Is Masturbation Wrong?

Question:




I've been struggling with what is right and wrong on this subject, because so many people have different views on it. This is kind of an embarrassing question to ask, but I've been studying for a long time now, and still can't seem to find the answer. Is masturbation a sin without lust? I thought maybe you'd have some good advice for me. I've been praying a lot, and know that it's important to have self control. If you have any advice for me, I'd really appreciate it!




Answer:



That’s a good question with a bunch of answers (a lot of them aren’t correct). It would be easy to justify this by saying that it’s replacing someone from doing something that we say is worse. Some have said that if you focus on your spouse it’s ok. These are all faulty views because they are not based on the Truth. To know God’s response to this, you have to have a good grasp of the Truth. You have to ask the question “What is lust?” The definition from the Greek Word Epiqumia which means “strong desire for what is forbidden.” This is the Greek word used to describe the lust of the flesh. So you have to ask yourself again, as not to put someone’s own meaning into the Word, what is forbidden? The Webster Dictionary defines forbidden simply as “prohibited; not allowed”. If we look according to God’s Word, who alone has the authority to say what is allowed and what is not allowed? So we can see according to God’s Word that lust is taking anything out of God’s original design and using it for one’s own purpose.

If you look in Matthew 4 at the first temptation Jesus experienced, Satan attempted to test Jesus to use His supernatural power from God to fill his stomach with food. Jesus had been fasting for 40 days, and if He went much further He would have starved to death. Did this tempting sound good? Absolutely. Try going 2 days without eating anything and anyone would compromise something do eat a Subway sandwich. But Christ knew that the power God gave Him was not given to fill His own desire but the desire of Him Who sent Him, which is why He combated that temptation with standing on God’s Word that He would not use what God gave Him to fill His desires.

So let’s bring this back to our topic. God has designed men and women with desires, and we can’t deny that. But what we have to remember alongside this is that God also designed a way for those desires to be fulfilled. They are meant to be an expression of a husband and wife’s pledged faithfulness to one another in marriage. The body of the man does not belong to him, nor does the wife (1 Cor. 7:4). So what is masturbation? It is the taking of something that is meant to be expressed in marriage and using it to please one’s own desires. This is almost a pure definition of the lust of the flesh.

If you are struggling with this, there are two necessities that must be placed in your life. The first one is accountability. This is not just accountability with one friend that you contact when you mess up. It starts with accountability with God and seeing this as He sees it. If you don’t see it the way He does than you can’t combat it in His power and you won’t see the need to change. Out of that you need to establish accountability in your life. Through confession and prayer you can walk anew in His mercy and grace (James 5:16). The next step is combating the lie that tarnishes the mind and leads many captive buy bringing that captive with the Truth of God’s Word. This is the only way to stay in His plan and have power over this. (Psalm 119:9, 2 Corinthians 10:5)

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.