What does God say about masturbation? We need to understand His mind concerning this destructive habit that has put many people in bondage today?
Masturbation is a way that some people have found to ease themselves of sexual tension and get self-satisfaction. It is an act that an individual can conduct without contact with another person, many people argue that it is not a sexual sin like fornication and adultery.
Many say it is a healthy way of releasing sexual tension, especially if you don’t want to violate anybody’s privacy, contact STDs, or sin against God.
Numerous debates have gone in favor and against masturbation over the ages, and presently those who favor self-gratification appear to be winning, as an increasing number of people claim to see nothing wrong in it.
Knowing what God says about masturbating will clear the air over the matter, and gives us the real truth that we need to know and believe so that we do not fall into an error while believing that we are on the right track.
Is It in the Bible?
The word “masturbate” does not appear in the Bible, though we have sexual sins like fornication and adultery mentioned in several places.
This has made many people conclude that the Bible did not mention it, hence it is of no importance before God and so it is not classified as sin.
The Bible did not mention many things that are happening in our world today like child trafficking, women abuse, hard drugs, cultism, terrorism, etc., at least not in the language that we know, but they are in the Bible written as wickedness, uncleanliness, and ungodliness.
In Leviticus 15:1-18, the word of God declares anyone that has seminal emissions as unclean. Such a person is not supposed to remain in the midst of others but should meet the priest who will conduct the stipulated sacrifices that will cleanse him.
That Bible passage did not mention masturbation, but we all know that this act requires seminal emission, as a matter of fact, over 90% of cases ended in sperm expulsion in men, and orgasm in women.
God sees all self-satisfying practices that involve seminal discharges as sins that require a major sacrifice before He can pardon them.
This means that masturbating is a sexual sin, in the same category as fornication and adultery.
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What The Bible Says About Sexual Sins
The Bible made us understand that all sexual activities must take place within marriage, between married male and female couples.
An Abomination
1. Ephesians 5:3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
2. 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his body.
3. Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
4. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor.
God expects those who belong to Him to be pure within and without. He told the children of Israel, “be holy for I am holy.”
This is not an option, but a necessity for anyone who wants to walk with God, and please Him.
Masturbation has been in the world for a long time, but those who practice it find it hard to say it in the public, because it is a shameful act which they cannot reveal in the public.
Presently they do speak out boldly when they engage in such acts because the Bible makes us understand that we are living in the end times.
The purity that God expects from us is such that, mere mentioning masturbation means we have committed a sin not to talk of engaging in it.
God regards all sexual sins as sin against the body, and He frowns at it in all ramifications.
When sin is in someone’s life, the spirit of God cannot dwell inside such life. We should know that we are not the owner of our lives for we belong to God.
In Him we live and walk and have our being.
We should put to death, that is, resist and reject all sinful desires that are coming to our hearts. The fact that they are coming does not make it right for us to indulge in them.
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Your Body Belongs to God
1. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
2. 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For God purchased you with a price, therefore, glorify God in your body.
Contrary to what many people believe and insinuate, our body does not belong to us, it belongs to God, we did not contribute in any way to how God created us. It is the one who created us that has total control over our body.
God gave instructions on how we are to use our bodies in a way that will glorify Him, we must obey or suffer the consequences. Our body is not for gratifying sexual lusts; God created us to give him pleasure. This we can do by living our lives to please Him.
You are responsible for how you keep the temple of God in your care, which is your body. On judgment day you will give an account of how you used your body.
We are to prevent evil thoughts that promote masturbations and other sexual activities from coming to our hearts, they pollute our hearts and make us desire the evil act. When you guard your heart diligently, you will be free from all the lusts that can lead you to self-pleasure.
The Good Side in Exploring Your Body (From Those In Support)
Those who ask, is it a sin to explore your body? And go ahead to prove that it is not sin have the following points to support their argument.
It feels good
Self-pleasure feels good, there is no doubt about that, it pleases the flesh a lot, especially when you reach orgasm or ejaculate. This alone is the major reason many are indulging in it, they want sexual pleasure.
You can have orgasm on demand
Touching yourself for sexual arousal and pleasure can make you orgasm or ejaculate at will. You determine when you get it and you do not need another person to join or assist you.
You can do it alone
This is good for those who want to hide their ugly life away from others. Self-pleasure does not require you to get a girlfriend or any lover. You can do it all alone, and still your desired satisfaction. Many have seen this as a solution to infidelity in marriage.
