What Does God and the Bible Say About Masturbation? Tough Questions With Pastor Mike // Mike Novotny

Summary

In this video, the speaker addresses the sensitive topic of masturbation from a Christian perspective, emphasizing that while the Bible doesn't explicitly mention it, sexual immorality and lust are discouraged. The discussion centers on the idea that sexual desires should be directed towards serving one's spouse in marriage, and that indulging in self-pleasure can detract from this purpose. The speaker encourages open dialogue about such topics within the church to provide guidance, support, and understanding.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker addresses the question of whether masturbation is harmful to the body, considering the body as the temple of God.
• 🔍 James Dobson's quote is mentioned, suggesting that masturbation is a common but often unspoken practice among men.
• 📜 The Bible does not explicitly mention masturbation, but it does discuss sexual immorality and the sanctity of the body.
• 🚫 The speaker argues that sexual immorality, including lustful thoughts and actions, goes against God's design for sexuality and marriage.
• 🤔 The speaker reflects on the purpose of sexual desire, suggesting it is meant to serve one's spouse in a selfless manner within marriage.
• 🧐 The speaker considers the potential consequences of masturbation, particularly how it might detract from the sexual drive meant for one's spouse.
• 🚫 The speaker advises against developing a sexuality that is disconnected from the person one will share it with, especially for singles.
• 🙏 The speaker encourages the church to openly discuss topics like masturbation to provide help, encouragement, truth, grace, and forgiveness.
• 🌟 The speaker calls for the next generation in the church to engage in open and honest conversations about sensitive topics, using the Bible as a guide.
• 🔗 The speaker concludes by inviting viewers to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more messages and discussions.

Q & A

What is the speaker's perspective on masturbation in the context of Christian beliefs?

The speaker suggests that masturbation is not directly mentioned in the Bible, but it is connected to the broader concept of sexual immorality. They argue that sexual desires should be channeled within the context of marriage and selflessly serving one's spouse, and that acting on these desires outside of this context may not align with God's design.

How does the speaker relate the idea of the body being a 'temple of God' to the topic of masturbation?

The speaker references 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 to explain that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and should be honored. They suggest that engaging in masturbation could be seen as a violation of this principle, as it may not align with God's intended purpose for our sexuality.

What does the speaker say about the prevalence of masturbation according to James Dobson's quote?

The speaker mentions a quote attributed to James Dobson, which humorously suggests that 99% of men masturbate and the remaining 1% are lying about it. This is used to illustrate that masturbation is a common but often unspoken topic, even within conservative Christian circles.

How does the speaker address the question of whether masturbation is harmful to the body?

The speaker does not directly state that masturbation is harmful to the body, but rather focuses on the spiritual implications. They discuss the idea that sexual desires are meant to be expressed within the context of marriage and that acting on these desires outside of this context may not honor God.

What is the speaker's stance on the necessity of discussing topics like masturbation within the church?

The speaker believes that such topics should be discussed openly within the church to provide help, encouragement, truth, grace, and forgiveness. They encourage the congregation to be open to asking and answering such questions with scripture and open hearts.

According to the speaker, what is the purpose of sexual desire as given by God?

The speaker suggests that sexual desire is given by God to help us selflessly serve our spouse within the context of marriage, fostering emotional and physical connection beyond just the physical act.

How does the speaker differentiate between sexual thoughts that are considered wrong and those that are not?

The speaker differentiates by referencing Matthew 5 and 1 Corinthians 6, stating that sexual immorality, including lustful thoughts and actions such as looking at pornography, breaks God's desire for our sexuality. They imply that thoughts not connected to these actions may not be considered sinful in the same way.

What advice does the speaker give to single individuals regarding masturbation?

The speaker advises that for single individuals, developing a sexuality disconnected from the person they will share it with in the future can be dangerous. They suggest that it's important to resist such urges to honor God with our bodies.

What is the speaker's approach to adding rules to scripture regarding masturbation?

The speaker does not add rules to scripture but instead encourages a thoughtful consideration of how one's actions align with God's design for marriage and sexuality.

Why does the speaker believe it's important to talk about masturbation in the church?

The speaker believes it's important to discuss such topics in the church to ensure that individuals receive the help, encouragement, truth, grace, and forgiveness they need, as these conversations may not occur elsewhere.

