The easy answer is that the Bible is silent on this issue, because the word "masturbation" itself doesn't appear. For such a subject, we must be careful of laying down burdensome rules (Col 2:16-23) but, if considering carefully what the Bible teaches in these areas, we see that masturbation is something Christians should avoid.

This is a convincing and well-written book on why the orthodox reading of the Bible on sex and relationships is right. It's highly readable and is written with real clarity and grace - De Young doesn't come across as if he has an axe to grind – just a genuine desire for people to hold to the truth.

This book is aimed at helping same-sex attracted believers to hold on to a biblical, orthodox view of sexuality, and to walk that narrow way. The style of the book is easy, informal and conversational. It blends together relevant autobiography, popular culture references, good biblical exposition, accessible theological reflection, and wise, practical, pastoral counsel.

Fear can be a restrictive, negative emotion. The fear I experienced on my first – and only! – roller coaster ride meant that I’ve never risked another one. Fear limits us and can stop us from doing certain things or enjoying certain experiences. And yet, we are continually urged in the Scriptures to fear God.

God is love (1 John 4:8). This truth about God is used by some people to argue that, therefore, God must approve of any relationship that our culture defines as loving. But there are two key flaws to this argument, and we discover both of them as we more fully understand what God is like.

The Bible allows for disagreements on minor issues. There are, however, other truths which are non-negotiable - these are sometimes called 'gospel issues', i.e. significant matters upon which Christians can't simply agree to disagree because they impact our understanding of the gospel and, therefore, our salvation. The question is, into which category does same-sex practice fall?