Masturbation, according to Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Believers Love World, also referred to as Christ Embassy, is not a sin.
Additionally, he stated that the issue should be viewed as a resolution from the Bible rather than as his personal opinion.
As more people asked questions, Pastor Chris, as he is affectionately known, responded, seemingly perplexed by the circulating rumor that he said masturbating is not a sin.
In a recently posted video in which he reacted to many questions emanating from his previous teaching on masturbation, Pastor Chris maintained that people should rather see the issue from biblical perspective rather than seeing it as his personal opinion.
While answering a question from one Timothy based in Russia, who said he was confused by the teaching about masturbation not being a sin because there is no way one can effectively masturbate without having evil thoughts, Pastor Chris said the first question that should come to mind in the issue is: “what is sin?
Reading out an another question from a Zambian, who said the Pastor’s previous teachings had inspired him, but wondering why he actually taught that masturbation was not a sin, Pastor Oyakhilome asked the Zambian to bother himself more with what the Bible said about it.
He asked: “Why are you concerned with whether I said it or I did not say it? The question is, what does the Bible say?
“Have you ever studied the Word for yourself? Now whatever you think, the first thing you should do is to go to the word of God and study it for yourself.”
Using an illustration, he said: “if a man stole a loaf of bread from a shop and ate it, does that mean that eating of bread is sin?
Where was his wrong? Did he go wrong because he ate bread? Does that mean that eating of bread is wrong?
“The problem is not the eating of bread. The problem is that he stole the bread that he ate.”
He emphasised that Jesus actually said whoever looks at another woman lustfully has committed adultery in his heart, adding that means “the sin was committed in the heart.
“If you say that imagination goes with masturbation, then where is the sin?
“The sin is therefore your imagination of sin,” he added.
He further quoted Matthew 15 verse 16 saying that out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts.
In analysing it therefore, the Pastor said: “it is not what you did with your hand that is the problem; it is what caused whatever you did. That means your sin begins from your heart.
“Jesus makes us know it is not what you did with your hand that is the problem; it is what you did with your heart.
“You can have these imaginations while reading a book, you can have these wrong imaginations while eating your food.
“So the evil conceptions of your heart is where you got a problem, so what do you clean-your hands or your heart?”
He however advised that it is not compulsory for people to accept something because someone said it, but that they should get materials that would help them to understand such issues better.
