Is Masturbation Really a Sin?

I made a solemn pact with myself never to undress a girl with my eyes. (Job 31:1 MSG)

Masturbation is simply defined as “Manual stimulation of the genital organs (of yourself or another) for sexual pleasure.”Singles and married people alike often believe
that there is nothing wrong with masturbation. There is a book that
says, “95 percent of boys masturbate and the remaining 5 percent lied.” Invariably, that is
like saying that everybody masturbates. Today, not just boys, but men, girls and women masturbate. Now, some Christians even do so, and with a lot of excuses why they should. Some offer excuses that since God says ‘Don’t fornicate,” and we really are obeying God, so masturbation must be God’s way of relieving
the pressure build up. Could that be true? Some pastors are as confused about the subject as their members on the issue, and some also pointedly say there is nothing wrong with it. This has sent a confused signal to the body of Christ, thereby making an average
believer who might have been struggling with masturbation to have enough reason to continue. Now, the major issue is that
masturbation is progressive and what satisfied you the last time will not the next time! Today,masturbation has gone to another level from hand stimulation to use of sex toys that were produced for that specific purpose. A lot of folk are addicted to masturbation; they go to bed with dildos, vibrators, and the likes. There are human dolls built to respond like humans, there are several masturbators which are a mockery to the dignity of the Homo Sapien! So, an average believer who has been
told nothing is wrong dabbles into it, and before he knows it, he is hooked on pornography and other perversions, and that is the problem! He will not be satisfied after a while, and this is also why a lot of people found themselves in sickening habits like bestiality, bondage sex and so on! When you
give the devil an inch, he will take a mile! But is it true the New Testament never addressed the issue of masturbation because
God wanted us to masturbate? I don’t think so. As far as I am concerned, that is like saying, “the bible didn’t say we should not cook our rice with rat poison because he wanted us to commit suicide! Now I am going to give you just one scripture. Let’s bear in mind that for one to masturbate: There must be a thought process, a mental
image of a man or woman or sex scene or sex pictures, which one focuses on, and then together with the manual stimulation, that brings one to an orgasm. This then means that for one to masturbate; there has to be a mental undressing of the object/person in question, and a mental sexual experience!

Now here is what Jesus said:
But I say unto you, That whosoever
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Mat 5:28 KJV)

This knocks off masturbation completely. The process that leads to masturbation is what Jesus Christ equated with adultery in the heart! The message is clear! We will stop here today. In coming devotions, we will be discussing more on this subject. If you find yourself in this act, sincerely, God does not condemn you! He would not condone it either! In order for
you to enjoy God's fullness of blessings, He expects you to stay away from sin, so why don't you call upon Him now to help you? He is there waiting to respond to you!

What exactly is true love? How do I know if someone really loves me?

2Sa 13:1-2 KJV
(1) And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of
David loved her.

(2) And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her. What exactly is true love? How do I know if a man truly loves me? How do I know if a lady
truly loves me. While putting in mind that there are so many definitions and perceptions of what true love is, it is pertinent
to remind ourselves that true love can only be defined by Scriptural standards. Why is this so? God is love. True love can only comes
from anyone that really knows God. A man that doesn’t know God is incapable of showing true love. He may be caring and nice in your own
standards, but as long as He doesn’t know God, he doesn’t understand the dynamics of true
love. That is why we will be going back into the Bible to see the true definition of love. In our devotion this morning, the story of Amnon
comes to mind. Verse one of the above scripture tells us that Amnon was in love with his sister.
Verse two tells us that she was so vexed with love that he fell sick. It was no longer a soul’s battle, it became rottenness in his bones.
From the above, one will naturally conclude that this is genuine love. What do you think? Was the love genuine? For him to fall sick, he
must really be in love! Isn’t that how some men come around you and truthfully tell you that they can’t eat again, sleep again because
of love? Can we conclude about a man’s love for a woman by virtue of his being “vexed” to the point of sickness?

Look at a few translations:
2Sa 13:2 MSG
Amnon was obsessed with his sister Tamar to the point of making himself sick over her….
Can obsession equal true love?

2Sa 13:2 AMP
And Amnon was so troubled that he fell sick… Can being troubled equal true love?

