I would like to share with those of you who smoke, whether it's frequently or "occasionally" or trying to quit, some information that will hopefully help you or give you an incentive to quit. I am not writing this to condemn you as that is not my job. I do want to give you some things to think about as Christians in this dating world you find yourself in.
I would like for you to consider the statistics of smokers. In The USA only 22% of the population smokes. That includes Christians. If Christians were to be separated into a separate poll from this, I believe the statistic would be considerably less.
So please consider this.
Most Christians will not date a smoker no matter how nice they are or how good looking they are. It is usually a deal breaker. Since most Christians will not date a smoker and almost 80% of Christians do not smoke, you are limiting your field of potential mates. Think about it. You could be the nicest person in the world and also great looking, but if you smoke, you have eliminated the majority of potential candidates for dating and marriage.
I haven't even addressed the health issues of this and probably have no need to. You know how dangerous it is.
Now let me address this from a biblical perspective.
Is smoking a sin? NO!.... BUT....if it is an addiction, like anything else it becomes a sin.
Does smoking affect your witness as a Christian? Of course it does. How effective can you be when sharing the Gospel with someone who has addictions and needing deliverance. Will they not wonder why you have not been delivered from smoking. I mean how powerful is your God anyway? Why would they want to trust a God who can't deliver them from an addiction? That is just one angle to think about. But let's get deeper than that.
1Corinthians 6:18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, AND YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN.
20 For you were bought at a price; THEREFORE glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. NKJV
Now even though this passage is speaking about sexual immorality, there is a glaring principle here that you should not overlook. Our bodies, if indeed you are a Christian, do not belong to you. They belong to Christ Jesus.
Let's look at two more scriptures before I conclude.
Rom 14:21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine NOR DO ANYTHING...by which your brother stumbles OR IS OFFENDED or is made weak. NKJV
Do you see the principle here? We are commanded to not do anything that could cause another fellow believer to stumble, or be made weak or to become offended. Does smoking offend people? Of course it does. It is one of the most disgusting smells around.
1Cor 8:13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. NKJV
Paul was laying out this same principle here of not doing something that would cause another believer to stumble. The issue was dealing with eating meat sacrificed to idols. However we can still see the application and we can rightfully apply it to smoking, or any tobacco product or even drinking alcoholic beverages.
I think it is very important to realize that these teachings in the Epistles are not mere "suggestions" but are in fact commandments from Christ. Here's why.
1Cor 14:37 If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. NKJV
The things Paul writes are direct commandments from Christ our Lord and Savior.
John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." NKJV
Jesus said that if we truly love Him then we will keep HIS commandments. He is talking about His NEW Testament commandments.
Do you really love Christ Jesus? Then do what you have to do to quit smoking.
Besides....kisses were meant to be sweet and not bitter. :)
the thing with smoking is that to the majority of people who start it, it becomes an addiction, a wordly addiction that's NOT of god, the same with alchohol. and to the person above this post thingy, how can you say that people who choose to drink lots are not addicted to it?, its because they are addicted to it that they drink lots. which IS a stumbling block towards them being saved and having a relationship with christ. of course im not passing judgement on absolutely nobody as thats only for the big man upstairs, but if someone's in sin then it's our role as christians to help encourage and influence those away from that sin, even if it's as small as smoking. pointing out that someone is in sin is not judgement at all but an observation, just like i observed that you smoke one packet a day, my only response to that is your body is a temple of christ, take care of it
How many examples do you want? I will post a few for you here, along with the way it is to be done.
1 Cor. 5:
9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."
1 Cor 2:15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
1 Cor. 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
Here is the context, if we see a brother sinning, we tell him and if he doesn't repent, we get 2 or 3 elders to go with us and tell him again. If he still will not repent, we take him before the church and disfellowship him. Now he is outside the church and we can witness to him again, and try to save him.
If you need more scriptures, let me know, there are plenty.
See, we are to witness to the unsaved, but there is a difference between unsaved and unrepentant. That is why Jesus didn't waste His time on the Pharisees, they were unrepentant.
I get tickled over the debate of to smoke or not to smoke or is it sin or isn't it.. I need to quit smoking this is something I am sure of and is something in my prayers constantly. What I dislike seeing is arguments dealing with the subject. Smoking if it is a sin, is one of those sins that is way out in the open for everyone to see and pass judgement on. Lets think of the hidden sins that we all have in our lifes and display them in the same open forum. For example, some one is dealing with lust or something of sexual nature. Next time you think of passing judgement on someone maybe you should openly commit your own secret sin In a busy resturant and then see if you feel the same way when the ridicule starts like so many smokers go thru. When the prostitute was dragged from her bed of sin to stand before Jesus Our Lord and Savior what he he say,"go and sin no more" and this was after he wrote in the sand. . My point is, we have enough divisions in the body of Christ than to look for more. If smoking is not your preferance so be it but pray for those who do. As for me, last time I checked I wasn't sitting at the right hand of the throne of God.
