Is masturbation a sin?
Yes. The only part of the Bible in which God explicitly blesses sexual activity is Genesis 2:24. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." These are the parameters of His blessing; all conscious, willful sexual activity that falls short of these parameters is sin.
Had God approved of masturbation, Paul would have written 1 Corinthians 7:9 differently, suggesting masturbation rather than marriage as a means for a single man to deal with sexual desire. God will not bless a sexual activity that encourages lust and self-centeredness, draws a person to sinful fantasies and pornography, demeans others He has created to the level of mere sexual objects, and isolates an individual from seeking a genuine relationship with others.
Some may ask, is it possible to live without masturbation? Yes. Some men who have participated in our accountability groups never learned about masturbation until their 20's, then fell captive to it. Our groups include single and married men who were enslaved to masturbation daily or more frequently who now, by the grace and mercy of God, live in complete freedom from it.
 | How does Jesus Christ free us from the bondage of sexual sin? |
| I am a Christian; why do I still struggle with this sin? |
| What resources are available to help overcome sexual sin? |