Last updated on September 8, 2020
Question:
Hi,
I am a 14-year-old boy who is trying to get some clarity on whether masturbation is a sin or not. I masturbate frequently and it feels good. My mother says that I should not masturbate and that it’s a sin. She claims to have read it in a Christian or spiritual book, which said it was wrong. Now, I have visited several sites, including yours, and I come across various opinions. Some sites say that it isn’t wrong, some sites say it is. Some sites say it isn’t wrong, but that the sexual fantasies that come with it make masturbation sinful. So is it sinful or not?
Also, if it is sinful, how come the Bible doesn’t say so? Finally, if it is sinful, how do I stop?
Thank you very much for your time. God bless.
P.S. Your site is very helpful
Answer:
First, we have to establish what makes something sinful or not. Sin is when a person breaks a law of God. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (I John 3:4). It doesn’t matter what you feel, what your mother says, or what some author wrote. The only thing that matters in regard to sin is what has God said. God has told us everything we need to know about life and godliness. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:2-4). And as followers of God, we are not allowed to change anything that God has said. “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
That said, I would like you to read: I’m still confused about masturbation. Is it right or wrong? What are your thoughts about it? I want you to read all the Scriptures in your Bible and see them for yourself. It covers a lot of ground, so if you have questions, just ask.