Is masturbation a sin in our Lord’s eyes? What’s your take?
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Yes. It is an expression of lasciviousness, which is condemned in Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 4:19, 1 Peter 4:3, and other places. Sexual activity only rightly takes place within the context of marriage.
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Just don’t use pornography to do it, and the licentiousness will pass.
Does it buffer the sin if you’re masturbating to pictures of your wife?
Like, if murder is a 10, then this would be like a 1 or 2?
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you must be fun at parties…
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At least you know he won’t make it awkward by masturbating on the dancefloor.
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Who is your Lord?
Obviously from my sarcastic first comment I’m not religious. From a non-religious perspective, do what you want in private. As long as it stays that or in conformance with your partner, who cares right?
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Crom laughs from his mountain.
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If it is…I’ve had a straight up first class ticket to the deepest lower depths starting age 11. I think I broke records that first year…
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I may regret engaging in this conversation, but I’m curious.
Assuming we’re talking Christian understanding of sin here? I’m curious as to the motivation behind the question? Are you looking for the ok to get on with getting yourself off? Or is this just an abstract conversation?
Just an abstract conversation. Some friends and I have gone back and forth on whether it is sin or not. And yes, Christian based understanding.
Ok, now I’m curious, because after 8 years of religious education, I don’t understand the Christian argument for how it’s NOT a sin.
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Yea I agree, I think at the root of the question, generally lies one of what appears to be one of Jesus’ biggest bug bears, strict obedience to rules, without the right attitude of heart, so in this instance, you could theoretically argue that Jesus said to look at a woman with lust in your heart is adultery, but there isn’t a black and white “though shalt not rub one out” so therefore I can rub one out as long as I’m not thinking of someone who isn’t my spouse.
But that ignores the very point Jesus was making in that verse, obedience to the letter of the law isn’t what God’s after, it’s the heart attitude - which definitely found isn’t in trying to find the loop holes!
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Alongside all that, one of the biggest takeaways I got from the New Testament is just how forgiving and loving God is. He’s not out there tallying up sins so that, when you expire, he can go “Sorry dude: you were 4 sins over the limit for entry into Heaven”. He, allegedly, knows that we’re imperfect and sees us as a bunch of adorable little knuckleheads that he can’t help but love and forgive, so long as we accept him into our hearts.
Like, as far as almighty deities go, that’s a pretty sweet deal. Odin want you to die in battle, and your reward is you get to die in battle AGAIN in the afterlife. But supposedly the company and food is better.
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We need to ask God these questions–all questions! Matthew 6:6 discusses the Secret Place. This is where we go to cultivate our intimate relationship with Jesus, to be quiet and listen for His still small voice. We are on a T-nation platform. Are PED’s not a sin? Does God care about our outward appearances?.. ABSOLUTELY NOT! Jesus is a heart issue! Anything we put in front of our Lord, and give more time to than our Lord is considered a false god. I struggle mightily with this. We all know how much time, thought, preparation and effort go into training hard. I also know that working out of town with high T levels and missing my wife, sometimes finds my pecker in my hands. I justify this because my mind never strays, and I’ll wear her panties on my face and only lust after her… but does this glorify God…? Good golly! This was a very strange chat to find here. I felt compelled to share. I train hard because I want to be strong and fit, but if not for wanting to look fantastic for my wife, I would not go nearly as hard–though my wife loves me regardless. Flesh is flesh–and the power of the flesh is a mofo! Jesus is first in our lives, and again the whole gear life does not align with His plan. Lord in heaven, forgive us our iniquities and shortcomings. Create in us a clean heart and a steadfast spirit! Help us to put You first, to be Kingdom minded! To love our wives as Christ loved the Church, and our neighbors as ourselves. Thank you Jesus for loving us first! In Jesus name!
If masturbating to porn or lustfully then definitely a sin! If doing so only thinking about our wives in times of separation for work or other reasons… I just don’t know. But then, who am I to speak for God.
Secret Place or bust friends! God bless!!
I’d broadly agree, particularly here:
His mercies are new every day, forgive 77 x 7 etc.
But I think here:
Is where I’d see a particular strain of evangelic teaching that I might be more cautious of. We’re also told that we are to be holy because God is holy, we are told that without works faith is dead and that:
God does not show favoritism. When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God.
Then there’s Ananias and Sophira, New Testament examples of people struck down dead by God because their hearts weren’t aligned with their actions.
Christian’s are instructed to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
And we’re told: Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.
So yes God is forgiving and even when we sin we have an advocate in Jesus, but unrepentant sin, that is denied as even being sin shouldn’t be a place any Christian is comfortable with and in particular this area, another thought:
But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
Romans 14:23
Edit to add this is also by no means meant to be a judgement on anyone else, I have in the past been guilty in this area and am eternally grateful for the loving mercies of God.
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Most definitely. I was painting with the broadest of strokes (oh wow, terrible word choice given the topic but I’m sticking with it), considering that, within Christianity itself, there are so many interpretations and divisions that attempting to capture it all is a multiple PhD level of study, haha.
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Haha love it.
Yea definitely appreciate that!
Believe Jesus is God, that he died for our sins and was resurrected three days later. Along with that, I think we are expected to do the best we can. I think we all need to try not to sin. Try to follow the commandments the best that we can and ask forgiveness when we fail. This is what we would expect from our own children.
I don’t believe masturbating sometimes is your ticket to hell but doing it every day without remorse while you are watching porn may be a problem. Lust, adultery and lies all come into play with this behavior. Even if it’s only in your mind.