I think that we have gotten a little off track here.
For all of us who have been Born-Again, who have received Jesus Christ into our hearts as the complete sacrifice for all our sins, we really should just ask ourselves these questions here:
1. Does masturbating glorify God, or simply fufill our own fleshly desires?
2. Does masturbating draw us closer in our relationship to our Savior, or does it drive us away from Him?
3. Does masturbating help us grow in our spiritual lives?
We were put on this earth soley for the purpose to glorify our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus. Re-read my first question again-who are we masturbating for-Jesus, or ourselves.
The bottom line is-masturbation IS sexual! What does the Bible say about improper lusts of the flesh, BECAUSE THAT IS exactly WHAT MASTURBATION IS:
PROVERBS 6:25-"Do not lust in your heart after her beauty......"
COLOSSIANS 3:5-"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires & greed, which is idolatry,"
Matthew 5:28-"But I tell you, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully, has already committed adultery in his heart."
Who are you masturbating for-yourself, or God?
Look at what Scripture has to say about staying pure:
Phillipians 1:10-"........so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure & blameless until the day of Christ......."
Do we think that sexuality for any other purpose except procreation, &/or intamacy between a married man & woman, is pure?
No, my brothers & sisters. All masturbation is is selfishness-satisfying our own desires, instead of trusting God, with every fiber of our very being!
I am 50 years old. I am still a virgin. In fact, I have never even kissed, hugged , or even touched a girl. For the longest time, I felt that there was nothing wrong with masturbation. But it has ruined my life in the past, & is STILL a problem to me-because it is an addiction, every but as powerful as cocaine, or heroin. It draws me away from my trust in God to help me with the reality of staying single, it draws me away from my relationship with God, in having faith that He WILL find me a mate, it leads to a terrible backskliding form my realtionship with my Lord & Savior When I DO masturbate.
Scripture says:
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellant, or praiseworthy- think about such things." (Phillipians 4:8}
Does masturbation fall into any of these classisifications, as outlined above?
No-it does not.
Anything that does not fall into these classifications, is not acceptable for ANYONE who claims to be a child of God, & therefore IS sin!
It is sin, if it takes the place of-FIRST & FORMOST-our relationship with our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus!
Either we serve our own lusts, or we serve Christ! There IS no other option!
Bill