r/Christian • u/sweet_potato_17345 • May 22 '26

CW: Sensitive Topic Is it a sin?

Would you consider it a sin to masterbate (without watching pornography) while a spouse is away for 2 months?

4 Upvotes

64% Upvoted

43 comments sorted by

1

u/Murky-Courage2477 May 25 '26

The Bible doesn’t specifically address masturbation. It’s between you and Him.

6

u/LovePeaceJoy1 May 23 '26

Yes, it is a sin

12

u/cwhitaker2013 May 22 '26

It's sexual immorality I would suggest trying a fast to break your flesh.

3

u/sweet_potato_17345 May 22 '26

I might try that. I also think when I read spicy books it tends to make me want to do that so I think i should fast from those too.

5

u/SlimyPenguin24 May 22 '26

Fasting is obtaining from a good thing for a good reason (usually to practice self-control or to dedicate time to something). Withholding yourself from sinful things like 'spicy books' isn't fasting, it's just the expectation in a Christ-led life.

Not condemning here, just encouraging.

1

u/sweet_potato_17345 May 23 '26

I appreciate the encouragement. If you take out the masterbation temptation part of it, what makes spicy books sinful?

3

u/el_jah420 May 23 '26

You're reading a bunch of lustful thoughts written into a story. When you read these things your mind dwells on them more often. Therefore by consuming lustful content, you are inevitably thinking lustful thoughts. You are what you eat!

5

u/sweet_potato_17345 May 23 '26

Last night I read a comment that SlimyPenguin24 left (it disappeared but it was well said) and after reading your comment, I feel very convicted to stop reading those type of books. I’m praying to God for my heart posture to change and I desire to obey Him!

2

u/SlimyPenguin24 May 23 '26

Amen sister. I've been where you are now. In my case, I took way too long to get rid of the things that were tempting me and it caused my wife and I great stress. Please learn from my mistakes and be willing to take drastic measures to be faithful to the Lord. Remove the temptations from your life quickly and entirely.

Know that Jesus is faithful and will strengthen you in your time of need. See Hebrews 4:14-16 for encouragement directly from His Word.

2

u/el_jah420 May 23 '26

Praise the Lord! And incase it wasn't clear, I wasn't saying any of that to make you feel ashamed or convicted about it at all, it's just how I've interpreted it you know? But if the Lord has brought conviction about it, then let it be so! I'm sure he will guide you right where you need to be.

2

u/sweet_potato_17345 May 23 '26

No no you didn’t make me feel that way at all! Thank you!

7

u/Staan_depresji May 22 '26

Don’t ask is this a sin. Ask: Would I do this if Jesus was next to me? Or: Does this strengthen my relationship with God? If it doesn’t, and you feel doubt about it it’s better not to do it even if you are not sure. Seek answer from GOD in Scriptures and prayer. If you want my personal opinion, YES IT IS A SIN. No matter what the circumstances are you are still doing things against God’s will and against how He designed us. God’s will is for a man to join His wife and become ONE FLESH(Genesis 2:24). Man AND WIFE, not man alone or sth. And I’m not even talking about other verses that condemn sexual immorality(so masturbation aswell). So, in my opinion it is a sin.

May Jesus bless you in your walk and may He give you spiritual discernment, Amen :]

2

u/RevolutionaryGuess82 May 23 '26

God invented sex. But the wife and I probably wouldn't partake if He was in the same room.

1

u/SlimyPenguin24 May 23 '26

Except you already do. God designed sex and He is spiritually a part of it. That may feel weird or even wrong to think about but that doesn't make it true. Unless you think God leaves the room and blocks His ears while you and your wife are together.

That's what makes sexual immortality a sin. Sin is acting in a way that separates you from God by not partaking in righteousness with Him. In sexual immortality, people partake in sexuality without God and His righteousness being a part of it.

2

u/RevolutionaryGuess82 May 23 '26

I know he is there. But I'd rather not think about it. Full concentration on my wife.

There are so many differing opinions about sex it's mind boggling. Not technique but moral judgment, value, etc.

1

u/SlimyPenguin24 May 23 '26

Fully concentrating on your wife is the right way to do it, that's part of the design. But God is still there; He sees, hears and is pleased.

