How do you face sexual thoughts and horniness as a Christian?

    • HannahW wrote:

      My thought is that with everything else going on in the world, if there is a God, then he/she has a lot more things to be concerned about than if I masturbate or not.
      God is real, and He is big enough to both hold the universe together and simultaneously care for each of us on an individual level. He cares about every little detail of your life. "Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered," Jesus said.

    • Ryanschmo wrote:

      HannahW wrote:

      My thought is that with everything else going on in the world, if there is a God, then he/she has a lot more things to be concerned about than if I masturbate or not.
      God is real, and He is big enough to both hold the universe together and simultaneously care for each of us on an individual level. He cares about every little detail of your life. "Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered," Jesus said.
      I have no problem with the idea that God cares for me. But I still don’t think he/she cares if I masturbate.

    • BJade wrote:

      Ryanschmo wrote:

      only God is perfect,
      is God really perfect? Before Jesus (the old testament) God was a lot of killing and punishment to people, after Jesus (New testament) was more loving and understanding. Does that not mean he grew as a person (or whatever you class God as)
      And as humans were made in his image, should they not have as equal perfection. And not make mistakes (that could also be seen as being God being imperfect, as they didn't go as was expected) how can you make a world with mistakes, that in many ways is being destroyed, and say that a failure is perfect?

      Basically no one is perfect, and we should try our best for ourselves and others, and learn from mistakes. It's an opinion if masturbating is a problem or not, but as we mature we learn to deal with our bodies, emotions and how they can relate to others
      1. Yes, God is perfect and unchanging. He created life, and it is His right alone to destroy it if He so chooses. He is a holy God of justice, as well as mercy and love. Both "sides" of Him are seen in both the Old and New Testaments.
      2. "Made in His image" doesn't mean we resemble Him in every way. You are made in the image of your parents, but you are not them. Because of the sin nature passed down through Adam we will never be perfect (and that's also why the world isn't perfect; it used to be), but through Jesus Christ we can be made righteous, which means "in right standing" before a holy God. All He requires is trusting Jesus.
      3. All valid points. But as far as God is concerned, masturbation is not good or bad. It's the thoughts attached to it which make it good or bad. I've attached lustful thoughts to masturbation for too long, and I need to avoid it now. Like you said, I'm learning from my mistakes. But this isn't true for everyone. If you're truly using masturbation solely as a stress reliever or to feel good, never looking at porn or thinking selfish lustful thoughts about a real person, I say go for it. In that case it isn't a sin. Of course, it is ultimately your choice to follow Jesus and choose righteousness, or to follow your own way and continue in sin. The latter is easier, but it leads to death. Jesus wants to give eternal life. Haha wow I don't know how to be brief :lol:

    • HannahW wrote:

      Ryanschmo wrote:

      HannahW wrote:

      My thought is that with everything else going on in the world, if there is a God, then he/she has a lot more things to be concerned about than if I masturbate or not.
      God is real, and He is big enough to both hold the universe together and simultaneously care for each of us on an individual level. He cares about every little detail of your life. "Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered," Jesus said.
      I have no problem with the idea that God cares for me. But I still don’t think he/she cares if I masturbate.
      I've thought the same thing for a long time. It's how I've justified masturbating, to just about everything you can imagine. What I didn't realize til very recently is that because sex was designed for marriage, masturbating to any porn, or really sexualizing any image, is equivalent to having sex with the person in God's eyes, and therefore wrong. God designed sex as a beautiful gift and expression of love between man and wife. It's an (imperfect) analogy to God's relationship with His church. He sees sex outside that relationship in the same way that He sees going after other gods. So while He doesn't care whether or not you perform the physical act of masturbation, He absolutely cares where your mind is while you're doing it. And if you can't keep your mind from lust/porn/etc while doing it, it becomes a sin. Otherwise you're good. It's similar to drinking alcohol. Some can do it without sinning; others can't.

    • Ryanschmo wrote:

      HannahW wrote:

      Ryanschmo wrote:

      HannahW wrote:

      My thought is that with everything else going on in the world, if there is a God, then he/she has a lot more things to be concerned about than if I masturbate or not.
      God is real, and He is big enough to both hold the universe together and simultaneously care for each of us on an individual level. He cares about every little detail of your life. "Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered," Jesus said.
      I have no problem with the idea that God cares for me. But I still don’t think he/she cares if I masturbate.
      I've thought the same thing for a long time. It's how I've justified masturbating, to just about everything you can imagine. What I didn't realize til very recently is that because sex was designed for marriage, masturbating to any porn, or really sexualizing any image, is equivalent to having sex with the person in God's eyes, and therefore wrong. God designed sex as a beautiful gift and expression of love between man and wife. It's an (imperfect) analogy to God's relationship with His church. He sees sex outside that relationship in the same way that He sees going after other gods. So while He doesn't care whether or not you perform the physical act of masturbation, He absolutely cares where your mind is while you're doing it. And if you can't keep your mind from lust/porn/etc while doing it, it becomes a sin. Otherwise you're good. It's similar to drinking alcohol. Some can do it without sinning; others can't.

      Ok. I respect you have your beliefs. I’m just not sure I agree.

    • Fair enough. God does ultimately leave it up to us whether we choose to believe in Him or not. Thank you for keeping it respectful

      HannahW wrote:

      Ryanschmo wrote:

      HannahW wrote:

      Ryanschmo wrote:

      HannahW wrote:

      My thought is that with everything else going on in the world, if there is a God, then he/she has a lot more things to be concerned about than if I masturbate or not.
      God is real, and He is big enough to both hold the universe together and simultaneously care for each of us on an individual level. He cares about every little detail of your life. "Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered," Jesus said.
      I have no problem with the idea that God cares for me. But I still don’t think he/she cares if I masturbate.
      I've thought the same thing for a long time. It's how I've justified masturbating, to just about everything you can imagine. What I didn't realize til very recently is that because sex was designed for marriage, masturbating to any porn, or really sexualizing any image, is equivalent to having sex with the person in God's eyes, and therefore wrong. God designed sex as a beautiful gift and expression of love between man and wife. It's an (imperfect) analogy to God's relationship with His church. He sees sex outside that relationship in the same way that He sees going after other gods. So while He doesn't care whether or not you perform the physical act of masturbation, He absolutely cares where your mind is while you're doing it. And if you can't keep your mind from lust/porn/etc while doing it, it becomes a sin. Otherwise you're good. It's similar to drinking alcohol. Some can do it without sinning; others can't.
      Ok. I respect you have your beliefs. I’m just not sure I agree.

    • collin13 wrote:

      Woah ... as much as I respect and understand the religious view points expressed above, this is all in the eyes of the beholder.

      I guess I'd perhaps buy into it more if there wasn't a rampant subscription to the doctrine of "rules for thee are not for me" that seems to run rampant in many of our religious institutions.
      Yeah, the shitty actions taken by those who claim the name of Christ are the biggest reason people give for leaving, or refusing to join, the church. I'm not a fan of big, organized religion myself. I'm part of a small, Bible-believing church that's set up like someone's living room, with back-and-forth discussions sometimes (not always) taking the place of sermons, and small groups meeting during the week to catch up, pray, and study the Word. And i love it. That's how it should be imho. Big churches, especially old ones, are beautiful to look at and awesome to sing in, but often that's all they're good for, sadly. My grandmother grew up Catholic and she maintains that the whole thing is one big cult. I don't go that far, but I totally see her point.