Masturbation is a hot topic that is hardly discussed in Christian circles. Our culture refuses to talk about it. Those who indulge in it pursue sexual orgasm by self-stimulation of their genitals and may suffer social stigma if exposed. Ironically, it is said that many people masturbate at one point of their lives. There is an old joke that, "98 % of people masturbate, and the other two percent are lying." This is certainly not true, but it buttresses the fact that masturbation is a common secret practice.

Masturbation gives instant self-gratification. It is a practice of self-indulgence, which is the very opposite of self-control that the Bible commands. Self-control is an act of obedience to God It is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). It requires restraint, sober-mindedness, and devotion to God.

Does the Bible Say Masturbation is a Sin?

If you are looking for the word “masturbation” in the Bible you may not find. But the Bible prohibits practices that translates into masturbation in the following passages:

1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 says, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.” 

Proverbs 25:28 says, “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.

While the Bible may not mention masturbation directly, the lustful thoughts that lead to and sustain it are sinful.

Jesus talks of lust in Matthew 5:27-30. Lust is a desire without restraint and essentially that is what happens in individuals who choose masturbation. Masturbation most often occurs when a person is having sexual thoughts about someone who is not his/her spouse. The "lust of the flesh" (1 John 2:16) is sin. Masturbation is simply a sin. 

Important notes for men

By their nature, men are aroused to orgasm by what they see. For men, there is a connection between sexual thoughts and orgasm. Therefore, in order to masturbate, a man will have to get vivid and exciting thoughts and images into his mind. This can be done by pure imagination, by pictures, movies, stories, or real women. And dangerous enough, these images always involve women as sexual objects. Thus masturbation leads men down a dark road where they are likely to treat women as objects of sex instead of protecting and cherishing them as God intended. 

So if masturbation is a sin, how did God intend the unmarried to handle their sexual feelings?

God intended that you should learn self-control. It is God’s desire that you should be in charge of your bodies in terms of desires and passions, even sexual passions (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). This is what makes humans different from other animals. The cock can jump at the hen and begin to mate anywhere, anytime they feel aroused but humans are expected to control themselves. Erroneously, some people think masturbation is a safe way to escape fornication but the truth is that masturbation is as much a sin as is fornication and adultery. So run from it!

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