Outlines

00:00

🙏 The Debate on Masturbation and Christianity

The speaker addresses the sensitive topic of masturbation within a Christian context, referencing James Dobson's quote that 99% of men masturbate, with the remaining 1% lying about it. The speaker acknowledges that masturbation is a common but often unspoken practice. Drawing from First Corinthians 6, the speaker discusses the idea that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and should be treated as such. They argue that sexual immorality, including lustful thoughts and actions, goes against God's design for sexuality and marriage. The speaker does not categorically condemn masturbation but suggests it can be sinful if it violates this divine design. They also touch on the importance of selflessly serving one's spouse through sexual desire, implying that masturbation might detract from this service.

05:03

🌟 Encouraging Open Dialogue on Sexuality in the Church

The speaker encourages the congregation to have open and honest discussions about sexuality within the church, emphasizing that such conversations are necessary for receiving help, encouragement, truth, grace, and forgiveness. They stress the importance of not adding to scripture but rather interpreting it to understand issues like masturbation. The speaker invites the audience to be part of a generation that asks and answers such questions with openness and sincerity, using the Bible as a guide. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more messages.

Keywords

💡masturbation

Masturbation is the act of self-stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual pleasure. In the video, it is discussed as a topic of concern within a Christian context, particularly in relation to the idea of the body being a 'temple of God.' The speaker addresses the question of whether masturbation is harmful or sinful, referencing biblical teachings on sexual immorality and the sanctity of the body.

💡temple of God

The term 'temple of God' is used metaphorically in the video to refer to the human body, drawing from 1 Corinthians 6:19, which states that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. This concept is central to the discussion on whether masturbation dishonors the sanctity of the body as a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.

💡sexual immorality

Sexual immorality is defined as any sexual behavior that is considered morally wrong or sinful, particularly as defined by religious or moral codes. In the script, sexual immorality is linked to the misuse of one's sexual desires and actions, such as engaging in lustful thoughts or behaviors that are not in accordance with God's design for sexuality, including masturbation.

💡James Dobson

James Dobson is a well-known Christian author and psychologist who has spoken on family and Christian values. In the video, he is mentioned as a representative of conservative Christian views on sexuality, particularly his humorous but insightful comment on the prevalence of masturbation among men.

💡self-pleasure

Self-pleasure refers to activities that individuals engage in for their own sexual gratification. The video discusses self-pleasure in the context of masturbation and questions whether it is appropriate or harmful, especially considering the Christian belief in using one's sexual drive to serve one's spouse.

💡marriage

Marriage is discussed in the video as the context in which sexual desires and behaviors are seen as God-ordained and appropriate. The speaker suggests that sexual drive is meant to serve one's spouse and that masturbation might detract from this purpose by satisfying sexual desires outside of this divine design.

💡lust

Lust is defined as a strong sexual desire, often considered sinful or inappropriate within certain religious contexts. In the video, lust is mentioned as something that is wrong according to Matthew 5 and 1 Corinthians 6, as it can lead to sexual immorality, including masturbation that is driven by lustful thoughts.

💡selflessly serve

To serve selflessly means to act in a way that prioritizes the needs and well-being of others over one's own. In the context of the video, the speaker suggests that sexual desires should be channeled into selflessly serving one's spouse, rather than being indulged in solitary acts like masturbation.

💡singleness

Singleness refers to the state of not being married or in a committed relationship. The video addresses the concerns of single individuals and the potential dangers of developing a sexual identity or habits, such as masturbation, that are disconnected from the context of a future marital relationship.

💡holy road

The 'holy road' is a metaphor used in the video to describe a path of moral and spiritual integrity, particularly in the context of sexual behavior. The speaker suggests that few people can claim to have walked this path without some form of sexual misconduct, implying the importance of resisting temptations such as masturbation.

Highlights

Masturbation is a topic of self-pleasure that is often not discussed openly.

James Dobson's quote suggests that masturbation is common, with 99% of men partaking and the remaining 1% not being truthful about it.

Sexual desire is acknowledged as strong, and not everyone has access to a willing sexual partner at all times.

The concept of the body as a temple of God is referenced, emphasizing the importance of honoring one's body.

Masturbation is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, but sexual immorality is discussed.

Sexual immorality, including lustful thoughts and actions, is considered to go against God's design for sexuality.

The connection between lustful thoughts, actions, and masturbation is explored, suggesting that they may violate God's intentions.

The speaker shares a personal anecdote about discussing masturbation in a small group setting with new Christians.

The idea that sexual drive is meant to serve one's spouse in a selfless manner is presented.

Masturbation is considered in the context of marriage and how it might affect the sexual drive meant for one's spouse.

The potential dangers of developing a sexuality disconnected from one's future partner are discussed.

