home because we would have to give up all we have to the poor, if we loved our neighbor as ourself as we should, we would feed them first; women would not wear Gold, pearls, would have long hair, wouldn't pray in church, would have a head covering on in church...it's impossible to please God without faith and only because of Jesus can I live daily enjoying this wonderful life He's given me...and not trying to figure out every single sin in the bible that people don't follow anyway...if we are real!
I agree, but if you go by the bible and took it literally then we would not own a home because we would have to give up all we have to the poor, if we loved our neighbor as ourself as we should, we would feed them first; women would not wear Gold, pearls, would have long hair, wouldn't pray in church, would have a head covering on in church...it's impossible to please God without faith and only because of Jesus can I live daily enjoying this wonderful life He's given me...and not trying to figure out every single sin in the bible that people don't follow anyway...if we are real!
Is mastabating a sin?
Correct. Most Christians fall prey to something called "confirmation bias", where they selectively interpret scripture so that it confirms their beliefs about debatable matters. The language in the Bible contains nuance, ambiguity, and occasional exaggeration... leaving us with the living, liquid, divine word of God that can't just be "decoded" into black and white.
That's why it's important to study the Bible and to seek an understanding of different perspectives. The commentaries that I respect the most will say something like, "There are four common interpretations of this verse" and go through each of them without showing a clear bias. Bible commentaries also help us to understand the original language and cultural context that provides important background for understanding.
What saddens me most about Christian Forums is how often confirmation bias and narrow-minded thinking leads to condemnation. While I'm sure that this site is a blessing for many, it also can cause severe damage to those who accept distorted condemnation as Biblical truth because it comes from someone who quotes scripture.
Do I have confirmation bias? Of course... we all do. That's why I try to approach every debate with a notion that I could be wrong. You can't simplify every question to make it black and white. Circumstances matter. What's in a person's heart and mind matters. A person's unique sanctification matters. We can't know all of those factors.
To everyone responding to these types of questions: please be careful. Trivializing a person's inner struggles can be devastating. We all fall short of God's perfect plan for us, but he released us from the slavery of the law. Condemnation takes a person away from God. Encouragement and support is more likely to point a person towards God... then the Holy Spirit can convict perfectly and the rules aren't nearly as agonizing.
I would say yes it is a sin . Read the gospel of Matthew. While he or Jesus don't say it directly, there are a few passages that basically say all we need to know . " If you think lustfully about another persons wife you have already commited adultry with her "
and.." If your hand causes you to sin cut it off .." " If your eye causes you to sin pluck it out "
I love when married people tell other, would-be married, yet single people what they can and can't do with their own genitals, especially when they have a piece of paper which gives them the "right" to breed like rabbits, whether or not any love is currently present in the matrimonial contract.
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