You might have heard how masturbation can negatively influence your life and peace. Many religions forbid masturbation and are considered a sin, and Christianity is one of them. Here are 5 reasons why some Christians struggle with masturbation.
- Not written doesn’t mean the bible condones it
Time and again you might have heard that Paul didn’t mention anything about the frightful m-word that is masturbation anywhere in the bible.
Well, the bible doesn’t mention anything about piracy and porn either so assuming that it is not a sin is immoral. The bible doesn’t specify every sin that a person is capable of but what it does give you is a structure so that you can decide for yourselves.
The structure here means a sense of direction and guidance through which the Christians can direct and control their minds, bodies, and spirits.
Although the Lord Jesus Christ has set us free and instructed us to live freely but you should always use that freedom and independence to serve God and not the evil.
It may not be very specific but the moral of the point is that you just can’t do whatever you desire just because it is not labeled as a sin. Just know that at the end of the day your body is a part of the Lord Jesus Christ so act accordingly.
As per the Christianity website, the act of masturbation is not explicitly forbidden in the Bible. The reason behind this is that the issue does not solely arise from masturbation itself, which is considered morally neutral, but rather from the adulterous sexual fantasies that may accompany it. Although the Bible does not directly mention masturbation, it doesn’t imply that individuals are exempt from its considerations or consequences.
- Justifying Lust
Lust always forms in your mind first, then releases its energy through your bodies. Many people justify masturbation and lust by saying it helps them avoid other worse sinful acts like premarital sex, porn, rape, etc.
They believe masturbation cannot be considered a sin if you don’t harm anybody. That is not true.
This is because to feel self-pleasure through masturbation you need to prepare and trigger your mind because god shaped us, humans, to orgasm utilizing what is in front of our eyes. This is often done through imagination, movies, images, and porn.
The problem with this approach is that your mind will always portray men and women as just mere sexual objects even if you imagine your wife or husband while doing the deed.
To overcome any enticement, we need to not only oppose evil but also chase what is good. So the only true way of conquering lust is through serving god and by defeating the evil thoughts within you.
Recognize your triggers and weak points and scratch them out. Remember combating lust and masturbation is a sacred lifelong battle, don’t let lust defeat you.
- You want more of it
When someone achieves an orgasm our brain works in its full capacity to release a bunch of neurological chemicals, out of which one of the major chemicals that gets released is dopamine.
Dopamine is the chemical responsible for us feeling pleasure, satisfaction, happiness, and motivation. Dopamine release during orgasm is what makes us feel so good that we want more and more of it as a result one might get addicted to it.
While masturbation in itself is not much of a sin. But the lustful desire to achieve that same feeling can lead to other immoral behaviors.
In the book of Genesis, God created and gave mankind a directive to have offspring and, as an additional bonus, he made it really pleasurable. God prepared our brains in such a way that it remunerates our bodies for a work well-done.
But one of the dangers of getting addicted to lust is that it led mankind to create and invent sources like drugs, gambling, masturbation, and numerous other ways to trigger that same feeling of pleasure that one can experience.
If you want to conquer the enticement to masturbate, you must have faith in the Holy Bible over your feelings.
- Think about your partner
This point is specifically for the people who are married or planning to get married. While masturbation can be extremely beneficial for self-pleasure but once you get obsessed, it can potentially ruin the affection and intimacy between you and your spouse.
As a true Christian and a servant of God you should never deprive your spouse except by mutual understanding but that too for a limited period of time, then you should come together again and unite as one.
In today’s world of Instagram and Facebook, it can be extremely difficult for a person single or married, to control his or her urge to not masturbate and be faithful to their spouses.
But with the help of the holy bible and the Lord Jesus Christ, you can achieve self-control.
Bible considers masturbation as a sinful act as it is done away from your spouse and without their knowledge, so to stop masturbating you need to first make yourself believe that it is a sin.
Only after convincing yourself that it is a sin you will be able to stop masturbating.
- Who to believe?
One of the most common dilemmas a Christian has to confront especially in this day and age is whether to believe science or the Bible. A quick google search will show you uncountable reasons how masturbation is good for your health.
According to medical sciences, masturbation can help relieve stress, cramps, sleep better, relaxation, and even prevent prostate cancer.
According to a 2016 study done on the relationship between masturbation and prostate cancer, it was found that men can decrease their chances of developing prostate cancer by 21% if they masturbated more than 20 times a month.
