IS SEXUAL SELF-STIMULATION A SIN?

Over the years, Christians have pondered the best way to handle the massive amount of sexual temptation that overruns the modern culture. Living in a country where so many songs, television shows, movies, books, social media outlets are consumed with visual displays of sex, immodesty, and the normalization of fornication Christians must fight an uphill battle with the lust of the eye and the lust of the flesh. It is said that in today’s culture and society, young adults are bombarded with things to stimulate them on an average of every ten seconds.  This is not an excuse, nor should it be used as an excuse, for immoral behavior – but it is a reality that every young adult has to endure.1 God calls His faithful to understand that the lusts of the world are trivial and will pass away. If Christians stay focused on doing the will of God, they will persevere.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

1 John 2:15-17

One question that has often been asked by Christians who seek some sexual relief and gratification is…what about sexual self-stimulation (commonly termed masturbation)? Generally, the word is defined as: “the stimulation or manipulation of one’s own genitals, especially to orgasm; sexual self-gratification.”2 While many have assumed this activity would mostly be on the mind of young adults, “one study in older adults estimated that between 27% and 40% of women and 41% and 65% of men reported masturbating within the past month.”3 The problem obviously is a common one—even among those who are attempting to live by Christian principles. Sometimes the most unpleasant topics are worthy of addressing for the benefit of others. That is the case with this topic. Since the subject is rarely discussed in Christian literature, there is a need to write something on this subject.

This question was submitted in the Open Forum at the Aberdeen Church of Christ. The person submitted the question anonymously. With the sensitive nature of the question, I can understand why someone might have felt uncomfortable asking in person. Nevertheless, I have been asked about this activity by others in the church over the course of several years in ministry. I would normally not write about the topic, but for those who may want to know and study the moral implications of this activity, but fear the embarrassment of asking about it, perhaps this article may offer some perspective.

The Biological Perspective

Many who wonder about this activity have considered the medical angle, not just the moral perspective, because through the years rumors have circulated that sexual self-stimulation can cause blindness, infertility, acne, and even hairy palms.4 For men, God has designed the male reproductive system to produce both sperm and semen constantly. Nocturnal emission is one method God has built into men to handle the problem of excess semen. God even taught the Israelites how to deal with “nocturnal emissions” in Deuteronomy 23:10 [ESV]. To put it bluntly, when there is excess semen, the body instinctively pleasures itself to orgasm to release the excess. This bodily function that God designed can even have health benefits; it “promotes hormonal balance and can contribute to relaxation, improved sleep quality, and enhanced mood.”5 Women experience nocturnal orgasms as well, though they may be less frequently discussed and studied than in males. Studies in women’s nocturnal orgasms have revealed similar health benefits as in men.6 Christians should make a distinction between the action and mindset behind the action. While sexual self-stimulation is a normal human desire and aspects of it will happen naturally, the mindset behind the action can make self-stimulation sinful.

Some Christians have made a practical argument that lands somewhere in the middle of the medical and moral argument. Wayne Jackson explains this position by many in the church who defend masturbation in stating, “Many feel that masturbation is acceptable for teenagers as a means of sexual gratification rather than engaging in ‘unsafe’ sex. It is viewed either as a ‘harmless’ indulgence, or else the ‘lesser of two evils.’ That is about like saying that smoking marijuana is a lesser evil than sniffing cocaine! These rationalizations, though doubtless well-intentioned, are wholly pragmatic, with no apparent recognition of biblical principle.”7 Brother Jackson reveals the argument to be a weak excuse for the activity, at least from a moral perspective.

The Moral Perspective

Others in the church wholly condemn the act claiming that the action is directly condemned in Scripture citing such passages like Genesis 38:9: “…when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.” The first thing that we must note is that Onan was not masturbating. He was practicing a form of contraception that was commonly called the withdrawal method.8 Secondly, God condemns the thought and motivation for the action in context rather than the action itself.

Another passage used comes from 1 Corinthians 6:18. Advocates claim that masturbation is a sin “against his own body.” Once again, the passage is taken out of context. The passage speaks specifically of fornication with a harlot, not something done in self-stimulation.

Truthfully, the Bible doesn’t directly condemn masturbation. Nevertheless, as stated prior, the action can become sinful given certain circumstances that God does directly forbid.  

