Taught by Cameron Graper:
Masturbation. This a predominate sexual sin that men face, and it's one that no one ever wants to talk about. People are uncomfortable with this word, especially in the church - but it deserves to be spoken about there. What has happened instead is that this word has become quite common in the world of jokes and raunchy entertainment but it isn't spoken about where it needs to be spoken at. It may not be labeled under the word masturbation however, instead other words have been given to this act that I'm sure you've heard many times before.
Well, what does the bible have to say about masturbation? Nothing, really. There really are no specific verses in the bible that speak directly about it. Nothing specific anywhere that says that masturbation is a sin. There are other things like this in the bible too. God's word says that with our knowledge and the Holy Spirit we can determine what it right. So, is it bad? Well, who of you has felt the shame that comes after masturbation? Who has worried about -if your mom or dad might walk in on you while you are masturbating?
I am confident in saying that 99% of masturbatin is a sin. In Matthew 5:28 Jesus spoke of the old law that said a man is sinful if he commits adultery. (cheating on his wife) but then He goes on to say that if a man looks at a woman lustfully then he has committed adultery and has sinned. So, when you do masturbate; what usually comes with it? It's a sexual thought. But what if a person could masturbate without thinking adulterous thoughts? Can a person get sexually aroused without something sexual going on in their minds? Possibly, but doubtful - even if it starts out by being something that just happens; more than likely there will have to be some sort of fantasy to prolong it and end it. I know there are probably some of you out there thinking "this is bull!" "If God didn't want me to masturbate, then He wouldn't have put things within easy reach of my hands!" But - God's word says that you are supposed to be a man that has control of his body. Although the male body may desire a sexual release every 72 hours, some less, some more. God has actually designed something that happens with that in mind. (Nocturnal emission or a wet dream) This is a god given relief that will take place before any possible physical problems would or ever could occur.
There are reasons to fight the temptation of masturbation.
It is a sin and like all sin it seperates us from God. As Christians we are supposed to rid our lives of things that make us impure.
Masturbation can also become a habit; some get addicted to it. Masturbation releases hormones that make us feel good, and we can become hooked on those hormones. There was this speaker that had a man ask him - "how many times a day do you think masturbation is excessive?" He answered; If you can't go a month then you are dealing with weakness; a week you may be addicted to it and if you can't go a day then you may have a life controlling problem.
Another reason to fight the temptation is that it can skew our perception of sex. It can become very selfish, being all about your release. Sex with your wife someday will not be like it is now when you masturbate. Some men think that "this is something that I just do now until I get married, once I have a woman I won't do this anymore." But by then it may be much more of a habit then you ever thought it could possibly be.
Then there can be shame. Take action, hate your impurity, stop telling yourself that this is a normal thing to do. Begin to realize that this affects your life. Hate it enough to stop doing it. Verbalize that you don't want it to be part of your life anymore. Begin to take control of your thoughts, the wide variety of images and thoughts that you've used in the past to masturbate to. Purify your mind of these things. Stop allowing new images and thoughts to come in too. Refuse to look at pornography. Don't stare at a girl's breasts or butts. Refuse to watch things that will cause you to have lingering thoughts, even if they seem harmless to others around you. Don't think upon things that you already have in your heads. You are still going to see things that turn you on, but keep your mind from playing it over and over and over again. For this circumstance and others I want to bring you the idea of some power verses to remind yourself that the action or thought is not for you and to combat what the enemy is throwing at you. For the situation of visual and mind purity look to 2 Corinthian 10:5 with these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. I take captive every thought. Also, begin to identify your weaknesses, when are you most tempted to masturbate and think about what caused you to want to do this? Once you have identified these things begin to guard yourself from letting yourself see images that will cause you to dwell on them, be careful what you see online, in games and in movies. Another verse, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 run away from sexual sin, no other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God: You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. I have no right to do this because I belong to God. Ask God for help if and when you need it. God cares about your purity. He wants you to live a life filled with joy and greatness. If you struggle with your thought life and you struggle with masturbation - try to get control - Think about becoming accountable to another man if this is something that you have let rule your life in the past.
Even when you begin to deal with this problem, understand that you will still have failure. It isn't easy to change things overnight. We are in a constant fight until the day that we die with our own sin nature. Romans 7:18-25
Don't let shame over this ever get you down. It can be conquered and dealt with.
God created us, he understands our hormones that we fight with, he understands our struggles. God's blood covers all of our sins and He gives us the strength to fight all of our battles, yes, even this one.
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