Quote:
Originally Posted by CantWait2Leave
Completely not true. You do not have to lust when you masturbate. You can focus on the feelings and not have any images in your mind. Trust me. TheMarriageBed.com is a great Christian website and they talk about this. There are many Christians on that site that agree that lusting and masturbating do not go hand in hand. They can, but it's absolutely possible to masturbate and have a clean mind.
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What about affections which is not lust?
Galatians 5:
24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
How does masturbation escape this list on the works of the flesh? Lasciviousness is sexual excessivness.
Galatians 5:
19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
I find the progression from idolatry/ pornography to lasciviousness, to uncleanness significant as fornication and adultery follows after it.
Jude 1:
23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Does not masturbation or ejaculation cause garments to be spotted by the flesh?
Romans 6:
12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Some will testify that masturbation is addictive.
In a society that hypes sexual imageries and sex appeal, one can be set in the mood or in motion just physically long after sighting the image.
If masturbation was acceptable, then why this instruction?
1 Corinthians 7:
6But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
7For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.
9But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
There would be no need to contain nor any necessity of avoiding burning if masturbation was okay, right?
Hebrews 13:
4Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
A bed can be defiled by sperm being spilled on it in according to OT.
It seems to me that uncleanness is masturbation and why I need Jesus to not yield my members to what can be seen by appearance as also serving lust.
1 Thessalonians 5:
21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and
I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I know that wet dreams fall under a different category than masturbation, but still, both does suggest a need to bring to the Lord Jesus in prayer for help.
I trust Him to lead me away from even the weights that are not necessarily sin, but certainly besetting me in running the race. I cannot look to myself in overcoming it, but to the author and finisher of my faith as He did say to take heart for He overcome the world: Him being in us, He will overcome that as well.
1 Peter 4:
1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in
lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
4Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
5Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
6For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
7But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Proverbs 3:
5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Psalm 19:
14Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Would the Gentiles not see us as strange if we abstained from it?
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As far as avoiding prostate cancer, I heard drinking orange juice does the trick too. So we do not necessarily need that work of the flesh to save our lives.
Anyway: seems the advise of taking to Jesus in prayer is sound, but don't forget to discern by the scriptures, the meat of God's words to discern good and evil.
1 Corinthians 3:
1And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
Hebrews 5:
11Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
I rest in Jesus Christ and His promises to me.
1 John 1:
9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 John 2:
1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 3:
8He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1 Corinthians 10:
12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Philippians 3:
14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:
13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Hebrews 4:
14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
1 John 3:
3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Jude 1:
24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.