Also, according to the Cleveland Clinic, research on male masturbation indicates that it is a healthy practice and can even bring long-term health benefits. One study has suggested that individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB) who engage in frequent ejaculation may experience a reduced risk of prostate cancer. This is because regular ejaculation may help prevent the accumulation of cancer-causing agents in the prostate gland.
It all sounds fine and dandy until you read what the holy bible has to say.
Since masturbation and self-pleasure are done in the absence of your spouse, the bible considers it as a sin as you have fallen into Satan’s temptation and couldn’t control your lust.
And for all the single folks out there, indulging in masturbation because you are not married is also considered a sinful act as sexual pleasure is only to be experienced through marriage.
The bible says it is much better to be single but if someone is having a hard time controlling their lust they should marry as it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
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- Shame and guilt
Masturbating is self-pleasuring arising from the desire to engage in sex. Several factors compel you to engage in this vice.
Your spouse may not be enthusiastic about sex. Or you may have a high sex drive that you can’t control.
But as a Christian, you know that the Scripture advocates your mind controlling your body. Not the other way around.
Hence when you complete each session of masturbation, you may feel relieved sexually and relaxed from tension.
Still, deep inside, your mind is struggling. You feel guilty and ashamed of the act once the initial physical euphoria self-indulgence brings dissipates.
The fact that you are guilty about what you assume is enjoyable and right means it isn’t correct. So you seek forgiveness each time.
But you still get back to the problem once you are alone and idle. You may try to look for the sin in masturbating but can’t find any. And this is why you struggle.
As stated by Truth Saves, Christians are presented with a crucial choice. They can either pursue the path of sexual sin, which results in feelings of bondage, despair, guilt, shame, and ultimately leads to negative outcomes, or they can choose to follow Christ, who offers freedom, hope, and abundant life. This decision is available to them at every moment of every day.
- Sexual needs
According to Bible, sex is supposed to be a union of a man and a woman. But in this union, you may come from very different backgrounds.
As a Christian, you may advocate having sex for creating future offspring to fill the world. So you may abstain from sex when you aren’t ovulating.
Still, you may feel that sex is wrong when the woman is experiencing her monthly blood. But this notion isn’t what your spouse ascribes.
For them, sex may be for enjoyment, bonding, and even fun. And do they are free and willing to engage in sex at any time and in any form?
This form includes the use of sex toys and masturbation. For them, these variations form part of sex and their inclusion fulfills sexual needs.
You then start noticing that there is a big difference in the perception of sex from your viewpoint and their opinion.
So when you are invited to participate in self-pleasuring acts, it becomes a real struggle.
In conclusion, we have discussed content related to five reasons why some Christians might be struggling with masturbation. We hope that with the content provided, you can finally understand why practicing Christians struggle with masturbation and after-effects.
SIMILAR QUESTION
Will I Go To Hell Because I Masturbate?
Introduction
Masturbation is a common act of self-pleasure that can bring physical and emotional benefits to many people. Despite its wide acceptance in modern society, some religious beliefs view this act as sinful and believe it will lead to eternal damnation in Hell. This paper will explore the concept of sin, the specific views of Hell in relation to masturbation, and the overall opinion of religious communities on the topic.
What Is Sin?
The concept of sin is a major component of both Christianity and Islam, but the two religions differ in their interpretation of the concept. In Christianity, sin is viewed as an offense against God and can be divided into two categories: mortal sin and venial sin. Mortal sin is considered a serious offense and is believed to result in eternal damnation in Hell, while venial sin is considered a lesser offense and can be forgiven through repentance. In Islam, all sins are considered serious offenses and must be repented in order to be forgiven.
Will I Go To Hell Because I Masturbate?
The answer to this question largely depends on which religious beliefs one follows. In Christianity, masturbation is generally considered a venial sin, meaning it is not severe enough to result in eternal damnation. However, some denominations within Christianity view masturbation as a mortal sin and believe it will lead to eternal damnation. In Islam, masturbation is considered a sin, but it is not necessarily seen as severe enough to result in eternal damnation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the answer to the question “Will I go to Hell because I masturbate?” largely depends on which religious beliefs one follows. In Christianity, masturbation is generally seen as a venial sin, meaning it is not severe enough to result in eternal damnation. In Islam, masturbation is considered a sin but it is not necessarily seen as severe enough to result in eternal damnation. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to engage in masturbation is one that each individual must make for themselves.