2Sa 13:2 BBE
And he was so deeply in love that he became ill…
Can being deeply in love equal true love?

2Sa 13:2 NIV
Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar…
Can being frustrated equal true love?
Well, before we conclude, let’s see what happened   in a few verses away.

2Sa 13:14 KJV
Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and
lay with her.
Here is Message translation:

2Sa 13:14 MSG
But he wouldn't listen. Being much stronger than she, he raped her.
This couldn’t be true love! How would you rape someone you profess to love? Something
is not quite right there. Sometimes all he wants is sex. That is not love! Sometimes, all she wants is your money, that is not true love! All Amnon wanted was to satisfy that rush of adrenalin. He went so far, thinking he was in love, but once his lust was pacified, love vanished into thin air. Love is willing to wait, lust demands immediate satisfaction. Never forget that. True love will not insist that you compromise your virtue. True love will protect. True love will honour.
True love will respect. So what more is true love? Amnon feigned sickness and deceived his father
True love will not pretend, deceive or trap you. He was never interested in the food. Amnon refused to consider the consequences.
True love is not stupid . True love stands to reason in respect to God’s standard Amnon’s love for Tamar was not natural. It was
incest. True love will not enter into perversion to prove itself. Amnon forced Tamar and raped her, despitevthat Tamar called him ‘brother’ True love will protect. It will not violate your sanctity.
Amnon hated Tamar afterward
True love is not fickle, instant or temporal. It is enduring and lasting. True love does not go back and forth. It is stable. Even when
tried, it still stands strong. I pray for you today, that God will guide you,vlead and help you to differentiate between true love and lust. You will not miss it in Jesus name!

Three things about sex you might not have been told by your parents while growing up

Most parents never discussed sex with their children while growing up. This is not because they didn't want to, but because most parents
find it awkward or embarrassing to bring up such topics. The major challenge here is that children are curious. Whether you teach them
or not, they will probe and learn it.
Once parents do not take their place and rightly inform their children, they will learn it from different avenues. The problem with this is that most of these other places they learn from are defective. They might learn it from
friends who don't know any better. Some others learn it from pornography. The reason why this issue becomes important is that the first encounter with learning about sex either by information or in a pragmatic way will always remain indelible in a young mind.
It is for this reason that parents must take their place and not leave their children to subjective and warped sexualised opinions
rushing at them from all ends.
We must not allow these young minds to have their first lectures on sex from television or films. Become friends with your children.
Don't tell them lies. Lies like if you allow anybody to touch your breast, you will get pregnant. The moment they discover you lied, they will explore more, and they will cease to see you as someone that should be confided in when there are issues. Become your children's
friend.

Here are three things you might not have been told.
1. Pre-marital sex can lead to death
even though it looks harmless.

1 Corinthians 10:8 KJV
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. It may not even lead to physical death immediately, but the stark reality is that every time you violate your body and the principles of God, something dies in you.

2. Sex is originally meant to be a the blessing of the Wedding Night
A couple's first time is supposed to be a special moment on the wedding night. The two become one flesh as the marriage is
consummated on the wedding night. This special moment comes with its blessing from God.

1 Corinthians 6:16-17 MSG
(16)  There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two
become one."
(17)  Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever--the kind of sex that can never "become one." This is important for those who are still virgins to hold on to their virtues in the midst of opposing and contradictory environment. I get
asked a lot of times by young ladies who are virgins how to handle the tremendous pressures they face. If you are no longer a
virgin, this does not mean you will not be blessed. On the contrary, if you stay away from sexual sins, God will make all things new.
God will not exactly turn you into a virgin, but He would not also consult your past in order to determine your future.

3. Sex outside marriage will weaken you. If you continue to live in sexual sin, your spirit through which you contact God will get weaker and weaker. It will eventually dull your sensitivity to the things of the spirit and your
conscience might end up being seared. Once your conscience is seared, you will no longer see anything wrong, and yet, in the spirit realm where you are meant to rule and reign, you will be subdued. Romans 8:13 AMP
For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are
[habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the
body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever. Habitual sin will make nonsense of your
placement in God. It will slow you down financially emotionally and spiritually. Stay chaste. Stay away from pre- marital sex or adultery as the case may be. The consequences are too debilitating. If you're already entangled, GOD will not condemn you, run to Him now, He will embrace you with his loving gracious eternal arms and He will save you from sin and this untoward generation.

