Is Masturbation a Sin?: 7 Reasons Why I Believe You Should Avoid It

Is masturbation a sin according to the Bible and Christian beliefs? This is a difficult question to answer but I want to try to give you my best attempt.

In this video I am going to share with you 7 reasons I think that you should avoid masturbation but not because masturbation is expressly prohibited in the Bible.

1. Sex (or sex acts) are meant for marriage
2. 99.9% of the time, masturbation includes sexual lust or fantasies which are clearly prohibited in scripture
3. It cultivates selfishness and a dehumanizing of others within the person which is the opposite of Christ’s goal in sanctification
4. Isolating behavior the leads away from relationships instead of towards others
5. A growing christian is learning self-control and trust in God by not demanding that their desires be fulfilled on demand
6. The experience of guilt or shame in your life should cause you to pause and deeply consider your actions
7. Masturbation is often a form of escapism that moves you opposite of the direction Jesus is taking you

Deciding on what is off limits in your recovery plan is essential and at the same time, there is much more to your behavior than right and wrong.

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Quoted in the video:

Dr. Mark Laaser, Faithful & True Ministries

Winston Smith, Christian Counseling Education Foundation (CCEF) contributor