The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 4:24, NIV, emphasis mine)
I have had problems with this topic ever since this resurfaced in late May. (I am a Christian, not a sexologist.) Just the fact that some condone, some condemn, but the Bible doesn’t say anything about it made me confused. It became a “battle” of sorts; the one which I made it, and confusion still reigned. I will stick to Paul on this one: What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24, NIV)
God knows about my troubles. Even while being 1500 miles away, this has taken more twists than expected. How? Today. (Will I tell you details?) After… whatever happened, I went to the Internet and Googled it. (BIG mistake!) While finding search results for “is masturbation a sin”, some said it wasn’t a sin, some said it is. Oy, the headache! After this, I went to God for help. After I realized and asked forgiveness (and expected my guilt to run off), I came over this interesting passage on my uncle’s Quest Bible:
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, NIV)
These are part of the first 12 verses of the chapter. Not to twist some verses, but I just wanted to point out a part of what I found. God called us for holiness, but her am I talking about something… er… maybe not that holy! But it doesn’t stop there!
How great is our God! He knew that even while saved, we would never reach that aspect of holiness God requires. Though this is disputed, I in fact believe that holiness is ever-changing, ever-onward. God wants holiness, yes, but He does a perfect job in shaping us up for that day. I know that we will still sin and fall (as per the example), but God knows what’s up. His words are dynamic, and He will rightly help us with the aid of the Spirit in our way.
I remember when one my cousin-uncle told me when I asked about this a few months ago: “Sooner or later, you won’t need it anymore.” (He speaks English; at least, with slight variation, this is what I can remember.) And this I wait.
This, my friends, is our God: The One who calls us… for all!