Understanding sex and the law of progression

Some people seem to believe that
sex is a mysterious thing and that they cannot control themselves. Sex like any other thing that relates to human existence is governed by a law. Understand the law and you are delivered from the trap of sexual sins. (whether you are single or not) Sex and the law of progression states that, “Intimacy will increase between two people who are in love (and the last level of intimacy will no longer satisfy) until a boundary is set to control it.” The law explains the progressive nature of sex. In other words before the sexual act is committed, you have enough time and opportunity to stop or prevent it. The mistake singles or married people make (in case of adultery), is that they set the law in motion and then watch helplessly as the law takes effect. There is always a point of no- return as regards sex. It is a point you get to and you are sexually aroused. At this point all sense of judgement, reasoning and wisdom are dead. Please do not get to this point and start looking for a way out. It is almost too late. Understand that sexual sins are easy to handle if you understand this law and decide NOT to set the law in motion. Nip it in the bud. That is why kissing, (whether French or German) heavy petting and necking, fondling, caressing and the like will get you into trouble. It may not be the first time, but it will eventually. Kissing is like starting a journey whose destination is sex. Do not expect a magic to happen or an angel or a mysterious being to help you pull your pants up when you allowed it to go down. And do not say it is the devil because the devil does not help people undress nor does he
lock doors. Now is the time to take a stand and make a decision. The Bible says’ Flee ‘ all appearances of evil. Flee, do not meddle with
sexual activities nor put yourself in
compromisingly tight situations.
And when the Bible says 'Flee,' it is not the time to say, 'Let us reason together!'

The Real Purpose of Sex

God created sex to be enjoyed within the marital sanctity. The devil took this and perverted that truth. Today, homosexuals and paedophiles are pushing for rights. The truth of God's word is being contested, resisted and opposed like never before. But you see, God's word cannot be bound! In the romantic novels, movies and soap operas, sex is always painted as sweet. In pornographic films, sex is presented as full of ecstasy. This is often presented in the context of cheating, adultery and the likes. All forms of sexual perversion are presented as sweet. What you may not know is that a lot
of porn actresses are drugged to act these parts. After their filming, most of them rush to the conveniences to throw up. They are forced to continue because of the lure of money. People are deceived into believing that fornication, adultery, oral sex, sleeping with a prostitute and the likes are okay. The Bible never disagrees with the short, temporal
sweetness that fornication and adultery may present. Quickie sex with a wrong person, with a married person looks so sweet, but
honey, watch out. The Bible does not mince words. Think about chewing gravel. Yes, sex outside marriage or with the wrong person will bring with it its attendant consequences. This kind of sex will end up in anguish, bitterness,
guilt, dirty feelings and so much more. Cheating on your spouse may look fun or sweet especially when you trying to get back at
your spouse, but you are planting seeds, and when your harvest comes, you wouldn’t have nice time. As a single, you give in to the pressure of sex because you want to keep him? You will eventually lose him, because God’s principles
have been violated. Stop opening your legs, life and destiny to people you hardly know! You can patiently wait to give yourself to that right person, and oh what a joy! If you are already sexually active, it is not too late to repent and ask God to restore you. That is the beautiful thing about God, You can start again in Him. If you are married, please enjoy sex to its
fullest. Never deny your spouse of sex. Real sweet sex can only be found in the marriage context, and how sweet, fulfilling, enriching
and empowering it is. Conclusively, you should know that God will
not judge us generally, so what the trends are and what most people are doing is not a license to join them. We will be judged individually. The implication for this is that God still expects you to follow His principles and other it right, not only to make heaven
and have eternal life, but to have victory here on earth and also to enjoy the maximum blessings that God has for you. I pray for you this day, that every distractions be removed from your way in Jesus name! I pray that God will send that very help you need your way today to help you stay on side of God. You will not miss God's best for your life in Jesus name!