I can say that drinking, smoking, drug abuse, and all other "addictions" are NOT addictions because the person who chooses to ingest those things CHOOSES to ingest them. That's the way it is. If they want to stop, they will stop. If they don't want to stop, AA, NA, or any other program simply will NOT work for those people because they refuse help. On a personal level, my brother is an alcoholic. This may seem irrelevant to you, but nonetheless, it is relevant to this topic. You see, there was a time when my brother never drank a drop of alcohol. Now, he cannot stop because he has let the alcohol control him, by his CHOICE. I love my brother with all my heart, but the facts are the facts, period! This commercialized, so-called "progressive" world we live in promotes alcohol, promotes sex, promotes tobacco, promotes "keeping up with the joneses/kardashians" and all that worthless stuff. We live in a truly evil world when it comes to commercialization. Sure, these companies and advertisements show you the short-lived "glorious" side of these things, but they don't show you the much longer-lived dark side of these things. Budweiser shows a group of people at a cookout drinking beer, having a good time, using common sense and good judgement in their drinking behavior. But, once people get a couple beers in them, they let the beer/alcohol control theirself, which is NOT good drinking behavior. God gave all humans the ability to THINK before we act. The ability to judge good from evil. The power of will-power, which is the same as free will. So, I think I've made my point here, and I won't explain it any more.
To klmartin62:
You make several good points with your quotes from the Bible, I'm very happy to have been shown a bit of what God says about associating with these people. Thank you for that. However, I still believe (at least for myself) that I should not judge anyone, and I'll tell you why. In your quote, it basically says that we are to judge those who claim God, I get that point. But what does God stand for? Abandonment or mercy? Brotherhood or everybody for themself? I ask these things because I believe it is our responsibility as Christians to reach for as many people as possible to join God's kingdom, no matter what they've done or are doing. Sure, they aren't Christians...YET. I not only believe, but I know without a doubt in my mind that EVERYTHING is possible with God, and NOTHING is possible without God. Period. If God offers something, He offers it to everyone who follows His word and commands, it's just the way it is. To put it very bluntly and straight-to-the-point, if Saddam Hussein came before God in his last moments of life and repented, we could be sharing heaven with this seemingly evil person. If that's the case, then my judgement is worthless, because I assume he went to the depths of the abyss. Maybe Saddam got it, maybe not, the point is that God will not reject anyone that comes to Him genuinely and sincerely and truly repents of their sins. That is my belief, that is my standing, that is my opinion. I'm not saying this is the one and only way it is, everyone is entitled to their opinion and choice. I'm simply saying this is me, this is what I know is right from what I've taken from the Bible. I can only grow wiser as the years roll by, and the more I come to know, the more I can help others.
In respect for both of you, and everyone else, please don't take this personally, it's not meant to be like that. I'm stating an opinion, straight and simple.
I was a smoker for 32 years .WAS .ok I know what the word says about were are to "judge " our brothers and sisters in the Lord as the one post gave examples for ... you know I love you all , but I do not believe that being a smoker will keep you out if Heaven , But with that I would like to add that I do believe that things in our lives keep us from receiving all that God might have for us and for us to do ...we are called to be Holy as God is Holy ...I just do not see God , Jesus or the Holy Spirit stopping for a smoke break ...but I myself was saved for abiut 6 years before I was able ...willing to be set free from the addiction ....and no man on was able to bring me to that decision ...It was for God and God alone that I was able to and desired to acomplish that ..and if it were not for God I would not have been able to in my own power ....I do not feel that it profits anyone in the Kingdom to beat them up of smoking but I do pray that each and everyone of us would have the desire to stop smoking...I have many FRIENDS in the church who still struggle with it, God hasn't called me to walk away from them ...I know in my heart that loving them and encouraging them will make the difference not bashing them and being hurtful ...yeah God loves us just the way we are but He loves us so much that He desires to us grow and be changed into what & who He has created us to be .
I believe that each of us should each day desire to please God ...do I think that God likes for us to smoke ...No because He desires the best for us ..and a long life ..120 years the word says and I know that us smokers that will be a hard number to reach .... We are to be A Light that shines in the darkness ( but not with the fire on the end of our cigarettes ) .....we are to be set apart , to be different , a cut above the norm, all that we do, should bring Glory to Him , ask yourself when you get ready to have you next cigarette, pipe or cigar does this Glorify God , can you say as you prepare to light it ..excuse me every one I am getting ready to Glorify God in smoking this ...if it does not Glorify God what is the point ?
We are able to bring Glory to Him in all that we do and we should because He is worthy of that !!!
Dear pwr_wgn. I dont get into very many discussions since they end up going the way that this one is. I certainly wish and pray for the strenght to quit smoking. I know this there are many many more sins that I am praying about also. I open my self up to others passing judgement on me by my own actions. I can tell you that I have nothing but love in my heart for you. sincerely I do. There is just to much hate and judgement of others in this world and frankly I will be glad when Our Lord comes back. I am going to bow out of this site and want the to thank you for your thoughts. May God bless you in your coming in and your going out.
Each of us must walk out our own salvation ...all of us have stuff to deal with ( at least I do ) ...I don't often contribute to forums but I have twice here tonight ...and I don't always get it right . but shouldn't this be less of an argument and more of a discussion? it seems that some are angry and defensive ...maybe that comes from having toes stepped on, thats how I use to get when people( like my pastor) talked about stuff like this ...
anything that anyone says can be taken as judgemental, if you want it to . I do know this about smoking it can kill you, mess you up pretty bad ... I think most will agree with that , for those who still smoke and want to stop I will keep you in my prayers and guess what I will keep you in my prayers even if you don't ...always remember God loves you !
