Masturbation … uhm?
In preaching about purity, I frequently get asked: what is your opinion about masturbation? Wow … talk about a loaded question. As with a lot of things in today’s culture, many believe that this issue is a “gray” one within a biblical context. Some, on the other hand, say it’s as defined as black and white. And there are others, sprinkled throughout the Church, who choose not to talk about the issue at all – hoping it will just go away. Unfortunately, issues like masturbation seldom go away quietly, or without a heated debate.
Relevant Magazine has posed this discussion on their website, offering a “debate” between both sides of the issue – all in a gracious context of course. Here’s the link for this discussion.
My thoughts?
While each person must face up to, deal with, and live out their own convictions from the Holy Spirit, my conviction about masturbation is this: it’s a sin. This is what I have come to understand through study, experience, conviction, and prayer. This is what I teach teens and adults (males). I have seen too many cases where people excuse masturbation as a healthy alternative to escape the presures of “pre-martial sex”, and end up carring this “alternative” into their marriages – doing more damage then good.
I could give many other scriptures, which talk about purity, that support my conviction, but I think this passage clearly says it all:
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (NIV)
3It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God
What are your thoughts?
I agree with you. It seems to me that masturbation, like every other sexual sin, involves using God’s gift of sex in a way that is contrary to his intent. He gave it so that husband and wife could express their committed love in a way that unites them in a union like that of God with his people and that is creative of life and brings a joy which is a foretaste of heaven. In other words, it is a way for them to be the image and likeness of God in this world. Any other use of sex falls short of God’s plan for us
I’ve heard it said before: “sex in marriage should be an act of worship to GOD”. This goes a long with what you’re saying Naturgesetz. Our sexual nature was created by and, in a way, for GOD. To pervert what HE has created for our own selfish pleasures not only distorts our view of HIS creation, but also distorts our view of HIM and HIS Holiness.
I may seem ultra conservative on this issue, but as I said in the post, I have a strong conviction about this.