Actions Forbidden By God

  1. God condemns Christians lusting after someone that is not their spouse in their hearts (Matt. 5:28). Such actions would fall under “lust of the eye,” which is likewise forbidden in 1 John 2:16. One cannot look at porn and then masturbate. One cannot masturbate while lusting in the mind over someone that is not a spouse.
  2. God condemns lasciviousness (Gal. 5:19; 2 Cor. 12:21), which Thayer defines as “unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence.”
  3. God warns Christians against such actions that are known to be addictive and control the mind (Rom. 6:12-17). Christians need to protect their bodies and minds against such substances, images, and actions that can lead them away from God and toward being enslaved by the world.

Given these condemnations, if one acts on sexual self-stimulation from these situations, then it is condemned by God. Any sexual gratification based on unsanctioned lust is a sin. Any act of masturbation that is accompanied by thoughts of a sinful nature becomes sinful.

Actions Acceptable By God

  1. God states that those who cannot contain their sexual urges should marry or burn in their lusts (1 Cor. 7:2-9). Sexual gratification and actions that fall under such jurisdiction is honorable in marriage (Heb. 13:4). Lust of the eye and flesh can be enjoyed within marriage through various forms of gratification (1 Cor. 7:3-4). God’s suggestion for satisfying sexual urges is not self-stimulation; it is marriage (1 Cor. 7:1-2).
  2. God commands that husbands and wife not defraud each other of conjugal rights (1 Cor. 7:3-5). They must dwell together in knowledge of each other’s needs (1 Peter 3:7). Masturbation should not be used as a substitute for intimacy in marriage. Masturbation may be used in conjunction with marital intimacy, but masturbation should not be used to avoid intimacy with one’s spouse. One should not be self-centered and defraud the spouse of conjugal rights.
  3. God expects Christians to practice self-control (1 Cor. 9:27; 6:12). Dr. Jay Adams, a professional counselor who has written dozens of books, says that “masturbation can get such a hold on a child that it can almost drive him out of his mind.” He further states, “counselors regularly see young people (Christian youth) who are so tangled up in the masturbation problem that they hardly can think about anything else but sex all day long.”9

This issue is not an easy one. Nevertheless, the Bible provides many principles that surround this subject, and Christians must consider them in light of their situation. Ultimately, each person must faithfully consider these principles and behave himself/herself in a way that best represents the Christian faith. Given these commands and thoughts, a Christian would be hard pressed to obey the law of Christ and regularly practice sexual self-stimulation outside of marriage.

  1. Shawn Highfill, “A Sensitive Topic,” Monroe Valley Church of Christ, February 15, 2012, https://www.mvchurchofchrist.org/blog/2012/02/15/a-sensitive-topic. ↩︎
  2. “Masturbation,” Dictionary.com, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/masturbation. ↩︎
  3. Dr. Rachael Ajmera, “Masturbation — How Does It Affect Your Health?” Healthline, May 1, 2025, https://www.healthline.com/health/masturbation-side-effects#takeaway. ↩︎
  4. Ibid. ↩︎
  5. “Is Nightfall Good or Bad for Your Health? Unraveling the Truth,” Medicas, accessed August 11,2025, https://www.blogs.medicasapp.com/nightfall-good-or-bad/#:~:text=n%20conclusion%2C%20nightfall%20is%20a,older%20sperm%20and%20seminal%20fluids. ↩︎
  6. “Can girls have wet dreams?” Center for Young Women’s Health, October 5, 2011, https://youngwomenshealth.org/askus/girls_and_wet_dreams/#:~:text=This%20is%20an%20interesting%20question,journals%2C%20and%20UpToDate.com. ↩︎
  7. Wayne Jackson, “Is Sexual Self-stimulation Wrong?” Christian Courier, accessed August 11,2025, https://christiancourier.com/articles/is-sexual-self-stimulation-wrong. ↩︎
  8. Jeffery Hamilton, “Is masturbation unacceptable?” La Vista Church of Christ, March 24, 2004, https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/is-masturbation-unacceptable/. ↩︎
  9. Jay E. Adams, The Christian Counselor’s Manual (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1973) 399, 400. ↩︎

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