The speaker suggests that masturbation might be resisted to honor God with one's body.

The importance of discussing sensitive topics like masturbation within the church community is emphasized.

The speaker encourages the congregation to ask and answer questions with open Bibles and hearts.

A call to action for the next generation to help facilitate open discussions about masturbation in the church is made.

Transcripts

are things of self-pleasure such as masturbating  harmful to the body since you are the temple of  

god oh there's like three pastors in the house  today does anyone want to help me out here

all right it's a good question actually thank  you um takes courage uh do you know james dobson  

he's like the kind of family christian guy  for many years he had a quote years ago  

that was 99 of men masturbate and the  other one percent is lying about it

not entirely true but his point was it's  kind of a conservative christian voice  

it's something we don't talk about but there's  something that happens it's not just men  

you know sexual desire is strong not everyone  is married with a willing sexual partner every  

moment that that they desire it so masturbation is  a thing now here's the question is that harmful to  

the body since you are the temple of god i think  that reference comes from first corinthians 6.

it says flee from sexual immorality do not know  that your bodies are temples of the holy spirit  

who is in you whom you have received from god  you're not your own you are bought at a price  

therefore honor god with your bodies so  masturbation breaking this idea that you  

are the temple of god um let's break this down  uh where in the bible is masturbation mentioned  

yeah never no phrase doesn't come up it's not  alluded to a single time um what do we know though  

from matthew chapter five and first corinthians  chapter six we know that sexual immorality  

even with the eyes in the mind breaks god's desire  for our sexuality so a lot of the times a person  

is fantasizing they're looking at pornography  they're doing something with their eyes or their  

mind that they shouldn't and then they masturbate  with their body there's a connection there so  

is is that wrong the answer would be yes it's  violating god's design for marriage sexuality  

and our body um actually so if you don't know this  the very first um small group that i ever hosted  

we gathered a whole bunch of people in our  living room and a lot of people were just  

brand brand new to christianity super honest and  awesome first question was pastor what does the  

bible say about dinosaurs second question was  pastor what's the bible say about masturbation

like on the first night too so i'm  looking at my wife like all right this is  

this is happening so i answer the question we  all you know lust is wrong in matthew chapter  

five first corinthians chapter six and the  person followed up and said well what if  

you're what if you're not thinking thoughts like  that you know just a physical thing i think the  

um the woman asked like what if i'm just  like staring at a tree out the window

to which i said well that's  concerning [Laughter] so

i thought a bunch about this and and here's  what i think you know i don't add rules  

so i'm not going to just categorically say every  time is sinful but here's what i think is true

um i think that god let's just assume uh we're  talking about a married couple for a second  

i think that god put this sexual drive in us in  part to help us self selflessly serve our spouse

right so let's say i'm attracted to kim i wanna  have sex with her if i just come up and say hey  

huh she's gonna be like uh like i gotta i got  a bunch of stuff to do and i gotta take care of  

this i'm gonna put all the dishes away and stuff  like okay if i wanna connect with her emotionally  

physically to becoming one flesh i have to  humble myself selflessly surf her right i've  

got to take her out on a date got a romancer  got to love her got to listen to her problems  

like you gotta you have to connect in more than  just a physical way right but if i take that that  

drive that's within me and i take it other places  even let's say mindlessly masturbating like then  

that kind of drive that god has put within me i  don't have it anymore so let's just let her do her  

thing i'm good i'm gonna read a book or something  so i think there's a connection between the way we  

serve each other and love each other in marriage  and the drive that god has put within us now let's  

say you're single like what about then i think  it's just very very dangerous to start developing  

a sexuality in a way that is disconnected  from the person that will share it with you

right i know very very few people who have  walked like a holy road that they wouldn't  

be embarrassed to talk about publicly okay  here's what i did with masturbation and yeah  

i'm not ashamed of that god's cool grandma  have i told you about it right you'd be like

i think you know there's an old shakespeare  line me thinks thou protesteth too much right  

if you're looking for some path it's difficult to  get it lots of us get it but should we resist that  

probably to honor god with our bodies i think  so i'm not going to add a page to the scripture  

but um by the way there's something we can talk  about okay thanks for having the courage to be  

here and not blush too much if it's happening in  the church we should talk about it in the church  

because if we don't talk about it in the church no  one gets help or encouragement or truth or grace  

or forgiveness so please please please be the next  generation here at our church that helps questions  

like this be asked and answered with open  bibles and open hearts did you enjoy this video  

make sure you subscribe to us on youtube so you  don't miss a single message click right here