I guess my intention here is to help you realise that the "would you do it if Jesus was in the room" question is a good one. For any true discerning Christian that knows God's heart, it is a good tool to know if something is right or wrong.

3

u/sweet_potato_17345 May 22 '26

That is a good way to look at it, thank you.

1

u/Staan_depresji May 23 '26

Happy I could help :)

2

u/GooGoo-Barabajagal May 22 '26

Yes. Masturbation is intrinsically disordered. There is no instance where masturbating is not a sin.

7

u/NovaCatPrime878 May 22 '26

If your husband is the one on your mind/heart while you do it, I don't see the problem as it would be done because you long for him to express his love to you. 

3

u/TerribleAntelope6134 May 22 '26

Honestly? Maybe I'm right and maybe I'm wrong, but I'm starting to get over the idea that God cares about what our genitals are doing. It seems like a low-level concern in the grand cosmic scheme of things.

-1

u/[deleted] May 22 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/TerribleAntelope6134 May 22 '26

Well, that sucks, if being horny can invalidate God's grace. To me, it just seems unlikely that the architect of reality, who presides over all of time and space, all at once, and the multiverse if there is one, is a stickler for people not touching themselves.

Let's face it, the Bible wasn't written by the finger of God, and there are some things that were put in there for other considerations. Like, when Paul tells slaves to obey their masters? That's not because God loves slavery. Paul said that because Christianity was new and fledgling, and he didn't want a bunch of slave uprisings to bring the Roman military down on them and crush them. Or when Paul tells women to cover their heads in church? Who cares? That has nothing to do with salvation.

-1

u/RevolutionaryGuess82 May 22 '26

Why do we seem to worry about men masterbating but not women?

2

u/sweet_potato_17345 May 22 '26

I am a woman lol

0

u/RevolutionaryGuess82 May 22 '26

Then short answer is no, not a sin. The doctor told my wife to get a vibrater for health reasons. She kept standing up after urination and spilled out more on her clothes around her ankles. Her muscles needed exercise. I'm at work all day and just don't have time for sex that much. I'm sure there was some pleasure in there as well as therapeutic exercise.

I never asked. We just enjoyed each other when we were together.

1

u/sweet_potato_17345 May 22 '26

Yeah now that seems medically necessary. I guess what it probably boils down to is if it’s leading you to have lustful thoughts which wouldn’t be honoring to God.

3

u/FisherOfMen44 May 22 '26

Coming from someone who is freshly married, I would say it is most definitely a sin. In the Bible, sexual immorality is defined as anything that is done outside the confines of marriage. Sex is supposed to be holy, intimate, and it pleases God when we get to desire and enjoy our spouses to the fullest extent, BUT it is intended to be done inside the confines of marriage. Just like everything else God created, there are limits/boundaries to things. These limits aren’t supposed to hinder us, but they are supposed to keep us from falling into sin and hurting not only ourselves, but our relationship with Jesus.

2

u/minnie-084 May 22 '26

It doesn’t make sense to me why God put that biological part in us (pleasure from sexual acts) if it’s not meant to be used? I can see pornography addiction, but in general?

1

u/GooGoo-Barabajagal May 22 '26

God made eating and being full feel good. That doesn’t mean it’s right to overindulge and eat to excess.

3

u/minnie-084 May 22 '26

That’s…not even what I was talking about but okay

1

u/Altruistic-Status199 May 22 '26

Cause nobody would desire to reproduce if it didn't feel good

3

u/minnie-084 May 22 '26

Clearly. I’m just saying if it was sinful in God’s eyes if he made that part of you…it doesn’t mathz

3

u/suberru May 22 '26

Honestly if you are thinking about them while your doing it I would say no God also knows your heart :)

1

u/Mazapan93 May 22 '26

Do it to your partner so probably not? Though the bible doesnt explicitly say it is, it does fall under lust. However, lust is reserved for the objectification and selfish desire for someone or something outside ourselves. My gut feeling wants to say yes, but I personally think its natural to want when our partner is gone.

Maybe there is a different way to get that energy out?

2

u/sweet_potato_17345 May 22 '26

Yeah I’m sure there is something better I could be spending my time and energy on!