An ideal sex outlet problem
Some people masturbate to overcome the problem of sexless marriage, or as a solution to lack of sex for those that are single. They see it as secure and safe.
The Ugliness of Exploring Your Body
The disadvantages of touching your body for sexual arousal far outweigh the advantages. Whatever those who are in support might have as reasons to indulge in it, cannot measure up to the reasons why we should desist from it, more so when God condemns it.
It brings shame
What follows immediately after indulgence in self-gratifying activities is shame, loneliness, and guilt. The satisfaction that you get from it will last for minutes, and then guilt will follow. It affects people’s social and emotional behaviors negatively.
It makes you abhor normal sex life
Anyone hooked by self-satisfaction will not see any need to desire normal sexual pleasure with the opposite sex anymore. This is because what they practice has affected their mental faculty. They believe no one can give them the satisfaction they are lusting after. The Bible calls them people with reprobate minds who love to do what is not right.
Robs wife emotionally and physically
Masturbation has caused many marriages to break down because husbands can no longer satisfy their wives, they prefer giving their attention to fondling their sexual organs to get satisfied and neglect their wives to their fate. Many women are suffering silence because of this, while many have to look for ways out of the problem.
It brings separation between You and God
God warns that we must desist from all sins if we want to walk with Him. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, the fact that condemnation and guilt follow acts of masturbating is a sign that God is far from it. The more you do it the farther you will get from God.
It is addictive
Ask those who have given themselves to self-gratification, many of them will tell you that they have tried to come out of it but without success. This is because it is addictive, once you start it, you will find it hard to quit. You may regret it, and promise never to do it again, but when the temptation comes, you find yourself falling easily for it. It is a bondage that you need to break free from.
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How to Be Free from Masturbation
For as many people who wish to be free from the bondage of self-pleasure, or any other sexual sins, can be free if only they are willing to surrender to Jesus Christ, the person that God sent into this world to remove our sins.
Surrender to Jesus
When Jesus died on the cross, they shed his blood to satisfy the requirement for forgiveness of sin. “For without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.” The blood that Jesus shed was sufficient to take care of the sins of humanity. It can take care of your sins.
Agree with God that self-gratification is sin, go to him the way you are, and ask Him to forgive you of your sins. God will never cast away any sinner who sincerely seeks His face to get forgiveness.
When you confess your sins, the power in the blood of Jesus will cleanse and purify your heart. He will give you new desires, so much so that you develop hatred for that self-pleasing life that you thought you cannot do without.
The word of God is the solution to all the problems of man. God told Joshua to always meditate in it if he desires to succeed in life. That is what we need to do. By meditating in the word of God, it will cleanse and sanctify you from within, and make you aware of what God ordained for your life.
Many people who are in the bondage of sexual sins today venture into them because they were looking for adventure, joy, peace, and more satisfaction, but instead of getting them, they become victims of sexual sins.
The word of God will open your eyes to real truth, joy, and peace that words cannot describe.
Change your lifestyle
Avoid a lifestyle that encourages or promotes sexual sin at all costs. Many people who love to masturbate use pornographic content to stimulate their fleshy desires. Remove all pictures, magazines, films, etc., that can lure you into it.
Your body will start to adjust to this new lifestyle once you deny it those content. The Bible tells us to resist the devil, and he will flee from us. You should start to resist now, before you reach a point of no return.
If you have subscribed to any group, forum, or platform on the internet where you receive these content, separate yourself from such, close all the accounts, and never go there again.
If you have friends or lovers with who you commit sins, cut them off. Anyone who is encouraging sins in your life is not fit to be your friend.
Cry to God
Know that “uncleanliness” can land you in hellfire. This is the more reason you should get out of it at all cost. It is a matter of life and death because hell is a place of no return, and no mercy.
Now that you have the opportunity, never take it for granted. Cry to God for help, He can deliver you, “for those who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The mad man of Gadarene in the Bible has thousands of demons in him, but Jesus delivered him with just a word, “go,” and they all left him, the man became an evangelist thereafter.
Jesus can set you free too, He has done it before and He can do it again. Just come to Him and He will save you.
Do you have problems with masturbation or life stories that you can share to help others who are struggling to get out of it? Post them in the comment section below.