Are Christians Against Masturbation?

According to research, 84% of Americans masturbate. Moreover, 3 in 4 men consume pornographic content, and almost half of women, approximately 40% of them, use a vibration toy. What’s more, almost 50% of both genders use their imagination to titillate themselves sexually.

Sure, sex is by far the most potent motive for human beings. However, are Christians against masturbation? Does the Bible look down upon people who use self-pleasure for sexual gratification? Let’s discuss this in detail.

Is Masturbation a Sin?

Are Christians Against Masturbation?

Is Masturbation a sin? To answer this question, one needs to dig deep into the bible. It is true; sexual urges are very hard to overcome, especially when you are in your teens and your twenties when your hormones are raging, and you are at the peak of your physical competencies.

It is not unnatural for men and women to touch themselves. Sadly, some of them fall into an abyss of regret and sorrow after getting off without a partner.

The good news is that God hasn’t forsaken them and knows perfectly what they are made for. God knows his creation best, and understands their strengths and weaknesses. He is the most forgiving, and he also likes those who seek forgiveness. The following verses from Hebrew 2:17-18 NKJV are living, breathing proof of this.

“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, for in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

It seems hard to grasp, but Jesus experienced everything that a man would feel. Apart from being the chosen one, he was open to everything a man goes through, which includes hunger, thirst, sleep, and sex.

This is where we need to draw the line. As human beings, it is perfectly natural for us to feel a strong mammalian pull towards the other gender, but it doesn’t mean we have to give in to our temptations.

There is a difference between being tempted and seduced and performing a lewd and lecherous act. Here is another verse that will help you draw the line between the two.

We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV)

Despite the temptations being there, Jesus did not sin at all, for he is the son of God, and he had to be pure. Purity is what he wants for his people too. When a person watches pornography and masturbates to it, he commits a vulgar act, that too out of wedlock.

Now that we have gone through the biblical verses, why don’t you ask yourself whether or not Jesus masturbated? See? It’s even impossible to register the idea of someone so pure in committing such a sin. Besides Jesus being a revered individual, the second strongest evidence of his innocence is his own word.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19 NKJV)

In these verses, Jesus refers to his father, the Almighty. In this passage, it is said that Jesus did whatever his father did and what he saw him do. Therefore, to have masturbated, he would have seen his father do the same, but it never happened. It is out of the question. Anything with a negative connotation cannot be attached to God and his son.

Jesus’s words, actions, and his life in general are evidence of his great mission of exalting his father in heaven. His efforts and the hardships he bore weren’t based on personal ambition but on the message given to him by his father, the Almighty. Here is another verse.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV)

In the verse above, it is said that every action should be committed to admit the glory of the Lord. When a person eats or drinks, he thanks his creator for his blessings and the delicious food and drink he has bestowed onto him. By thanking God for being his provider and protector, a man is exalting and glorifying him.

Do you really think, and man can feel grateful before the lord, after having masturbated? Not a chance. Masturbation is an unpleasant act aimed at pleasing oneself, but it certainly doesn’t have anything to do with God’s pleasure. Therefore, it shouldn’t be practiced.

God looks down upon sexual temptation, but he dislike even more the people that succumb to it. Moreover, there is no mention of Christ and his father endorsing any sexual act out of wedlock. Therefore, it is quite clear that masturbation is a sin, as it takes away your purity from you.

How to Control Sexual Desires?

So, what should a person do to control his or her sexual urges, if they aren’t even allowed to touch themselves in the private regions?

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:5-10, NKJV)

This is a simple verse, but if you delve deeper into it, you will realize what it has to offer. It talks about a person being humble, and how much God loves his humble people. Part of humility has to do with guarding one’s modesty. Men and women who are humble before the Lord do not, their guard their modesties, and do not fall into unlawful desires.

How to control sexual desires? The answer is a simple one-liner. Be humble, align your will with God’s will and guard yourself, as well as your modesty. A person who lacks humility feels entitled to instant sexual gratification.

He fails to realize that it is against the commandments of the Lord. On the flipside, a humble and modest person is embedded with the same desires and temptations, but he chooses not to act on them, for he doesn’t want to be in God’s bad books.

The Final Word

“Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Masturbation or any other sexual act is unlawful if done in the absence of a spouse. The aforementioned verse talks about obedience to Christ. To be obedient to Christ, we mustn’t stain our character with wrongdoing, and in this case, sexual wrongdoing, which includes masturbation.

As believers, it is our responsibility to find righteous partners with whom we can fulfill our desires in the most legitimate fashion, and have kids whom we can raise on religious grounds.