Last updated on September 6, 2020
Question:
I know that masturbation is not a sin. But I tend to masturbate quite often, I will not say how much. I am newly saved, have not found a church yet, and just started reading the Bible, so I do not have much information other than what you have put on the web site so far. I am single, no girlfriend, not dating, no wife. Is it still sinful for single people to view porn or think of women when they masturbate?
Answer:
Jesus taught, “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). It isn’t wrong to notice a woman and think she is beautiful, but when you start looking at women and imagining yourself having sex with them, then you are committing fornication in your mind. What Jesus was trying to get across is that contemplating sin in an accepting way in your head is just as sinful as actually committing the sin. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man” (Mark 7:21-23).
I would like for you to read through A Look at Pornography and The Problem of Private Lust to start to understand why pornography is harmful to you.
Your time as a single person is an opportunity to learn to keep both your body and your thoughts under control. It is a struggle, but it is worth the effort in many ways.