ARTICLE: MASTURBATION A SIN FOR CHRISTIANS?(PART 2)

It is true that most people masturbate and that is across all ages but mostly among adolescents. However, many people know it is wrong and have always been disturbed after doing it. Most offenders have sought counseling because they find the act not good.

In a survey conducted by Emmanuel Agyei Kwafo, 2012 with a sample size of 400, 6.5% wanted masturbation to be accepted as part of human social life (MA), whilst 85.5% think it must not be accepted as part of human social life. 83.75% think masturbation is a common act among most young people (MC) and 53.75% either know or have heard of people who have masturbated (KM).

Our understanding of the biblical texts that deals with sexual issues is that the Bible allows sex only within permanent, faithful marriage, between a man and a woman and that every other sexual act outside of marriage falls short of God’s ideal.

That is what all Christians must come to terms with. Those who have nothing to do with God we only appeal to their conscience to come to the understanding that sexual pleasure of all kinds are only acceptable within marriage and here marriage does not include same sex marriages as already established.

Masturbation has been argued by some medical experts to be healthy for some reasons. I do not seek to argue that, but the concern here is sexual pleasures are to be desired and experimented within the context of marriage only. Anything sexual short of this standard is wrong and unacceptable.

Masturbation involves the use of the mind. Anyone who masturbates does that on memories. Therefore, the sexual pleasure is not desired because one stimulates the sex organs or stimulates erogenous regions but because of the sexy mental picture that runs through the mind consciously or unconsciously.

Reading or viewing pornography, sexual fantasy, are often common adjuncts to masturbation, people will call upon memories during masturbation.

Michael Dimarco and Hayley Dimarco puts it this way:

For the single guy, instead of doing what it takes to find a good woman to marry and have sex with, masturbation is way to “compromise” and have sex with images {in your mind} rather than having sex with a real woman and publicly living a lifestyle counter to your faith. Masturbation lets you be a “bad boy” in secret as opposed to the “bad boy” who sleeps around and everyone knows it.

Remember what Jesus said,

27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ *28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

(Matthew 5:27-28)~NLT

Masturbation is part of the sexual desires Paul classifies as shameful:

“That is why God abandoned them to their shameful….”Romans 1:26

In my interview with some three girls who have over masturbated, one said she uses the fingers and she had been in the habit for eight years. During those eight years period she had not been happy and needed counseling. Another claimed she uses banana for satisfaction by inserting it into the genital. Another claimed she uses toothbrush, blade stick, eyelash pencil, ballpoint pen or her fingers. Do you think these practices are natural and healthy?

I do not worry much about writers and researchers who have suggested safer methods of masturbation or objects to be used for safe masturbation. I hold them no grudge, but such people are in to promote businesses and firms, which produce those materials. They could be masturbators themselves or lack biblical explanation to the concept of masturbation.

Those who use sex toys or other objects like, pencils, banana, sticks, lubricants etc, may be doing a lot of harm to themselves. Their sexual organs and some part of their reproductive system could be affected. Masturbators suffer from psychological traumas. Many who have been so much addicted and cannot quit even after marriage, will find heterosexual intercourse with their spouses unsatisfying. This can break homes and make marriages very difficult to enjoy.

Sex is good, it is a gift from God, it is pleasurable and healthy. It has no restrictions except that it must and should be an act between two married heterosexual couples. Any sexual desire or satisfaction outside this definition is ungodly and unacceptable. This is not the only thing God hates; He hates many things including gay, lesbianism, bestiality, bisexuality, etc.

Identify all that God hates and run away from them. Throw them away, young man/woman. Don’t leave your maker and walk the life of deviant acts.

Masturbation could be stopped, what you need is a committed life to Christ and to God. There is no therapy for sexual pleasure outside God. Those who are committed to Christ and accept the rule of God in their lives would be liberated from sexual bondage.